Maybe a silly post, but then again - it took me a few years to actually figure this out - so perhaps a helpful tip for someone.

Sometimes blooms are at that "fine line" point of - to deadhead, or not yet to deadhead.

How long we leave our blooms on is completely personal for visual taste, and time we have to deadhead. For me - I don't like sloppy looking blooms. I used to wonder if I was deadheading my blooms too early. Then I came up with this great solution, for me at least, to indicate when it was time to deadhead.

I vigorously shake a cane with blooms, or if the cane is too thorny I just tap the side of the bloom or bloom group. If the pedals start falling off, I pop off the head. If they stick, I leave it.