Home Gardening Flowers How to Deadhead Geraniums The garden-favorite flower needs a little TLC to keep looking gorgeous. By Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand has more than 20 years of experience as a lifestyle writer and editor, writing thousands of articles on topics that help people live better and healthier lives for Real Simple, Parents, and dozens of other top publications. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on June 30, 2023 In This Article View All In This Article Why Should You Deadhead Geraniums? How Often Should You Deadhead Geraniums? How to Deadhead Geraniums Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Ada A. C./Getty Images Project Overview Total Time: 5 minutes Skill Level: Beginner Geraniums are one of the most popular garden flowers, thanks to their long bloom time. But to keep them looking their best, you'll need to deadhead your geraniums regularly to remove spent flowers. There's a bit of an art to deadheading your geraniums, so follow these tips to keep your plants looking fresh and flower-filled. 9 Easy-to-Grow, Flowering Plants to Elevate Your Home's Curb Appeal Why Should You Deadhead Geraniums? Deadheading may seem like just an aesthetic choice—it removes blooms that are past their prime so everything on the plant looks beautiful and fresh. But it has important benefits for the health of your plant. Deadheading geraniums helps keep them producing new blooms, keeps them looking fuller, and can even prevent them from developing diseases or allowing pests to infest them. How Often Should You Deadhead Geraniums? Deadheading your geranium once a week will help you keep your plant looking its best—and will only take a few minutes of time to complete, rather than a longer session less often. While geraniums are annuals in most parts of the country, if you're in hardiness zones 10 and 11—or if you want to dig up your plant and bring it indoors when it gets cold—you need to prune the plants to a couple of inches above the soil, close to a spot where new growth has occurred. Prune your geraniums when the blooming stops, usually in September or October. How to Deadhead Geraniums Deadheading geraniums is actually a super simple process—and one garden to-do you can cross off your list with little time or effort. What You'll Need Equipment / Tools Garden Shears or Plant Knife Instructions Give your plant a look-over Take note of any places where you see faded blooms, yellowing or wilted leaves, or other signs of trouble, such as pests or spots on the leaves. 5 Reasons for Yellow Leaves on Plants—and How to Fix It Cut off spent blooms and wilted leaves While many garden plants require a simple cut of the actual spent bloom, with geraniums, you need to cut a little further back. Find a spot on the stem where there's a healthy set of leaves, and cut to that spot using the garden shears or knife. Address any other plant needs While you're giving your plant the once-over, make sure it's well-watered, and if you do notice pests or illness, treat the plant quickly. How to Use Neem Oil on Plants to Control Pests Enjoy the blooms Consistent deadheading will help ensure that more blooms grow, keeping your geraniums looking beautiful all season long.