Roses will be winding down as autumn is almost here, but there is a very quick task that can encourage them to keep blooming a little longer. In September roses will have a lot of faded flowers leftover from summer, and the plant will still be spending energy maintaining them even if they are wilted.
However, the gardening experts at Southwest London Gardener have revealed that taking the time to deadhead roses now can encourage a final bloom while keeping it healthy. They said: “If you can spare the time, it is a good idea to snip off fading flower heads every two or three days at the end of summer, going into autumn. Doing so will keep your roses flowering and will get you outdoors enjoying your rose garden throughout the seasons.”
Deadheading is important before autumn begins, as the plant is starting to shift its energy from producing flowers to strengthening its roots in preparation for winter.
Removing any spent blooms helps the rose reserve more energy so it can begin the process of growing thicket steams and roots before the temperature drops.
Lightly deadheading will also encourage one final set of healthy flowers without encouraging soft new growth, which is more vulnerable to frost and can leave the plant more exposed to cold damage.
Autumn also tends to be a damp and humid season, which makes fungal plant diseases more common, as infections like black spot often spread through moisture in decaying foliage.
Removing dying flowers from roses helps keep the plant healthy and tidy, while also encouraging one last display of spectacular blooms that you can enjoy for the rest of autumn.
How to deadhead roses before autumn
Deadheading is very simple and should only take you a fews seconds to do. To begin, you will need a clean pair of scissors or shears.
Simply go up to a rose bush and look for the first set of healthy five-leaflet leaves below a faded flower. This will look like five leaves on a single stalk.
Remove the dying flower head by cutting just above the five-leaflet leaves. Five-leaflet leaves are a stronger and more established part of the plant, so cutting above it helps redirect the plant’s energy and avoid new growth.
That is all you need to do. Continue removing the dying flowers anytime you notice them, and then stop deadheading in late September, as this is around four to six weeks before the first frost of the year.
The expert said: “As long as you set yourself a routine of regular deadheading, you should be able to extend your rose growing season throughout autumn right up until the first frosts of winter start to appear. “