If the plant is growing well, I don't really give it much thought. If it seems to be a slow grower, I'll remove them, just for the sake of more energy possibly going for root development.

it's up to you..I remove lots of blooms..I don't like peeling off the stuck petals from the hosta leaves..I leave the fragrant ones and some of the smaller prettier ones..

i was told be someone who should know .. that by the time you see the scape and flowers .... the energy is already spent.. so it doesnt really matter in re: energy ...

as to your preference for aesthetic... whatever pleases you ...

one would think... disregarding the flower itself.. it is more green plant tissue to process sunshine into energy.. and i would presume it could be moved to the roots ... but who really knows ...

ken

btw .. i used to do what you were thinking.. back when i was low in my learning curve... great minds think alike ... ken

I leave all open flowers on a head and do not remove the brach (not sure that’s the correct word) until all are spent. That last open flower may provide some bee with the energy it’s seeking. Some spent brachs have an interesting look without the blooms, such as Blue Angel, but I must agree though with nicholsworth, that I don’t like picking the done blooms off of the leaves. I always thought if you did cut it, it should be cut back to the first leaf on the stem.

well now I feel guilty about depriving bees..or maybe butterflies and hummingbirds too..I might need to rethink removing blooms..

For the bees! Thank you!

Why remove the blooms! Remove the dead flower stalk, please.

Ken advised once that the time to harvest for seeds was as soon as the bottom seeds ripen so I wait and when the bottom ones have ripened I snap them off and throw them into a spot just to see what might pop up.

- Jon

Oooh I like that idea, Jon! I've never purposely planted any hosta seeds. My big blue hosta makes a lot of seeds and the occasional volunteer seedling. But I like the idea of snapping off the stalk and putting it somewhere!

I leave pretty many seed scapes on mine. I mainly leave the yellows to grow, others if they look interesting enough.

Here's 3 gold seedlings beside 'World Cup'. Not sure who the seed parent is, "World Cup', or 'Paradigm', on the right side of the path, out of view.

Those are interesting seedlings Kathy and Steve!

dstickrod, you wanted to know what everyone did "with the flowers on hostas planted this year?" I do the same with the newly planted hostas as I do with my other hostas.

Generally I will keep the flower stalk for the bees to enjoy, but I will cut off the stalks that are just too tall or falling over. As I do my garden visit, I will remove the dying flowers because I don't like peeling off the dried flowers from the leaves either. Then if I like the look of the seed pods on the plant, I keep it attached. If not, I cut it off. Generally I don't cut the stalk all the way to the bottom. I find if I leave part of the flower stalk, it helps to mark the spot so I can find it in the spring. Also I have learned that the seed pods can provide food for the birds, and I like that.

Also, we need to remember to disinfect our tools so we don't pass on the hosta virus unknowingly.

Personally I don't care for the looks of the flowers but I do keep them on the plants for the bees and hummingbirds . Right now my beds look like wild fields of purple weeds with long stems.. Oh well . Once they start seed pods I will start bending over/ off or cutting , I am so over all the baby hosta coming up everywhere although I have found a few this year with some different shaped leaves and colors so depending on the mood

Kathy..I've never considered that a dried hosta scape could poke a deer in the eye Lol..love your upright seedling..

StevePA..I wish my golds gave me seedlings..maybe my pruning denied me the opportunity..

newhostalady..isn't it true that letting things happen naturally is usually best?..except for weeds..

almost hooked..my neighbors with more sun have the look you describe..I have fewer blooms than most of my neighbors and always assumed it's because I had more shade..but I didn't mind since I could live without the blooms..but for nature's sake I'll start leaving them..