Pruning Roses Properly

A vigorous pruning invigorates roses and enables them to bloom freely throughout the season. Experts recommend cutting canes back to about knee height and removing diseased, dead or weak canes and crossing branches. After pruning, clean up the mess and dispose of all canes, stems and leaves to prevent disease and pests from overwintering in this debris.

Pruning Techniques

The pruning technique varies with the type of rose. Repeat blooming roses like floribundas and hybrid teas should be pruned heavily in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins. This allows the buds to swell before they are damaged by frost. Old-fashioned roses and climbers that bloom once a year should be lightly pruned in early summer after they finish flowering.

In general, all cuts should be made at a 45-degree angle above an outward-facing leaf bud. You should not be afraid to cut close to the ground, but you should try to leave as many healthy canes as possible. Remove dead, damaged or diseased canes and cut out suckers as they appear. Suckers should be removed from the base of the plant where they emerge, or in the case of own-root plants, just above the graft union.

For reblooming roses, prune outward-facing canes to about 18 to 24 inches in height, leaving five to seven strong canes. The remainder of the plant should be cut to about six or eight inches in height. Old-fashioned roses and climbers can be pruned more severely than this.

When pruning roses, gardeners should avoid leaving large stubs of cane or creating gulleys that will be difficult to cover with soil next season. This will reduce the chances of disease and pest problems in the future. Gardeners should also use good practice when removing spent flowers, removing any that are faded or unhealthy.

For health and safety reasons, it is a good idea to sterilize your pruning tools between plants. This can be done by dipping them in a weak water-bleach solution, rubbing alcohol or using a strong disinfectant spray. This is to prevent the spread of diseases such as rose rosette virus, which can be transmitted by tiny mites.

Pruning Tools

Roses need to be pruned regularly to encourage new growth, shape the plant and help ward off disease. Proper pruning is easy to do if you follow some basic rules. It takes less than an afternoon, and your roses will reward you with healthy, prolific blooms all summer long.

In general, pruning is done in late winter or early spring when new growth begins and before the last frost date (track your local weather forecast; last frost dates can vary widely). It’s also wise to trim a little in fall, especially if your plant is exposed to high winds or snow loads. You can reduce the weight of long canes to minimize breakage and prevent damage to the plant by caging, tying up or constructing a burlap wind barrier.

A sharp pair of hand shears is your main tool for most pruning jobs, though a pruning saw can be useful on very thick or diseased stems. You’ll also want a bucket to collect and dispose of trimmings, and a pair of gloves to protect your hands from the rough thorns of roses. Rubbing alcohol is a gardener’s best friend; it kills most fungi and microbes, and can be used to clean your shears between cuts. Pour a few drops on a clean rag and wipe down your shears, the saw or any other cutting tool before using it to avoid accidentally transferring diseases from one cut to another.

There are many different pruning styles and heights, depending on your desired results. Some rosarians prune hybrid tea roses to 18 inches in height, with five or 12 canes from the base. Others prune plants to a more modest height, such as the 6 to 8 inches that Petite Knock Out requires. When you make a cut, aim to leave about 14 inch of green live wood on the cane; don’t cut too close or you may weaken the plant or cause it to focus on vegetative growth instead of blooming. Make a 45-degree cut at about a bud eye, angling the cut downward to direct growth away from the center of the plant; this opens the plant up for air circulation, which helps reduce fungal diseases.

Preparing to Prune

Getting started on pruning roses is easy once you understand the process and are prepared with the right tools. Arm yourself with a good pair of bypass pruning shears for a clean cut and a pair of long-handled loppers to get through tough branches and larger canes. Wear thick gloves and heavy pants to avoid thorn pricks. Clean your shears between cuts to prevent transferring disease from one plant to another, and seal major cuts to prevent rot and to reduce the chances of rose borers attacking the canes.

The first step in pruning a rose bush is to remove dead and diseased foliage and canes. This will allow you to see the shape of the plant and the area you need to trim. Next, you’ll need to open up the center of the plant so that more light can reach the lower canes and limbs. This will help promote new bud growth and improve air flow between the canes. Finally, you’ll want to prune away any cross canes that rub together and spread disease or that may cause the plant to become top heavy.

Most roses should be pruned in late winter or early spring, around the time they begin to show new growth. The exact timing will depend on the class of rose, as well as your hardiness zone. For instance, hybrid tea and floribunda roses need to be pruned after the first killing frost of the season in the south, but can be done earlier in warmer climates.

Ramblers and other climbers require a different pruning technique to keep them healthy and productive. It’s also important to know what type of rose you have, as some types like heirloom and English climbing roses need more frequent and smaller pruning than hybrid tea and floribunda varieties.