Planting annuals takes a great deal of effort and keeping them alive during a heat wave can be even more time consuming. Providing your plants with ample water is just one step in the process. You will also need to cut back any blooms (dead heading) or yellowed leaves to provide hope for a summer full of blooms. The following will provide you with the basics of pruning your annual flowers.

Pruning Annual Flowers

Step 1: Locate the spent flowers on your plant. These are typically brown and withered.

Step 2: Follow the stem of the flower down to the plant.

Step 3: Using a pair of scissors, carefully clip the old bloom off the plant.

Step 4: Continue to do this until all dead blooms are taken off the plant.

Step 5: Carefully remove any yellow or brown leaves from the plant using the same technique.

Step 6: Water your plant in the cool of the day (early morning or late in the evening) to prevent burning the leaves.  Use a general plant fertilizer or Bloom Booster from Miracle Gro brand plant food, which can be found at Home Depot or Meijer to improve the look of your flowers for the rest of the summer.

Following these simple steps can improve the look of your flower bed and keep your flowers blooming for a few more weeks. Expect to cut off the dead blooms three or four times during the season to improve the look of the flowers in late summer.

Do you have any tips you would like to share? We would like to include your gardening tips for our readers; feel free to post comments.