The hybrid tea rose, celebrated for its elegant long stems, can present a challenge during the summer as blooms swiftly come and go, leaving gardens looking unkempt. To maintain their full glory, one crucial summer task for gardeners is deadheading, which involves removing wilted flowers to redirect the plant’s energy to new blooms.
Deadheading is particularly beneficial for hybrid tea and other repeat-flowering roses, as it spurs the growth of additional blooms. But there is an important step to remember when you are carrying out this task. The essence of pruning hybrid tea roses lies in cutting off the entire flower head. However, make sure to cut just above the first set of leaves that has five leaflets.
An expert at Garden Design says: “Generally, making your deadheading cuts right above the first five-leaflet set is best because that’s where the cane (the woody stem of the rose) is strong enough to support the new growth that will bear the next flower. Cutting back to a set of only three leaflets often results in weaker stems.”
The expert also says to select a bud facing outward from the plant to ensure the new stem grows away from the centre, preventing tangled growth.
The expert adds: “Another generally accepted rule when deadheading roses is to make your cuts at an angle just above an outward-facing bud eye, a small dormant nodule at the base of the leaf that will sprout new growth after pruning.
“The reason for cutting above a bud eye that faces outward is to encourage new stems to grow in the same direction, rather than inward. This will help improve the shape of your plant and prevent the branches from rubbing or crossing.”
After deadheading, hybrid tea roses typically don’t require significant pruning until the latter part of winter. Typically, the plants will only require pruning once they begin to re-grow, which is usually around mid-February or March.
You should also try and cut the stems at an angle as “the angled cut allows water from precipitation or overhead watering to run off quickly from the stem remaining on the plant, helping to prevent bacteria or fungi growth on exposed plant tissue”.
Equally, an angled cut allows for better absorption if you are planning on using your cuttings for a bouquet.
This way, “cutting the stem at an angle improves the water uptake of the stem still attached to the flower because the entire surface area of the stem remains in contact with the water”.