Most people do this wrong. The right way to deadhead roses to triple your blooms

 

🌹 Most People Do This Wrong: The Right Way to Deadhead Roses to Triple Your Blooms

Roses are the pride of many gardens — elegant, fragrant, and bursting with beauty when they’re happy. But if your rose bush isn’t blooming like you hoped, the problem might not be the plant…

…it might be how you're deadheading.

Most gardeners think they’re helping their roses by snapping off spent blooms — and while it’s better than doing nothing, there’s a right way to deadhead roses that encourages stronger growth and up to three times more blooms.

Here’s exactly how to do it — and what to avoid.

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🧠 First: Why Deadhead at All?

Deadheading simply means removing faded or dead flowers from your plant. Doing this regularly:

• Tells the plant to stop producing seeds

• Encourages new growth and more blooms

• Keeps the rose bush looking neat and healthy

But here’s the catch: where and how you cut makes all the difference.

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❌ What Most People Do Wrong

The most common mistake?
Snipping just the flower head off, leaving a bare stem behind.

While this tidies the plant, it doesn’t stimulate strong regrowth. Worse, it can leave long, awkward stems that eventually turn into “blind wood” — stems that don’t bloom.

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✅ The Right Way to Deadhead Roses (The Grandma-Approved Method)

Step 1: Wait for the Right Time

• Deadhead only after the flower has fully faded or the petals have begun to drop.

• Don’t remove buds that are still opening — they may surprise you with one last show!

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Step 2: Follow the Stem Down to the First Set of 5 Leaflets

This is the magic spot.

• Look for the first full set of five leaves down the stem (not the smaller three-leaf sets higher up).

• This leaf set usually grows from a healthy outward-facing bud, which will direct the next bloom away from the center of the plant — promoting better air flow and shape.

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Step 3: Make a Clean, Angled Cut

• Using clean, sharp pruners, cut about ¼ inch above the 5-leaf set, angled downward and away from the bud.

• This encourages water to run off the cut, preventing disease or rot.

Tip: Always cut at an angle. A flat cut holds water and invites problems.

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Step 4: Remove Dead or Diseased Leaves While You’re At It

Since you're already pruning, take a moment to:

• Snip off any yellowing or black-spotted leaves

• Remove any thin, twiggy stems or ones growing toward the center of the plant

This keeps your rose bush healthy, open, and productive.

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🌼 Bonus Tips for Even More Blooms:

• Deadhead weekly during peak blooming season (usually late spring through summer)

• Fertilize monthly with a balanced rose food to support repeat flowering

• Water deeply at the base of the plant (roses hate soggy leaves)

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🌹 Final Thoughts

Deadheading roses might seem simple, but doing it the right way is one of the easiest ways to get more blooms, healthier plants, and a longer flowering season.

So next time you reach for the pruners, remember:
Snip smart — not just fast.
Find that 5-leaflet set, cut with care, and your roses will thank you with a stunning second (and third!) wave of blooms.

Most people do this wrong. Now you won’t.