Pinching and Deadheading

Ages 3 and up (one 30-45 minute session)

Objectives:

To understand what “going to seed” means
To show a plants response to pinching and deadheading
To learn proper maintenance of the garden
To encourage observation

Materials

Scissors
A bucket for carrying flowers
A bucket for the spent flower heads
Jars or vases filled with water

Part One:

Take a walk into the garden and show the children the nodes on a flowering plant. Explain that they are going to cut their plants just above a node. Talk about what might happen when they do this and what the benefits may be. Next find plants in the garden with spent flowers. Explain their next task will be deadheading Both of these techniques encourage more branching and growth. Explain that if they don’t deadhead the plants will go to seed and stop flowering. Show the children how to carry out the activity and then allow them to cut and deadhead.

Part Two:

Bring the cut flowers indoors and add them to the vases with water for everyone to enjoy.

Questions to ask:

Why do plants flower?

What will happen if the spent flowers are left on the plant?

What will happen when we cut the flowers?

If we let the spent flowers go to seed, can we plant those seeds to grow more flowers?

If the plants branch more will they produce more flowers?

How can we keep the cut flowers fresh indoors?

How long do they think the flowers will last indoors? Why?

Glossary:

Node: the point where leaves grow on the stem of a plant.

Internode: The space on the stem between each node.

Deadheading: act of removing a flower which has begun to wilt or die.