I deadheaded my roses using the '5-leaf rule' and I've never had such bountiful blooms

I'm a little embarrassed by how much I enjoy deadheading roses after flowering. Whenever I visit my mum's country cottage over summer, it's one of the first things I do.

There's something oh-so satisfying about scavenging for spent flowers and snipping away, leaving a tidy looking bush and a sense of smugness knowing that you're paving the way for new blooms ahead.

So when a garden-loving friend told me about the '5-leaf rule' for deadheading roses, popular with well-known gardeners including Pollyanna Wilkinson, I knew I had to give it a go. Here's how I got on....

What is the 5-leaf rule?

This rose deadheading hack couldn't be easier. Simply:

Select a dead bloom
Trace its stem downward
Find the first 5-leaf set you get to, ignoring the 3-leaf clusters closer to the flower
Snip just above it at a 45-degree angle

Use sharp pruners for a clean snip. Dull ones crush stems which can hamper growth and encourage pests. My weapon of choice? Niwaki's secateurs. They somehow make pruning infinitely more enjoyable with their razor-sharp blades, easy mechanism and pleasing design.

Niwaki Niwaki Sentei Secateurs

£42 at Amazon

Why the 5-leaf rule works

There's science behind this simple trick. The theory is that the first 5-leaf cluster is a strong growth point, so new shoots will pop up more readily, leading to more new flowers sooner. Pruning at 3-leaf clusters can cause stubby growth, and at 7-leaf clusters may be slower.

But does it work in practice?

Having followed the 5-leaf rule for the last few months, I can report that I am a wholehearted convert. The roses have never looked more bountiful, with an abundance of lush blooms back-to-back all summer so far.

One of my favourite things about this rule is its simplicity. There are no complex timings or instructions. Whenever you see a dead bloom, simply trace down to first the 5-leaf cluster and snip away – it's foolproof.

Alex Manders//Getty Images

Why is it important to deadhead roses?

Aesthetics aside, deadheading plants such as roses helps to encourage more flowers. "Left untouched, a spent flower signals to the plant that its reproductive work is complete," explains the team of David Austin Roses. "The rose then shifts its energy away from flower production and into developing seed pods, known as rose hips."

While hips can be a beautiful pop of autumn-winter colour on the right variety, if you want your rose to produce flowers all the way from early summer until the first frost in autumn, deadheading is vital.

"By strategically removing faded flowers, you redirect vital energy back into root development and new bud formation. This ensures your roses perform at their absolute best all season long."

Gardening tools

Commissioning Editor, Country Living UK

Cara is Commissioning Editor at Country Living, covering everything from style and interiors to sustainability, artisans and the great outdoors. She has previously worked for Good Housekeeping, Homes & Gardens, House Beautiful, Prima and Red, and has an MA in Magazine Journalism from City University and a BA in Music from the University of Oxford. Follow Cara on Instagram @caralaskaris or Linkedin.