When and How to Prune Roses at the Bud Eye

Project Summary

• Duration of Work: 15 minutes to 1 hour
• Duration: 15 minutes to 1 hour

• Proficiency Level: Intermediate
• Projected Expense: $0

Understanding the technique of deadheading roses is an essential aspect of their regular maintenance, serving purposes beyond just visual appeal. By eliminating faded and wilted blooms, you promote the growth of new flowers in repeat-flowering varieties. Nearly all contemporary roses, specifically those developed after 1867, are known for their ability to bloom multiple times, making it highly probable that the roses in your garden will benefit from regular deadheading.

What does deadheading mean?

Deadheading a flowering plant involves taking off its faded flowers to encourage fresh growth or to enhance its appearance. This process occurs in two phases: initially, you remove the individual faded blooms from a flowering stem, followed by the complete removal of the entire spent flowering stem.

Is Deadheading Varied for Different Varieties of Roses?

The duration needed to deadhead a rose plant can differ significantly. For instance, a 4-foot hybrid tea rose or a smaller Knock Out rose bush can typically be deadheaded in less than 15 minutes, whereas a tall climbing rose or a larger rose bush may require an hour or longer. Additionally, the amount of wilted blooms or flower heads that need to be removed also influences the time needed.

Reasons to Deadhead Roses

One reason for deadheading roses is to enhance their appearance, but there are additional botanical reasons to consider. If you leave the faded blooms on the plant, two outcomes may occur. If the flower has been pollinated, the plant will develop a rose hip beneath the flower, filled with seeds, which indicates to the plant that it has successfully completed its reproductive cycle. This can hinder the growth of new buds for the remainder of the season. In many contemporary rose varieties, the petals are so large that pollinators struggle to access the pollen, but to promote continuous blooming, it is still advisable to remove the spent flowers.

If the flower remains unpollinated, it will simply wither and drop off.

The ideal time to remove spent blooms from roses.

You can take out the flowers as soon as they start to wilt or fade. If you delay, the petals will become increasingly loose and can easily drop off with the slightest movement. Deadheading is different from pruning roses, which is typically done during specific seasons, usually in late winter or early spring. Deadheading, on the other hand, can be done at any time during the growing season.

Maintain your deadheading practice following each wave of blooms and throughout the summer months, but cease this activity a few weeks prior to the expected first frost. Removing spent flowers encourages additional growth, which can be susceptible to colder temperatures.

Tip

If you want to collect rose hips from your rose plants, make sure to leave the faded blooms intact instead of removing them.

Requirements

Devices / Instruments

• A precise and well-maintained set of pruning shears or hand scissors.
• Extended gardening gloves
• Bucket

Instructions

Eliminating Wilted Blooms

Trim Wilted Flowers at the Stem Base

• Remove a single wilted flower from a flower head or cluster by cutting it at the base where it connects to the stem. Gather the cuttings in a bucket.
• Do not disturb any remaining buds or flowers that appear vibrant and attractive.

Pruning Mature Roses

Determine the Site for the Cut

Once all the blossoms on a flowering head have finished blooming, it’s time to detach the entire flowering head. Follow these steps:

• Identify the appropriate location for the cut. Typically, hybrid tea roses feature one or two leaves with three leaflets just beneath the bloom, while further down the stem, you can find two or more leaves with five leaflets.
• Select a 5-leaf cluster that is oriented outward, as this is the direction you wish the new shoot to develop.
• Once you identify a 5-leaf cluster, be sure to check for a small dark mark at the junction of the leaf cluster and the stem. This is a bud eye, which will develop into a new stem that produces a flower.
• The spot for your cut should be positioned just above the bud eye. Since the bud eye is typically situated near the leaf cluster you want, locating it shouldn’t pose much of a challenge.
• Trim approximately ¼ inch above the 5-leaflet cluster, ensuring that at least two 5-leaflet leaves are left on each stem.

Take the Plunge

Trim the stem at a 45-degree angle instead of cutting it straight across. This angle allows water from rain or watering to drain off swiftly, reducing the risk of moisture accumulation that can lead to the growth of bacteria or fungi on the damp, exposed parts of the plant.

Removing Spent Blooms from Recently Planted Roses

Determine the Site for the Cut

With a single exception, the technique for deadheading newly planted roses mirrors that of established ones. Rather than cutting the faded flower head above the highest 5-leaflet leaf on the stem, locate the highest 3-leaflet leaf for the cutting point. Taking away too much foliage from a young rose can negatively impact its capacity to generate food and thrive.

Take the Plunge

Trim the stem to a length of ¼ inch above the first leaf with three leaflets, making the cut at a 45-degree angle, as outlined in Step 2 for mature roses mentioned earlier.

Extra Suggestions

When performing deadheading, it’s important to avoid disturbing the leaves of the rose bush, unless they show signs of illness. The leaves play a crucial role in photosynthesis, contributing to a greater number of blooms, robust rose stems, and overall plant vitality. Additionally, the process of deadheading allows for a thorough inspection of the plant, making it easier to spot issues like pests, diseases, or leaf discoloration caused by a lack of nutrients, enabling you to address these concerns swiftly.