Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Plant Species >> Annuals

Deadheading Petunias Correctly: Seed Removal vs. Self-Cleaning Varieties

Correct deadheading: snip the stem below the spent flower to remove the developing seed pod. Pulling just the petals leaves the seed head, signaling the plant to stop blooming.

Supertunias (Proven Winners) and Wave petunias (Ball Horticultural) are self-cleaning—they don’t set seed and don’t need deadheading. They’re sold in pots, labeled as such. Six-pack petunias require deadheading.

Annuals: Petunia Seed Pods: Harvesting, Hybrid Reality, and What to Expect; Petunia Bloom Strike: Light, Transition Shock, and Slug Reality Check; When Are Devil’s Claw Seeds Mature?; When to Fertilize Petunias? Never—They Don't Need It; Identifying and Controlling Petunia Pests: Hornworms vs. Flea Beetles; Rejuvenating Leggy Petunias: Hard Pruning for Bushier Growth; Petunia Wilt: The Overwatering Diagnosis; Starting Petunias from Seed in Denver: Timing and Techniques; Growing Vibrant Petunias: Soil, Fertilizer, and Care Secrets; Where Do Vegetable Seeds Come From? The Plant Life Cycle Explained

Garden Articles

Saving Petunias from Caterpillars with Bt

Sprouting Seeds for Nutrition: Seed Saving and Open-Pollinated Varieties

Sunflower Seed Harvest: Paper Bag Method and Refrigerator Stratification

Reviving Petunias in Mississippi Heat: Fish Emulsion and Compost

Starting Bismarck Palm Seeds for Kids' Science Project

Petunia Bud Death: Four Causes and Proper Deadheading Technique

Why Petunias Feel Sticky

Plants

Cypress Seed Viability, Storage, and Kudzu Warning

Growing Tree Peonies from Seed: What to Expect

Where to Find Cherry Seeds for Planting (And Why They're Rare)

Sourcing Blueberry Seeds for International Shipping to Thailand

Growing Kumquat from Seed in Florida: Easy Citrus Propagation

Harvesting and Storing Althea (Rose of Sharon) Seeds

Sunflower Seed Saving in Florida Zone 8