How to Trim Dead Blooms From a Rose Bush
- 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).