No advice. Just to say -- that works best for my roses, too.

Jeri

Snap until the rose is as tall as you want it. Cut back if it is getting too tall. In most cases there is nothing special about the first set of 5 leaflets. You may find a few HTs that prefer to sprout there, but they can still do so.

Thanks for the help on this. I feel better now.

I used to cut and am so much happier snapping. It is so much faster--I can use both hands at once.

What you are now doing is the only thing that has ever made sense to me. And if the rose is 'self-cleaning' AND a non-hipster, I don't do even that.

Do you know that if you spray alternately with humanure tea and well-aged, concentrated urine, your blooms will last twice as long, and will not require "deadheading?" The plant will be so vigorous and healthy that it will be bursting with blooms, no matter how many wilted flowers remain.

You will also be doing a great thing for Mother Earth!

I have used milorganite, which is basically sewage from Wisconsin, but have not noticed any increase in bloom life.

Milorganite is processed at a temperature of about 1,000 degrees. It is non-living.

I just snap them off with my fingers too but I am interested in the term "humanure tea".
Anyone care to elaborate?

Chuck, I am not sure I want to elaborate or even think about the term humanure tea! and what is served with that? e-coli biscuits? /Abi

I'm a guy, so I don't have the nails to snap blooms off. I just go out with the pruners and prune the stems back as the bloom finishes, then when the rose is finished blooming, I lop off until I real the first open 5 leaf set that doesn't have any old stems coming out of it.........or farther back if there is no new growth on it.

Don't knock it until you've tried it - and experienced the monster roses that last WEEKS on the stem and don't stop blooming all year long!

Jeff, you don't need nails.

There is a natural point of abcission at the bottom of the peduncle. When the bloom has faded, almost all will easily SNAP at that point.
I, too, was trained to cut to the first outward-facing 5-leaflet leaf.
The problem with it is that:
1. Some roses respond poorly to this treatment.
2. Roses don't always naturally bloom at the first 5-leaf etc.
3. Young plants, in particular, simply cannot spare that growth.

To be honest, the only people who really NEED to follow that rule are those who plan to exhibit, and need to encourage bloom of less quantity and larger size on longer stems.

Jeri

Well, if you want to get the long stems on the hybrid teas, then you want to deadhead further down the cane. If you deadhead HTs at the second or third 5-leaflet leaf set, then you'll get longer stems and larger flowers, but, that comes with a longer rebloom time. If you just want a lot of flowers on the plant and a faster rebloom, then snapping if the way to go.

Thanks Jeri. I initially had that work when my roses were new, but now since I've fertilized them, they all seem to be pretty tough suckers and won't snap off anymore. That and even though all my roses are new, I've been getting buds and new growth from EVERY 5 leaf set(I checked) and quite a few new basal canes. The growth has been so rapid and blooms have been so plentiful that I typically just lop off whatever remainder of the top of the previous flushes canes remain that isn't an open 5 leaf set. I'm not sure why they won't snap as easily for me anymore. My only guess is my fertilization has made the growth more durable. My Pat Austin still nods, but the stems and canes are incredibly durable and rigid. It sounds more like I am pruning a limb off a tree rather than a rose. :)

I don't know Jeff, but I can do this as readily with a modern HT as I can with a China. (Well, with the China, I likely wouldn't bother.)

But you know, I think we all need to follow the path that works for the roses we are growing in the place where we are growing them.
And when you think on it, that means that there is no hard and fast rule to be applied across the world.

I will tell people in areas like mine, what works for me.
But for other environments? If it works for you, go for it.

Jeri

I agree. I only have 9 roses right now, so it's not a real large chore for me. I can FULLY understand for those of whom have 100+ roses.....that may take a bit longer. ;)