How to Prune Dianthus ✂🌺 Trim Cut Back Deadhead Pinks Maintenance

The first Spring flush of colors have gone by on my Dianthus and it's now time to cut back or trim them so that they can keep blooming into the Summer months. Pruning or deadheading this versatile plant is important in keeping the plant looking good while also preventing it from going to seed. It also helps with creating a second flush of blooms.
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[@Marsha_B]

I love Dianthus! So beautiful and super easy to take care of.❤

[@budgetgardeningvita]

Me too! I love using it as a front of the border hedge. 💐💕

[@JettiesGarden]

Happy to find your channel…seems like so much fun info to absorb. I LOVE dianthus but it really doesn’t like me. Especially the blue stem varieties which would be perennial for me. They seem to die off and literally can pop off the whole top from the main root stem. I don’t feel like the area gets too much water so not sure what causes that. Any thoughts?

[@budgetgardeningvita]

Welcome to my channel, friend! I love Dianthus, too. I'm sorry to hear that your plant is not thriving. Do you have it planted in full sun? They really like a sunny location. You said you're not overwatering it. That would have been my next suggestion (to water it less). Also, is the plant getting good soil drainage? If the soil stays too wet and doesn't drain, that can cause the plant to rot. You can usually fix that by amending the soil. Finally, research the fungal diseases Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium. Either disease can cause the foliage to collapse. Good luck! 🤞🏼🌸

[@JettiesGarden]

@@budgetgardeningvita appreciate your response and things to look out for. Sad to say it’s not just one plant but many and in different garden areas. I will keep trying.

[@darleneweissgaerber7806]

What do you do to stop "leaf miners" decimating my dianthus

[@budgetgardeningvita]

DIY insecticidal soap can help. I use 1 tablespoon of dish soap to 2 cups of water. Spray it on the leaves but don't spray it during the hottest part of the day. There are other DIY recipes out there that you can look up on the internet as well. I've heard Neem oil works as well. Good luck, friend! 😊🤞

[@markjefferson7492]

Great video. Can I please ask, apart from clipping the stems, do you trim the actual foliage, like lavender?

[@budgetgardeningvita]

Hi there! Great question! I actually do a hard prune / cut back of the foliage, not just individual stems. It would take so long if I deadheaded each stem. So yes, the pruning is very similar to pruning lavender, where you cut back all the foliage. I hope that helps. 😊🌸

[@barbaraghose8226]

Thank for your helpful advice of pruning the dianthus, I will definitely do that to my dianthus!!

[@budgetgardeningvita]

You're so very welcome! 🥰🌺

[@pattijacobs100]

I bought some dianthus from my local nursery. It was beautiful this spring. I trimmed it and now am getting a few more blooms. I hope I can manage it successfully. I tried years ago and it died on me. Thank you for your advice.

[@budgetgardeningvita]

Hi Patti! Is your dianthus in a pot or in the ground? Was it marked as an annual or perennial? Just curious.

[@pattijacobs100]

@@budgetgardeningvita It's a perennial called Blue Hills. I have it in three pots. I have crazy sun and heat in my yard and deck so I wanted to be able to control its environment.