Spent flowers on hybrid tea, floribunda, and grandiflora roses should be removed regularly to encourage a second flush of bloom. However, I stop deadheading just before Labor Day to avoid encouraging new growth that can be damaged by early cold temperatures. I also want the plants to produce attractive red and gold hips (fruits of roses that contain seeds). Many roses—especially old garden roses—produce large hips, which provide good winter interest.

Shrub roses such as the ‘Knock Out’ series are “self-cleaning”—they drop their spent flowers—and will rebloom continually throughout the growing season with no deadheading necessary. If pruning is needed on climbers or ramblers that only bloom once, it should be done immediately after flowering, because blooms are produced on old wood.

Good Reads

The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: The Essential Guide to Planting and Pruning Techniques, Third Edition, Tracy DiSabato-Aust, Timber Press, 2017.

Growing Flowers: Everything You Need to Know About Planting, Tending, Harvesting and Arranging Beautiful Blooms. Niki Irving, Mango Publishing, 2021.