Use clean, sharp pruning shears or scissors
Wear gloves to protect your hands
Find a spent bloom that is fading, wilted, or dropping petals
Follow the flower stem downward to the first set of five leaflets
Cut just above an outward-facing leaf bud or leaf node
Make the cut at a slight angle
Remove any weak, damaged, or crossing stems at the same time
Deadhead regularly during the blooming season
Collect and discard removed blooms and debris
Stop deadheading late in the season if you want rose hips to form