Calendula sprouting dead heads!

[Slug]

Hello all,

While dead heading my calendulas yesterday, I thought I'd accidentally pulled a couple of new flower buds off. When I looked closer, I realised that new flower buds were actually coming out of the old dead head!

Has anybody seen this happen before? When I looked at my other plants, I realised that there are loads of the dead heads with new flowers popping out of them!! I counted 5 new buds popping out of one dead head....

So... the question is... should I be dead heading my calendulas or leaving them to this peculiar behaviour? 5 flowers for the price of one seems pretty good, but I'm worried that if I leave the dead heads on, It'll stop flowering.

Any ideas? Anyone seen this before?

Thanks!
Slug

[Getoffmylande]

Slug not quite sure about the calendulas but if they are the same as petunias then you must continue to dead head them as if you don't they go to seed its only a small job but it does continue the flowering season for a lot longer

[Slug]

Thanks Getoffmylande, I feel the need to dead head.... but with 4-5 flowers popping out of every dead head... it feels like I'm doing something wrong by pulling the new buds off with the dead head !!

Perhaps I will have to leave one plant and see what happens - maybe I'll have dead heads on top of dead heads once these new buds die off? Who knows - will have to wait and see!

Slug

[Alice]

Hello Slug, I would definately take the dead heads off. If you leave them then yes you will get a few flowers then the plant will go to seed and stop flowering. If you take them off they will carry on flowering through to the first frosts or until they run out of daylight.

[Slug]

Great guys - thanks for your help! First thing tomorrow.... dead heading these mutant plants!!

Slug