Pruning Roses

Pruning is something that worries many homeowners unnecessarily, and roses, in particular, seem to confuse homeowners more than any other shrub. The good news is that pruning roses is not difficult and in many cases it is not even necessary at all.

First you need to look at your rose and know its type. Climbing roses are treated differently to shrub roses, and those are different to standard roses (ie those roses that are perched atop a tall trunk).

In general, roses are pruned to maintain a good and tidy shape, plus give better, more numerous blooms. Many heirloom and older roses though will do very nicely without any pruning.

The best time to prune most rose bushes is in late winter or early spring. Roses that bloom early in the year are an exception. Early blooming roses bloom on last year’s growth, and consequently the flowers will be destroyed if you prune too early. The most common rose of this sort are the Banks roses such as Lady Banks (Rosea banksiae). Prune Lady Banks after it flowers in the spring.

For summer blooming roses that bloom on new wood:

· Start by looking at the bush and removing any branches that have been damaged by winter winds and storms.

· Next look for any branches that are growing towards each other. These branches will eventually cross and could create a crevice that collects water and thus can rot.

· Look for branches that are very old. These will be a gray/brown color rather than green. Older stems do not produce flowers, but rather they produce side stems that produce flowers. Too many old stems lead to a mass of dull colored growth with leaves and flowers a few feet away. Prune out the oldest of these stems to keep the shrub vigorous and healthy. In general prune out one third of the oldest stems per year.

· Look at the overall shape of the rose. Take out any stems that are too close. Eventually these stems will become crowded and restrict airflow through the bush, thus increasing the likelihood of fungal problems.

· Finally prune back any stems that have grown so long that they mar the neatness of the bush.

· Note: For fewer, but larger blooms for a show, you will prune all the growth to eighteen inches or so from the ground, again taking note of which way the nodes point. This type of pruning yields new growth with restricted number of stems and thus all the energy is put forth into the bud and resulting show flower form.

When pruning stems back always prune back to the leaf node. If the leaves are already out, then make sure that the cut is just above a 5-lobed leaf. Note which way the node is facing and pick one that will grow outwards from the bush rather than into the interior.

For Climbing Roses:

These may not need pruning every year. They are pruned to keep them healthy and producing lots of young shoots, as well as to control the habit of the bush. It is important that you maintain height in a climbing rose, so do not prune it all the way to the ground as if it were a shrub rose.

• Remove dead or broken stems. Climbing roses, because of their habit, are more prone to damage on the long limbs than shorter shrub roses.
• Remove limbs that are out of bounds. Take these back to an adjoining stem or to the base of the rose.
• Remove 1/3rd of the oldest limbs on the bush.

Standard Roses

Standard roses can be either upright shrub roses or they can be a type of climbing rose that falls downward rather than climbs upward. Prune both these types as for the appropriate type above, but you will likely need to prune rather more severely to ensure that a full year of new growth will be floriferous but restrained within the scale of the standard form.

One final note on pruning roses: Even if you prune badly, so long as you leave some growth near the ground level (about 18″ of growth), it is doubtful that you will kill the rose. It may not look wonderful, but it will survive and produce some flowers for you, allowing you to learn and try again next year!