28 Rose Gardening: deadheading:
Description
This article is from the Rose Gardening FAQ, by Bill Chandler chandler@austin.ibm.com, Jolene Adams jolene@cchem.berkeley.edu, Brent C. Dickerson odinthor@csulf.edu, Karen Baldwin kbaldwin@veribest.com, and many contributors
28 Rose Gardening: deadheading:
(see also hips: )
Deadheading is cutting off flowers as they wither or don't look as good. Old
blooms left on the plant may have been pollinated and may begin to form seed
pods (hips). The formation of hips requires a lot of energy from the plant
and slows flower production. By preventing the formation of hips,
deadheading encourages the rose bush to grow new flowers.
The choice of which spot to deadhead at is influenced by what shape you want
the bush to take, and which direction you want a particular cane to grow.
Usually, you will want to cut the stem at a 45-degree angle just above an
outward-facing leaf. Make sure the high side of the cut is the side the leaf
set is on.
To deadhead, remove the flower by making a diagonal cut just above the next
5 or 7-leaf branch down on the stem. The idea is to cut to a bud eye capable
of producing a healthy cane. If this would cause too much of the cane to be
removed, a 3-leaf branch can be chosen instead. The first year cut back to
the first 3 or 5-leaf branch. In following years cut far enough down to get
to a 5-leaf branch with a leaf bud that is facing outward. This will open up
the plant.
Once blooming roses do not need to be deadheaded. They bloom once and then
they are finished blooming for the year. However, once-blooming roses may be
(in fact, should be) pruned after they are finished blooming. They should
NOT be pruned in the fall or before they bloom because they bloom on the
previous year's growth.
Stop deadheading as of September 1 in zones 4 and 5. It is a good practice
to let the last roses on HT's produce hips because it makes them more frost
hardy. It causes the plant to undergo chemical changes that slow down
growth, inhibit blooming and generally prepare for dormancy by focusing its
energy on 'hardening' the canes. The formation of hips tells the plant that
it's "done its job" and can now rest from its labors.
English Roses: ( abbrev. ER, see also Modern Roses: , Old Roses: )
This new group of roses, often called David Austin Roses, was introduced in
1969 by David Austin of England. These roses are an attempt to combine the
best traits of both Old Roses and Modern Roses. David Austin has attempted
to produce roses with the classic flower forms, fragrance, and disease
resistance of the Old Garden Roses on plants that repeat bloom like the
Modern Roses. Some of the popular English Roses are Abraham Darby, Graham
Thomas, Heritage, and Mary Rose. This FAQ has a larger document with more
information about English Roses.
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