How to Deadhead Agapanthus Blooms

Agapanthus (Agapanthus group) features rounded clusters of blue, white or purple, funnel-shaped summer flowers, and when the blooms fade, it's time to deadhead them. Deadheading flowers means removing them, either by pinching them off with your fingertips or pruning them with pruning shears. Removing agapanthus blooms tidies up the plants and prevents them from forming seeds, which may grow into seedlings in areas where they aren't wanted. Preventing agapanthus from creating seeds means the saved energy can be used for strong growth and more flowers the following year.

Agapanthus is a summer-flowering plant, and its blooms should be removed when they wilt and their color fades. Deadheading agapanthus blooms too early isn't a problem, but leaving the deadheading until it's too late looks untidy and risks agapanthus seedlings spreading to other parts of the garden.

Deadhead the agapanthus flowers when the petals wilt. Check the plants every week for more fading flowers until you've removed the final blooms of the growing season.

The best way to deadhead agapanthus is to remove the flower and its stem. Agapanthus flowers appear atop long stems that rise above clumps of strap-shaped, grasslike leaves. Removing only the flower head would leave a long, unsightly, headless stalk and risks leaving a seed-producing part of the flower on the plant.

Agapanthus stems are fairly tough and not easy break with your hands, so use pruning shears to deadhead the plants.

Wipe your pruning shear blades with a cloth that was soaked in rubbing alcohol, before and after deadheading agapanthus plants.

Feel down to the base of the stem with one hand, and prune it at the base with the pruning shears in your other hand.

Faded agapanthus blooms and their stems can go on a compost pile.