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Dead-heading roses
GrassyKnoll
Posts: 95
in Plants
I've been told more than once that when dead-heading roses I should go down to a stalk with 5 leaves. I have a climbing rose that needs dead-heading. It's about 3-4 feet tall at the moment and only has 5 flower heads. If I cut down to a 5 leaved stalk, I'll be taking it down to about 2 feet tall. Is this correct?
0
Posts
Not heard that one before.
Just cut to a leaf below the dead-head. If you want to cut a bit lower, that's fine, but it's just dead heading this time of year, not drastic pruning.
Good luck
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Agree with Pete. Your aim in deadheading is simply to stop the plant wasting energy on forming seeds. I cut to the next leaf down.
I have heard the 5-leaved thing, but I don't follow it .......... I deadhead to the next leaf down unless that leaf is looking weakly, discoloured or stuff like that and in that case I go down a bit further.
As has been said, this is dead-heading, not pruning ........ but there's no harm in cutting out stuff that's not looking good at the same time.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.