How (And When!) To Deadhead Dianthus

Dianthus are easy-to-grow flowers that come in an array of colors including pure white, creamy white, wine red, and various shades of pink. With their spicy clove-like scent, dianthus are a lovely addition to borders, beds, containers, and cutting gardens. Pollinators love them, too!

You may know dianthus by their common name of “pinks,” which refers to the fringed edging of each flower that appears to have been trimmed by pinking shears. The genus includes more than 27,000 cultivars, or cultivated varieties, grown as annuals, biennials and perennials, so you’ll find them in a range of heights from tall carnation types to low-growing ground cover-like plants.

These flowers need full sun, which is considered 6 or more direct hours of sunlight to bloom well. However, many types don’t enjoy the heat of mid-summer, so after their first flush of flowers, it’s a good idea to deadhead them to encourage more blooms later in the summer or early fall.

If you’re more of a hands-off gardener, deadheading isn’t strictly necessary with dianthus. But when you trim off the spent blooms, you’ll stimulate the plant to redirect its energy from producing seeds to pushing more flowers. While subsequent flowering is often sporadic and less prolific, you’ll still enjoy the blooms nonetheless!

How To Deadhead Dianthus

Use garden snips to cut off the faded flower head. Aim for a spot just below the flower and above the first leaves on the foliage, being careful not to take off any buds hidden in the leaves. Cut individual stems back to the level of the foliage.

If you have a lot of dianthus flowers, there’s also a faster method for deadheading. Use a set of garden shears or scissors to cut roughly straight across the top of the plant, removing the spent flower heads all at the same time. Tiny, stubby stems may remain, but they won’t affect new flowering.

Cutting dianthus to enjoy indoors in vases also acts the same way as deadheading, encouraging the plant to push more blooms. Snip the stems while the flowers are still in full bloom and haven’t started to wilt. Some types of dianthus last for weeks in the vase if you change the water regularly.

When To Deadhead Dianthus

You can snip off dead blooms, which will appear brown and brittle, any time you see them during the growing season. Some types will need trimmed back in late spring, while others bloom in summer and should be deadheaded then.

Shearing back the entire plant also can be helpful if it’s beginning to look leggy. Cutting it back to remove the shaggy parts will regenerate new, more compact growth.