Roses require consistent attention throughout the growing season. Major structural trimming is performed while the plant is dormant, typically during late winter or early spring before new growth appears. However, the active summer months present a confusing period for many gardeners. While heavy, traditional pruning is detrimental during the heat of summer, a specific, lighter form of cutting is necessary to encourage continuous flowering and maintain plant health.
The Difference Between Pruning and Deadheading
The confusion surrounding summer rose care stems from not distinguishing between two distinct cutting activities: pruning and deadheading. Pruning involves making deep cuts into older, woody canes to remove substantial portions of the plant and reshape its structure. This severe action is intended to stimulate vigorous new growth from the base of the plant in the spring. Performing heavy pruning in summer is not recommended because the resulting tender new shoots are poorly equipped to handle intense heat and sun. These soft stems are highly susceptible to sun scorch, pest infestation, and disease, which can significantly weaken the rose bush. Deadheading, conversely, is the simple, light removal of only the faded flower and a minimal amount of stem material, making it the appropriate summer cutting activity for repeat-blooming varieties. Deadheading prevents the plant from expending energy on producing seed pods (rose hips), redirecting those resources into creating new blooms instead.
How to Deadhead Roses in Summer
Deadheading is a specific technique that must be performed precisely to ensure the plant produces a strong, new flowering stem. The process begins by locating the spent bloom, which is typically wilting, browning, or losing its petals. The goal is to remove this faded flower while cutting back to a point on the stem that encourages a healthy, outward-facing bud to sprout.
Follow the stem of the spent flower down to the first leaf set that contains five leaflets. Locate a small, slightly raised bump, known as a bud eye, just above where this five-leaflet leaf joins the main stem. This bud eye is the location where the plant will generate the next shoot.
The cut should be made about a quarter-inch above the chosen bud eye, using sharp, clean bypass pruners to ensure a smooth cut. Making the cut at a slight angle, slanting away from the bud, prevents water from pooling on the exposed tissue. Cutting to an outward-facing bud directs the new growth away from the center of the plant, promoting better air circulation and reducing fungal issues like black spot. Regular deadheading throughout the summer encourages a continuous cycle of bloom production.
Stopping Cuts to Encourage Winter Hardening
As the summer progresses into late season, the focus of rose care shifts from encouraging new blooms to preparing the plant for winter survival. This preparation involves a process called “hardening off,” where the plant physiologically toughens its existing tissues to withstand cold temperatures. The timing for stopping all cutting and stimulating activities is typically four to six weeks before the average date of the first expected hard frost in your region.
To initiate this hardening process, you must cease all deadheading and stop applying nitrogen-rich fertilizers. New growth triggered by late-season cutting or feeding will be soft and immature, lacking the necessary protective cell wall thickness to survive a freeze. This tender growth will be severely damaged by frost, potentially creating an entry point for disease or causing the cane to die back further down the stem.
Allowing the spent blooms to remain on the bush permits the rose to form rose hips, which are the plant’s fruit containing seeds. This signal tells the plant that its reproductive cycle is complete, naturally slowing down vegetative growth and redirecting energy toward winter dormancy. By mid-to-late fall, the canes will have matured, and the plant’s metabolism will have slowed, making it ready to enter its protective dormant state for the winter.