Deadheading is the fastest way to refresh these landscape diehards.
We’re getting asked about deadheading a lot these days. On the bright side, it means that roses are blooming and flowering in summer — not typically their showiest season in South Central Texas. It also demonstrates that the on-and-off recent rains have helped and plants are blooming.
Additionally, temperatures have been pleasant enough to spend time in the yard working on the details. Again, not typical at this time of year.
Deadheading simply means cutting off the flowers. There’s an art to rose pruning, depending on the type and age of the rose in question. But deadheading is very simple by comparison.
For roses, it’s one of the simplest day-to-day maintenance tasks. Just snipping off the spent flowers keeps them from looking “tatty.” In general, it just grooms and refreshes the appearance of the shrub and requires no huge effort, especially if you make a habit of it.
Even if you do it all at once, depending how many roses you’re treating, it can take about 10 minutes — less time than it takes to start sweating.
Here are the answers to some FAQs about rose care.
Do I need to deadhead my roses?
It’s not necessary, and given San Antonio’s hot summer climate, many homeowners just ignore it since blooming slows down anyway. That said, deadheading the roses keeps them looking their best and it’s a great way to signal your yard-of-the-month bona fides. On their own, many roses would progress from spent flowers to seed production and, in some cases, plump rose hips in autumn. Deadheading redirects all of that energy to producing additional flowers.
Is there a right way to do it?
There are two stages to deadheading roses: Cut (or pinch) off spent/finished flowers where the base of the flower stalk joins a larger stem. Leave any buds or flowers that are still blooming or have not yet bloomed. This removes the “tatty” bits and shows off the remaining flowers.
Once the entire flower head (multiple blooms) has finished and all the blooms and flowers on a flowerhead are spent, you can keep the bush tidy and compact by cutting off the entire flowering branch back a bit more — to just above the first branch with five or seven leaflets. Choosing a leaflet with an outward-facing bud is best.
Best practice with roses is to gather up the cuttings afterwards to prevent any disease issues.
Can it hurt my roses?
When it comes to deadheading, there’s almost nothing you can cut off a well-established rose that will hurt it.
That said, major pruning is best performed in late winter, around Valentine’s Day in San Antonio. Pruning and deadheading open up the plant’s air circulation and generally promote repeat flowering.
Should other plants be deadheaded?
Many native and water-saving plants produce flowers in such volume that deadheading simply isn’t a concern.
Basil is another plant where we regularly pinch off the flowers before they bloom to prevent flowering. Basil requires no pruners at all. You can pinch off flower stalks at the base, just above the next pair of leaves below the flower stalk.
