If you want your roses to continue flowering then pay attention to Monty Don’s one simple tip which will keep them blossoming for as long as possible
Rose-growers are undoubtedly looking forward to the summer displays of vibrant blossoms – luckily, there’s an easy way to help them flower for longer.
Roses are one of the UK’s most beloved and iconic flowers. They’re associated with love and romance, but also secrecy and mysticism. They also come in a veritable rainbow of colours, from ruby red to soft pink to pure white. However, while they’re popular to grow, there is one task that should be done repeatedly during summer to ensure they keep flowering.
According to gardening expert and BBC presenter Monty Don, roses should be deadheaded during mid-summer at least once a week. Though, he adds that ideally this should be done every day.
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Deadheading may sound sinister, but it’s actually crucial for maintaining the health and vibrancy of many flowers. All it refers to is removing the wilted blossoms to allow for new growth to come through.
This is because it allows nutrients to be redirected from the dying bulb. In his blog, Monty explained: “When you dead-head you are effectively pruning and thus stimulating fresh side shoots which will bear new flower buds and therefore extend the flowering season.
He added: “Dead-heading also stops the plant developing seed and so increases the chance of repeat flowering as seed always takes precedence from the plant’s supplies of nutrients and water.”
You can simply pull off the old flower heads. But Monty advises that the best approach is to use a pair of secateurs to cut back to the first leaf below the dead flower.
After you’ve done this, a new shoot should grow to replace the dead one. This is because the plant’s energy has been diverted from the faded flower and any emerging rosehips (or fruits).
He adds that some roses, particularly species of bushes, also produce great hips in autumn. But these will only develop if the flowers are allowed to set seed, so it’s best not to deadhead them in this case.
Roses should also be watered regularly during summer, particularly as the weather becomes quite hot. This will ensure they receive a necessary amount of minerals and hydration.
Since they are continually growing, roses are also quite hungry plants. This means they should be supplied with fertiliser roughly every two to three weeks to grow to their full potential.
Another important step is to ward off common pests like aphids, which are known to damage roses by creating small holes in the plant’s tissue. To get rid of aphids, you can either spray them with water or introduce an aphid predator, like ladybugs.