Roses are highly valued by gardening enthusiasts for their stunning display when in full bloom. Monty Don, a renowned gardening expert, has emphasized a crucial daily task that can help these beloved plants produce more flowers. In his blog, which offers monthly gardening tips, Monty highlighted that June is synonymous with roses.
Monty has been increasingly favoring English roses that offer repeat flowering, extending their beauty beyond the peak of June. He revealed his “secret” to cultivating roses with a longer blooming period. His advice is clear: “The secret of keeping any rose flowering as long as possible is to deadhead daily.” Deadheading involves removing wilted blooms to promote further flowering and enhance both the appearance and structure of the rose. For roses, which are arguably the most iconic and enchanting garden plants, consistent deadheading is essential to maintain their lush display throughout the season.
This practice not only keeps the roses looking pristine but also helps prevent diseases and pests that often target decaying petals and hips. Monty stressed that gardeners should avoid simply plucking off dead petals; instead, they should use secateurs to cut the spent stem back to the next leaf or bud below, no matter how far down it might be.
Monty highlighted the benefits of deadheading, stating that it would “provoke a side-shoot which in turn will carry more flowers.” He advised gardeners to regularly deadhead repeat-flowering shrub roses and those once-flowerers that do not bear hips.
Furthermore, Monty emphasized the importance of continuing this practice well into July. He explained, “It is very important to keep deadheading roses in July as the petals fade to encourage repeat flowering, but some roses will have now finished all that they are going to do this year.”
