How to Prune Roses

How often should I prune my rose bush? What kind of pruning tools do I need? Are there certain things I need to watch out for? Roses are beautiful flowers that come in many shapes and sizes. In addition to being stunning, they also provide beauty to gardens and outdoor spaces. Pruning is part of caring for your plants. The goal is to improve their appearance and performance. There are two main types of pruning techniques: cutting, where whole branches or large leaves are removed, and topping, where you remove smaller dead, damaged, or diseased parts. This article explains how to properly prune your roses, so you can enjoy them for years to come.

Different types of roses will need different pruning approaches, but the basics are pretty similar. Here’s a step-by-step walk-through of the basics of rose pruning:

Trim away all the leaves of the rose to give a clear sight of the rose’s individual stems.
Cut off any dead stems which look brown as opposed to green, healthy stems. Remove these up to the foundation of the rose.
Thin out the center of the rose by removing canes that are tripping over each other. Each stem should be stretching upwards and needs space around it to grow properly.
Lop off any stems narrower than a pencil. These thin canes represent weak growth.
Once the rose has been thinned down to the best canes, trim these back. Make the cuts about a quarter of the stem above the bulging nodes on the canes. Aim for a 45-degree angle for every incision to help the new buds grow out properly.

Why Prune?

Although rose bushes don’t need constant pruning, it is still an important component of caring. If dead branches left unattended, expired or diseased stems can inhibit the growth of the healthy parts of the rose. Any dead stems or branches still attached to the rose bush still costs the plant energy to sustain. Pruning helps the plant redirect its energy to help the healthy parts of the rose bush. This promotes fresh growth and removes any diseases that may infect newer sections. Because roses are shrubs, a gardener may want to prune roses to achieve the desired shape. Roses create a prominent garden display and can be trained to spread in specific directions along trellises or stakes.

Tools For Trimming Roses

Like any garden job, having the right tools in hand helps rose pruning to go more smoothly. Any cuts made on the plant have to be neat, otherwise disease could enter the stem and inhibit the plant. Therefore, rose pruning tools must be sharp. Here are the main tools required for rose pruning:

Secateurs: Ideal for light pruning and removing most stems. These should be bypass cutters designed for snipping, rather than anvil cutters which have much thicker, clipping blades.
Loppers: Better-suited for thicker stems and growths, used during hard pruning.
Small garden saw: Used to tackle the thickest stems during big cutbacks and hard pruning.

When To Prune Roses

There are several different categories of rose shrubs that require slightly different pruning approaches. Check the requirements of each individual species in the garden for more information. Generally speaking, the main time of year for pruning roses is at the very end of winter, just before the new growing season in the spring. February and March are the ideal months for rose pruning. In some temperature zones, roses can be pruned as late as April and May. Check the conditions for each region. Pruning the rose any later than that will severely hamper its growth during the new season, while trimming before winter will remove many of the food stores that the rose needs to survive in the colder months. How Should You Trim Roses? The best way to trim roses is to use pruning shears, which allow for a clean-cut and avoid damaging leaves and stems. After removing dead flowers from the plant with shears, cut off all remaining flower buds at the base of each stem, leaving about 2/3rds of the stem intact. If you’re afraid of losing new growth, place the plant in a shaded area until new growth emerges. Trimming roses also helps reduce disease. You can remove unwanted suckers that arise naturally or those induced by insects. Pruning roses takes practice. Beginners usually prefer to have someone else do it, but if this isn’t possible, here are some tips: You want to get your hand as close to the plant’s trunk as possible (the thicker part). Use short strokes, not long ones. They hurt more. A good rule of thumb is that the length of one finger is approximately equal to the distance between two cuts. With experience, you will find yourself making fewer cuts. You should aim for an even haircut around the base of the branches. Never make any deep or heavy cuts. You can make additional light cuts throughout the year, especially after blooming has finished. When Should You Trim Roses? Trimming roses when they are young helps them develop strong roots, and flowers look better for longer. If you cut off several leaves from each rose stem, you do not damage the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients. Rose stems grow thicker when they are less mature. Cutting back the main stem at least once during winter protects the plant against cold temperatures and makes it easier to remove dead foliage. Roses need to be trimmed to keep healthy, but overpruning can cause plants to become weak. After winter roses can be pruned in spring. A few inches of healthy new growth indicates that plants are ready to be cut back. Can You Trim Roses In Winter? Yes, you can trim roses in winter. But be careful about doing it yourself!

The first thing you need to do is to remove all dead wood from the stem.
Then cut back any long shoots coming out of the main stems at least half way down; this reduces the amount of water lost through evaporation during periods when there isn’t much rain.
After that, prune off any branches that might touch another rose bush.
Finally, bring up some new growth by snipping away any bare areas around the base of each rose plant.
This should encourage new buds to develop. When spring comes along, you’ll find a full display of fragrant flowers and greenery in the garden.

Cutting back

How Much Should You Cut Back? The amount of rose you cut depends on how large your rose bush is and what kind of roses you have. Pruning roses is best done when the forsythia (a very early spring flower) is blooming to reduce size, stimulate spring growth, and rejuvenate the shrub. It is fine to prune dead or diseased growth at any time, though it is best not to prune heavily from late summer to early winter, when shrubs will be going dormant. Trim away faded flowers to extend shrub blooming time. Climbing roses are a special group and are frequently pruned incorrectly. “Repeat blooming” roses should be pruned very early in the spring, but old-fashioned and heirloom climbing roses often bloom on old wood, and should be pruned after blooming. Clean up all long branches and remove crossing or rubbing branches on climbing roses. Cut the side shoots back by 2-3 inches. To determine whether you need to cut back your roses, check their health and appearance regularly. If you notice brown spots on the leaves or yellowing leaves, then you may need to cut back your rose bushes. Also, if you see any signs of pests or diseases, you may need to take action immediately. Common pest include Aphids, Japanese beetles, Rose chafers, Fuller rose beetles and Rose slugs. When Should You Cut Roses? Cut blooms between one and two weeks after they open. The best time to cut flowers is when the buds are fully open, the stems are dry, and the petals are at their brightest. If you wait too long, the flower will start losing color and could fall apart. You also want to avoid killing the whole flower instantly with sharp cuts. A few slashes across the top of the bud will let the flowers continue growing right into summer without damaging the plant. Be careful though – excessive pruning can weaken your rose and make it prone to disease. Cut back any damaged parts using clean shears or secateurs. Remove old, diseased leaves and twigs in fall or early spring. Deadwood usually falls easily when the weather gets colder because it’s no longer holding the plants together. Can I Cut Back My Rose Plant? Yes, you can trim the roses at any time in order to control the growth of the plants. However, it is best to prune the rose when they are dormant or dead during the winter months. This way, the plant will regenerate and be stronger next year. It’s also a good idea to pinch off any extra shoots that grow outward during the winter months. These shoots tend to become weak and floppy and often die off in the spring. Pruning roses requires patience. Give them plenty of space to develop, and allow the cuttings to heal over for several days before replanting. Do not harvest from any part of the plant, including new growth, as it will affect the overall size and shape of the bush. When pruning roses, remove all of the flower buds along with the branches that branch out from those buds. Remove any damaged or dead parts of the plant. Your roses will look much better if you prune them correctly.

What To Avoid When Pruning Roses

The main thing to avoid is over-trimming. Each category of rose, from climbing roses to bush roses, needs trimming in a slightly different way. Some types need dramatic pruning once a year, but climbing and shrub roses will suffer if pruned too aggressively. When performing hard pruning, don’t leave dead canes attached to the plant. Trim these right back to stop them from taking vital energy away from healthier stems.