How to Trim Dead Blooms From a Rose Bush

Trimming dead blooms from rose bushes is essential to having beautiful, healthy roses. Lots of dead blooms and branches can inhibit the amount of sunlight that reaches into the bush, so trimming dead matter allows in more sunlight. Dead blooms and branches also encourage disease and incest infestations, so removing them will keep your rose bushes healthy. Trimming dead blooms also encourages new, larger flowers to emerge. Trimming rose bushes should be done in the spring in most parts of the country. However, those in warmer climates may prefer to trim their dead blooms in the fall.

Things You'll Need

Pruning shears
Garbage bag

White wood glue

Instructions

- 1
  Inspect your rose bush for dead blooms and dead branches. It's easy to tell which flowers are dead and wilting, but a little harder for branches. Live branches are greenish in color; dead branches are brownish or black.
- 2
  Snip the dead blooms and branches at a 45-degree angle with your pruning shears. Use just one clean, swift cut.
- 3
  Cut any stems that are thinner than a pencil. This will encourage the growth of thicker, larger branches which will make for a larger, more attractive rose bush.
- 4
  Trim any rose buds that are facing inward. These will likely die off soon from a lack of sunlight, and you want to encourage outward-growing flowers.
- 5
  Seal any areas you cut with a small drop of white wood glue (household glue, such as Elmer's, will also work). This will help your rose bush recover and keep out any invading parasites or incests.
- 6
  Remove the dead matter and put it into a garbage bag either to dispose of or to put in your compost pile (if you have one).

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