How to deadhead a rose
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What is deadheading?
Deadheading is the removal of finished blooms in order to encourage further blooms and improve the appearance and shape of the rose. You should deadhead repeat-flowering shrub roses and once flowering shrub roses which don’t produce hips. Do not deadhead hip producing roses if you want hips in the autumn/winter.
How to deadhead roses
There are two stages to deadheading. The first is mainly aesthetic, removing the brown finished blooms so you can enjoy the remaining flowers without interruption. The second stage encourages new blooms and helps to maintain a compact shape.
Stage 1: Remove a finished bloom from a flowering head.
How to deadhead
Pinch or cut off the finished flower, just below where the base of the flower joins the stem. Leave any remaining buds or blooms to continue flowering.
When to deadhead
Do this as required throughout the flowering season.
Stage 2: Removing a flowering head once all the blooms in a cluster have finished.
How to deadhead
Remove the entire flowering head by cutting the stem just above the first leaf with five leaflets. Once all the flowering heads have been removed, cut any disproportionally tall stems back to the height of the rest of the plant, creating an nice rounded shape as you go.
When to deadhead
Do this throughout the flowering season, after each flush of flowers.