Renowned gardener Monty Don has shared his expert advice on essential gardening tasks for June, emphasizing the importance of deadheading and pruning roses to prolong flowering. According to Monty, deadheading, which involves removing faded blooms, is crucial for stimulating additional flowering and enhancing the rose’s appearance and structure. He recommends that gardeners should deadhead their roses at least once a week, and preferably daily, during mid-summer.
As reported by the Express, gardeners will notice that after a major burst of flowers, clusters begin to wilt or fade, signaling the need for deadheading. By removing spent flowers, gardeners are effectively pruning the plant, which stimulates fresh side shoots that bear new flower buds, thereby extending the flowering season. This practice also prevents the plant from diverting energy into seed production, increasing the likelihood of repeat flowering.
Monty advises that while simply pulling off deceased flower heads will help, a more effective technique is to use secateurs and cut back to the first leaf below the spent flower. This method allows a new shoot to grow from that point. However, he also notes that some roses, particularly species bushes, produce beautiful hips in autumn, which will only develop if the flowers are allowed to set seed and fruit. Therefore, gardeners should enjoy the flowers as long as they last and then look forward to the autumnal display from the fruit.
Deadheading is not a cumbersome task and can be easily done in small increments. Gardeners should take the necessary precautions, such as wearing gardening gloves, carrying a suitable bucket, and choosing their preferred method to get started. By adopting a “little and often” approach, gardeners can ensure vigorous blossoms and an uninterrupted pleasing look across multiple flowering seasons.
