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PRUNING ROSES 
- from Mystery to Mastery


Pink Rose

QUICK & DIRTY TIP
from a reformed rose killer….

LET'S take the Mystery out of Pruning Roses and get to the Mastery

If you know how it grows, you can prune any rose.

See:
Why and When to Prune Roses
The Anatomy of a Rose
Pruning Tools
How Roses Grow (like a Bush, a Structure, a Climber or Rambler
How to Prune Roses (the way they grow)
Pruning Cuts: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Grooming Roses (mid-season)
and… Other Serious Rose Stuff like RRD

OOPS…hang on a minute:
Yes,  you need to know all this and other things nice to know)

BUT - I hear you:

Help:

“I just need to prune my roses, do I really need all this?”

- they’re starting to sprout and I’m panicking
- they need pruning RIGHT NOW


YOU’RE IN LUCK:
Until you have time for all the rest, here’s what to do right now.

1. Sharpen pruners (dull pruners tear the canes)
2. Start at the top and work down… take your time
3. Remove 4 D’s - (dead, dying, damaged or diseased)
4. Cut back to about an 1/8th inch (.5cm) above a little swollen bud
5. Leave the rest of the pruning until you read the other pages.
 - Your rose will be fine until you do.

HOME

ROSES

ANATOMY OF A ROSE

HOW ROSES GROW



Ready ? Gloves on and watch out for those Rose    PRICKLES 


START HERE:

REMOVE DEAD and DYING

dead cane

Above: To remove the dead part of this cane; cut below it….it means cutting off the whole piece above the dead… so go back to a small emerging bud below (bottom right)… otherwise, the dead will spread down the healthy cane.


bad cut fixed

Above: This cane is dying and could be winter die-back or  damaged when pruned last season. The brown extends below the green branch on the left so cut back to just above the new shoot sprouting on the right.


DAMAGED

broken cane

Above: Cut back this BROKEN cane to either a healthy side shoot, or new bud-eye further down the cane.

damaged cane

Above: DAMAGED canes (by a crossing cane rubbing, electric clippers (please - don't) or critters snacking; cut below the damage to a healthy emerging bud-eye


DISEASED or DYING

dead and diseased canes

Above: Cut dead canes all the way back to the base or ground level.

Start from the top: as you cut down a cane, watch for any darkening in the centre (pith) and cut back until the pith is green, not beige or brown.

dying cane

Above: This cane is dying and if not cut away, it will continue down the cane. Prune back to just below the branch on the right to a healthy side cane (left).


CAUTION:

There is more about Rose Rosette Disease (RRD) in the link below - but if you see this as you prune, you CANNOT prune RRD out of a rose… it is a fatal disease caused by a tiny mite, no bigger than a bit of dust and spreads by wind, birds, your sleeve or your boots

If you do see this - in the sketch below - read the page on it, report it and dig it out - but most of all do not put in your compost.

RoseRosetteDisease

rose-rosette-1

Above: RRD shown growing outward on the right and the small dark red bud emerging from the cane on the left - just below a healthy-looking bloom.

rose rosette and healthy canes

Above: Healthy new growth on the left:  Rose Rosette on the right

basal-break in rose

Above: this new red cane is a healthy 'basal-break" and not RRD



Before you learn how to prune roses that grow like a bush, you will need to see HOW ROSES GROW... they grow differently and want to be pruned differently... then come back...


HOW TO PRUNE ROSES

THAT GROW LIKE A BUSH: 



Bush Rose-new growth

Roses that grow  LIKE A BUSH send up new canes from the base each season and into the centre of the bush.

Follow a cane from the base to the tip: it doesn't  fork or create a branch and blooms at the tip of a long stem... (However, if you've pruned your rose over a couple of seasons, it may have created some forking as a result  - but look at the bottom - easier to tell.

Those new canes are weaker their first season and can often flop outward . See below for how to deal with that.


Rose bush-pruned

Prune First : the 4 D's: Dead, Diseased, Damaged, Dying

Then prune several of the outer canes a little shorter so the new growth will sprout and support those new weaker canes by forming a sort of cage around the outside.

 (don’t do this all in one season as it stresses the rose: take a couple) 

Remove little twiggy bits. (the little stems that are too weak to support a bloom and get tangled in the middle.

Prune the rose to the height and width you like or suits your garden - but only take about a third of either height or width..

Many of the  newer "modern garden roses"  are pretty disease resistant so it is not the same need to clear out the centre.


Rose bush-new growth

New outside shoots will support young canes. 



HOW TO  PRUNE ROSES

THAT GROW

LIKE A STRUCTURE



Rose structure

 THIS ROSE BUILDS A STRUCTURE with canes that begin growing from the base or "trunk" of the rose (on both own-root and grafted roses).  The canes then start branching out like fingers, adding layers each season. This rose needs time to build its structure and blooms all over with shorter canes or stems.

These roses grow and branch; grow and branch - like most Floribundas which have multiple flowers on each cane.

These roses tend to be larger and can take 2, 3 or even 4 years to build the structure - so let it grow 4 or 5 feet high before you do any major pruning. Some folks suggest cutting roses back to close to the ground but if you do that with this rose, it will weaken it and then take another 2 to 3 seasons to rebuild.

So think before you prune this rose.



Rose Structure-pruned

HOW TO PRUNE A STRUCTURE :

Start with the 4 D’s and take only a third off the top if needed.

Prune any canes that cross or rub against one another and cut those back to a healthy bud-eye (or a 5 leaflet if it has leaves).


Because of the way it builds its structure, these canes tend to be self-supporting. So there is need to create an outer cage (as in the bush rose). 

Give it some shape by removing any pieces that stick out and grab your sweater or small children... or those that take your eye away from a pleasant shape.

Groom all season... shape and deadhead.

Less is more.




HOW TO PRUNE CLIMBING ROSES



Climbing Rose

Climbers  have two types of canes:

         MAIN canes and

        LATERAL (horizontal) canes.

The long main canes that grow from its base need to reach their height first (sometimes a full season) perhaps 10 to 20 feet. 

Then the side or lateral canes will sprout.

When you train those long main canes as horizontal as possible, they will sprout side shoots called laterals  where the blooms will be.


Climbing Rose Pruned

HOW TO PRUNE A CLIMBING ROSE:

Climbing roses are pruned differently but always start with the 4 D’s before you do anything else.  

Don't prune out those main (vertical) canes because they support the climber - however, if one is dead - and before you remove it, find a strong lateral and train it to make a new vertical main cane.

If you prune the main canes to the base, it takes too much energy for the rose to start over from the ground up, often delaying blooms for a few seasons..

However, if for some reason, (damaged or broken in storm etc, try not to cut a main cane back more than 1/3 and give it time to recover from the stress.

Remove canes that cross and rub against another, back to a healthy bud.

Pruning cuts should always go back to strong and healthy canes.

Train the lateral canes to grow as close to a 45 degree angle as possible and tie them gently to a support or trellis.

Remember, blooms grow from the laterals (or horizontals).

Groom all season -  deadhead about 6 to 12 inches above the lateral cane.



Rose Lateral Canes Pruned
Rose Lateral Canes


Congratulations ! You did it...



HOME

HOW ROSES GROW

PRUNING TOOLS

ROSE PRUNING TIPS

ROSES


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