Deadheading is the process of removing flowers that have finished blooming. In addition to improving the overall appearance, it allows plants to put more energy into producing more flowers.
If plants aren’t deadheaded, they go on to produce seed. For perennials like roses, seed production signals that the life cycle is complete and the plants will stop flowering or die.
Monty said: “The secret of keeping any rose flowering as long as possible is to dead-head daily. This will provoke a side-shoot, which in turn will carry more flowers.”
While the gardening expert says to deadhead roses daily, it can take longer for rose blooms to fade. You will need to keep an eye on your roses and deadhead as and when you see fit.
For the roses in my garden, I’ve been deadheading them every seven to 10 days.
I like to deadhead my roses at the first signs of wilting, so when they start to brown and droop a little.
When deadheading roses, never pull off the spent petals by hand; instead, professional secateurs are needed to cut the spent stem right back to the next leaf or bud below.
With a clean pair of bypass scissors at the ready, deadheading three of my roses only took 15 seconds.
If you do this task little and often, you can be sure of strong blooms and a fresh appearance for many flowering seasons to come.