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How to deadhead mindfully for pollinators?
By this point in the season, deadheading won't encourage more blooms. It's really just about wildness vs. tidiness.
Using Cues to Care is a very effective way to ensure that your wild ecological gardens will be accepted in your neighborhood or HOA setting, and it's certainly okay to keep edges and visible spaces tidy.
But we do want to leave plenty of seed heads and standing stalks for food, shelter and habitat through the winter. So as much as possible, we only want to deadhead a few flowers at a time from each cluster, if we do it at all.
It’s perfectly ok to never deadhead again!
For flowers, such as bee balm, that are really drooping and going a bit wild in an area you want to keep more tidy, you can try any of these ecologically mindful techniques:
Deadhead just a few flowers from each cluster, then find an empty spot of soil to shake out the seeds, to give new plants a chance to grow, or hungry birds a chance to eat. Chop + Drop flowers that are done blooming and leave them where they are to break down and add nutrients to the garden, while providing shelter and food for birds and insects. Add cut plant matter to the compost pile. Don't stress about mildew or moldy looking spots on leaves and flowers, such as bee balm. It's totally normal this time of year. Nothing is diseased. It’s just dying and decomposing in place.
Keep in mind that our focus is to support pollinators and wildlife, so challenge yourself to leave as much as possible in place for them. Birds and beneficial insects depend on seeds and standing stalks to prepare for winter.
Your Challenge:
Spend some time with your flowers, observe which stems could be deadheaded, and practice the technique.
While you’re interacting with your flowers, snap some photos if you feel inspired and share in ourEarthCare Community Facebook group! We LOVE to celebrate your gardens with you, and maybe even see some pollinators and wildlife visiting while you work.
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