The Dreaded Deadheading: Why It's Worth It After a Heatwave

Crispy fried Roses.

A few days ago your roses were absolutely magnificent — full, blowsy, the best they've looked all year. Now you've got a garden full of brown, papery, slightly sorry-looking dead heads and the whole thing looks like it needs a good fettle and talking to.

This is the bit nobody photographs for Instagram - apart from us, but then we're a bit errr.... different.

But here's the thing: what you do in the next few days matters enormously for the rest of your season. So put the kettle on and let's get into it.

Why deadheading after a heatwave is so important

When a rose sets seed, it thinks its job is done. All that energy that was going into producing flowers gets redirected into forming hips — which is lovely in autumn, but not what you want in June if you're hoping for a second flush. Deadheading tells the plant to keep going, and in a repeat-flowering rose, that means more blooms.

After a heatwave, when the plant has burned through a flush at extraordinary speed, getting on top of deadheading quickly gives it the best possible chance of recovering and producing another round of flowers before the season is out.

How to do it properly

Don't just snap the dead head off at the neck — cut back to the first strong leaf with five leaflets below the spent bloom. This is where the new growth will come from. Use sharp, clean secateurs and make a clean cut at a slight angle.

If the plant looks exhausted — and after this week, some of them will — cut back a little harder to a strong outward-facing bud lower down the stem. It feels brutal, but it encourages the plant to put energy into strong new growth rather than struggling on with weak, heat-stressed stems.

One more thing: if the heat is still intense, try to deadhead in the early morning or evening rather than the middle of the day. Any cutting puts a plant under a degree of stress, and in extreme heat that's worth being mindful of. It's kinder to the plant — and frankly, kinder to you too.

Give them a drink and a feed

Once you've deadheaded, give your roses a really good soak — not a quick sprinkle, but a proper slow soak at the base of the plant and make sure the soil (or compost if it's a rose in a pot) is properly wet. Then if you haven't fed them recently, a liquid rose feed now will help them recover and build energy for the next flush. Avoid feeding in the heat of the day; again early morning or evening is best.

Be patient

After a heatwave flush, roses can look a bit sorry for themselves for a week or two while they gather themselves. Don't panic. Keep them watered, keep on top of any new dead heads as they appear, and trust the process. The next flush, when it comes, is often one of the best of the year.

All that deadheading will have been absolutely worth it. Promise.

Now go find your secateurs, go outside and enjoy the cooler weather.