Question
Just bought a new place with lots & lots of roses and I have always snapped the flower head off when there's just a few petals left but my fiance says that I'm stunting it's growth and a rose won't grow back where I snapped the head off. My experience has been different. She says I need to cut the rose stem off where the flower shoots out from, otherwise a rose will never grow where the head was snapped off. What do you think?
John...

Answer
A few years ago, your fiance would have been correct. However it has been proven that the best way to get rid of the dead flowers is to just snap them off with your fingers. This will activate the canes to produce new growth from behind. However this does not hold true for all Hybrid Teas as some has long spaces between their bud eyes and so will no brake if dead headed behind the flower. The main theory behind this practice is that the rose needs all the leaves and greenery to produce flowers.