How To Deadhead Zinnias So They'll Bloom All Summer Long

Zinnias are gorgeous flowering annuals that attract butterflies to the garden and make excellent cut flowers. To keep zinnias blooming all summer long, flowers should be removed as they begin to fade. This is called deadheading, a simple pruning technique that encourages new growth and reblooming. Learn how to deadhead zinnias to keep your plants blooming continuously, summer through fall.

Zinnias are deadheaded to encourage plants to produce more flowers. Zinnias are annual flowers—their life goal is to reproduce. At the beginning of the season, they focus their energy on growth and blooming to attract pollinators like butterflies and bees. Once their flowers are pollinated, plants stop blooming and shift their energy into producing seed.

When we deadhead zinnias, we cut away those pollinated flowers before they can develop seed. The plant tries again, quickly sending out new flowers to replace the ones you cut. Deadheading, in essence, tricks the plant into reblooming. By repeatedly deadheading zinnias throughout the summer, you can keep plants in the flowering stage, provide long-lasting color.

Deadheading also keeps plants looking their best. Most flowers lose their attraction as they fade, leaving an unsightly brown head behind. For some newer hybrid zinnia varieties, including those in the Profusion Series and Zahara Series, deadheading isn’t entirely necessary. These hybrids continue to bloom without deadheading, however, clipping off spent flowers keeps the plants looking tidy and fresh. 

Zinnias grow and flower very quickly after sowing, which is one reason they are so popular. Begin deadheading as soon as the first blooms begin to fade. The bright colors of spent