Dianthus – Pruning Dead Flowers

Q: I planted Dianthus about a month ago and it had beautiful white blossoms. The blossoms have since died back and leaving a unsightly brown flower. Do I cut off the old flowers in order for new ones to appear?

A: Look at the base of each stem that bears a flower. If you see little green buds there, use scissors to clip above the buds. They will likely make blooms later this summer. If this is too tedious, clip off the flowers wholesale and let Nature decide whether to send out sporadic summer flowers. Regular watering and fertilizing will help.