Roses are beloved for their fragrant blooms, but they are difficult to grow if not pruned during bloom. Here you can find out when and how you should prune faded roses so that they bloom longer.
When roses wither in the summer - that speaks for pruning
Like any flower, rose petals have a limited lifespan and become themselveswith proper carewilt after a while. Removing wilted flowers is an easy way to give the garden a neat look. It also stimulates the plants to produce new flowers. How to prune spent roses depends on the type, but generally it is easiest to cut the spent rose at the end of the short stem above the foliage. This simple pruning not only improves the appearance of the plant, but can also prevent rot by eliminating wet, fallen petals, which can be problematic if they cling to the leaves.
Removing the old flowers prevents the plant from putting energy into producing seeds and instead encourages it to produce more flowers. Aside from the know-how you'll get right away, all you need for this job is a good pair of pruning shears.
To cut off withered rose petals or not?
Roses are beautiful, but the wilted blooms in the middle of your colorful summer garden can quickly ruin its overall look. If you cut off the dried flowers, the garden not only looks more beautiful, but the rose plants also grow healthier and produce more flowers.
There arenumerous tasks that gardeners have to do in July, but for those who want their roses to bloom longer, removing spent blooms is a must. This work does not have to be done once, but rather regularly and, above all, effectively.
But do all species need pruning? Roses can be divided into once-blooming and continuous-blooming varieties, and the need for pruning depends on which varieties are growing in your garden.
When do you cut roses?
While you can wait until the entire plant has finished blooming to remove the wilted flowers, if you want to preserve your fragrant rose splendor for longer, it's better to prune a little and often.
To ensure lush blooms, it is worth cutting off wilted roses at least once a week (better daily) in midsummer. If you remove the flower heads, new side shoots will grow back, which will bear buds again and thus extend the flowering period. Pruning also prevents the plant from forming seeds, which would otherwise take priority over supplying the plant with nutrients and water.
How do I properly cut off faded roses?
In order to enjoy beautiful flowers all summer long, you have to cut dead, long-flowering roses in the garden. While pulling off the old flower heads is helpful, by far the best option is to use pruning shears and cut back to the first leaf below the spent flower. A new shoot then grows at this point.
How to cut individual roses
Removing flower heads from roses is really easy. To remove individual blooms, all you need to do is take a clean, sharp pair of pruning shears and make a clean cut to remove the bloom. Do this just below where the base of the flower head connects to the thorny stem. Other buds or flowers that are bright and healthy should be allowed to continue blooming. This should be done throughout the flowering period, which begins in early summer.
Cut spent roses into bunches
Be careful of entire clusters of wilted flowers as these can be removed all at once. To do this, cut the stem just above the first leaf with at least five leaflets visible. Once you have removed all the wilted flowers, you should cut back the stem. Using clean pruning shears, trim any “disproportionately tall” stems back to the height of the rest of the plant. When cutting back the stems, try to create a neat, round shape.
Cut faded roses according to variety
Edelrosen
The general rule for pruning hybrid teas is to find the top group of five leaflets and then cut the stem below, at the second group of five leaflets. However, you won't harm the rose if you cut it back higher or lower. In late summer to early autumn you can also just cut off the flowers themselves. This results in greater growth of stems and leaves, which is important for roses that are going into winter dormancy. However, if you do this earlier in the season, the roses will produce more flowers on shorter stems. Noble roses are valued as long-stemmed roses. So if you cut them too early, you could lose one of their best qualities.
Beetrosen
Instead of a single flower per stem, these types of roses tend to form clusters of flowers. When removing the flower heads, you can make the cut anywhere below the entire clump along the stem from which the rose grew.
Shrub roses
Many shrub roses shed wilted flowers on their own. The good news is that you may never have to trim these self-cleaning roses, but depending on their appearance, you should still clean them out every now and then. And since shrubs only produce flowers from new growth, pruning results in more branching and fresh growth, increasing the potential number of flowers. Removing the flowers from shrub roses is easy: just remove the flower head and its short stem.
Cut once-blooming roses or not?
For rose varieties that bloom once (or varieties that bloom in the fall), pruning is not absolutely necessary. These species form magnificent rose hips in autumn, but they only develop when the flowers can produce seeds and fruit. So enjoy the flowers while they last, and then wait for the autumnal blooms they produce from their fruit.
