What is deadheading?
Deadheading is the practice of removing spent flowers from rose bushes. When roses bloom, the flower dies and the plant puts energy into developing seeds. By removing the dead flowers, known as deadheading, the plant’s energy is redirected from seed production into producing more flowers. Deadheading tricks the plant into thinking it needs to produce more flowers to attract pollinators and set seed. This encourages repeat blooming throughout the growing season.
Why deadhead roses?
There are several benefits to deadheading rose bushes:
More flowers
Deadheading encourages the plant to continue blooming. Roses are remontant, meaning they will bloom repeatedly under the right conditions. Removing spent blooms signals the plant to direct energy into producing more flower buds instead of seeds. This allows for recurrent waves of blossoms over an extended period.
Bigger blooms
With the plant’s energy focused on flower production instead of seed production, deadheading results in larger, fuller flower blooms. The size and form of the flowers will be improved.
Healthier plants
Dead flowers can harbor pests and diseases. Removing spent blooms helps prevent the spread of fungi and insects. It also improves air circulation around the plant. Proper sanitation by deadheading is key to having clean, healthy rose bushes.
Neater appearance
The aesthetic appearance of the rose garden is improved by removing unsightly dead blossoms. The bush will look tidy and the flowers will stand out more against the foliage. Deadheading makes caring for roses an enjoyable and rewarding task.
When to deadhead roses
Timing is important when deadheading roses for the best results:
As blooms fade
It’s best to deadhead roses just as the flowers start to fade, wilt, and dry up. This sends the strongest signal to the plant to redirect energy into forming new flower buds. Waiting too long means seeds may start to form, putting energy into seed production rather than more flowers.
Before hips form
Deadhead roses before the dead flowers form seed pods, known as rose hips. For the highest quality blooms, remove spent flowers before seeds start developing. Some gardeners like to leave rose hips on the bush for visual interest in the winter.
Throughout the season
Deadheading should be done consistently throughout the growing season. Check bushes every few days for any blooms that are past their prime. Combining deadheading with regular pruning encourages repeat flowering.
How to deadhead roses
Deadheading is a simple process that requires just bypass pruners and gloved hands. Here are the basic steps:
Step 1
Examine each rose flower and look for blooms that are wilting, drying up, or already dead. Check the receptacle or flower hip beneath the petals. If it is swollen and seeds are forming, cut just below the hip. If no hip is present, you can cut farther down the stem.
Step 2
Use sharp bypass hand pruners to cut each spent bloom stem back to a healthy five-leaflet leaf, cutting at a 45 degree angle just above an outward facing bud eye. Make the cut about 1⁄4 inch above the bud eye.
Step 3
Remove all dead and damaged material from around the rose bushes. Discard the cuttings or compost them. Be sure to wash your pruners with rubbing alcohol after deadheading each plant to prevent disease transmission.
Step 4
Roses produce flowers on new wood, so regular pruning is needed along with deadheading. After several waves of blooms, prune back whole canes that have flowered to just above a healthy bud eye to encourage new cane development.
Tips for deadheading different rose types
Although the basic deadheading technique is the same for all roses, here are some tips for different rose classes:
Hybrid teas and floribundas
These modern bush roses bloom on long stems. Deadhead back to the first five-leaflet leaf below the spent flower. These roses bloom in cycles, so prune back older, less productive canes after heavy flowering.
Climbing roses
Only remove spent bloom clusters, cutting back to a healthy outward facing bud eye. Try to maintain the overall shape and framework of the plant when deadheading climbing roses.
Old garden roses
Deadhead old fashioned and antique roses just after flowers fade, but leave the swollen flower hips on the bush for decoration into fall and winter. Prune these roses minimally, mainly to shape and thin.
Shrub and landscape roses
These roses tend to bloom just once a season on old wood. Deadhead promptly after flowering, but avoid heavy renewal pruning that would remove next year’s flower buds.
Miniature roses
These delicate roses have small blooms, so use scissors or thinning shears to snip off spent flowers above an outward facing bud eye. Be gentle not to damage the petite canes.
Special considerations
There are a few special factors to keep in mind when deadheading roses:
Heat tolerance
Cut flowers may wilt faster in hot climates. Check bushes daily and deadhead early in the day before heat builds. Morning deadheading is ideal.
Moisture requirements
Roses need adequate water to support repeat flowering. Supplement deadheading with deep watering after pruning. Consider water retention aids like compost or mulch.
Fertilization
Applying slow release fertilizer in early spring and again halfway through summer will provide nutrients to support recurrent blooms after deadheading.
Pest monitoring
Inspect for pests like aphids when deadheading and treat promptly to avoid weakening the bushes. Healthy roses rebound faster after deadheading.
Winter hardiness
In cold climates, stop deadheading about 6-8 weeks before the average first frost to allow the plants time to harden off for winter dormancy.
Benefits of deadheading
Here is a summary of the key benefits of deadheading rose bushes:
- Promotes re-blooming throughout the growing season
- Redirects energy from seeds into more flowers
- Produces larger blooms with better form
- Keeps plants tidy and improves appearance
- Cuts down on pests and diseases
- Combined with pruning, invigorates the entire plant
- Easy to do and improves the joy of rose gardening
Conclusion
Deadheading faded blooms is an essential rose care practice. Roses are remontant plants that evolved to bloom repeatedly to attract pollinators. By deadheading spent flowers just as they start to fade, gardeners can trick the plant into channeling its energy into producing more flower buds instead of setting seed. This extends the flowering period over many months. Combining deadheading with proper pruning of older canes results in prolific flowering and healthier rose bushes. For maximum blossoms, deadhead roses promptly and consistently throughout the growing season. With simple techniques and a few hand tools, gardeners can easily improve the quantity and quality of their rose blooms. The reward is waves of colorful, fragrant roses to enjoy all season long.