Pruning your roses does not need to be a dreaded task.
Follow these tips and make rose pruning an easy gardening
job.
Prune from the ground up. Most people start at
the top and this can harm the rose and it uses your valuable
time.
If it’s old, gray and scraggly looking, cut it off.
If there are canes that are growing directly over the
center, use your pruning saw or loppers and cut flush with the
cane. Also remove any canes that are really crowding each other.
Now you are ready to continue pruning.
When it comes to height remember this: mentally divide the
cane into three equal parts and get ready to remove the top
one-third. First, however check on the outward facing bud. It
should be located at the intersection of the cane and a leaflet
of five. There should be several and if possible find one that
faces out.
If you have doubts, cut it off. If it’s smaller than a
pencil it will only produce even smaller stems. For the larger
canes be sure to seal with a drop of plain white glue like
Elmer’s. This will prevent the borers from eating your
plants.
Get rid of all remaining leaves. This will allow for new
leaf growth and prevent fungus infections from the old ones.
The next step in pruning your roses is to take a wire brush
and scrub off the woody material on the bud union. Be careful to
avoid brushing off any new bud eyes. This is also supposed to
stimulate and provide room for new canes from the bud union.
Finally, finish your rose pruning by cleaning up all the
dead stuff you’ve cut away. Get rid of all the old petals and
pull the weeds from around the rose bush. This will help to
eliminate fungus and insect problems. Finish up by placing new
mulch around the rose bushes.
There you have it!
Pruning your roses in 8 easy steps!
