Pruning Rose Bushes

How To Prune Prune
All Kinds Of Roses

Pruning rose bushes, pruning roses is a very important task for rose gardeners.

All roses should receive some trimming and pruning.

There are all kinds of rose pruning tasks for gardeners, such as pruning shrub roses, pruning climbing roses, pruning tall rose bushes, pruning mini rose bushes and pruning miniature rose bushes.

Then there is pruning tree roses as well as pruning knockout rose bushes.

The signs for pruning rose bushes in the spring are the swelling of the rose buds.

So therefore the best time to prune your roses is in early spring when those buds just begin to swell.

Keep in mind that a rose is basically just a flowering shrub, and also that it's very hard to do any real harm to the rose bush if you do not prune like a pro the first time.

Just go easy and follow these simple and easy pruning guide lines, and you'll be fine.

Many people are somewhat confused about the when and how's for pruning roses.

Here are some FAQ about rose pruning and the answers to each of them.

FAQ for Pruning Roses

When should I prune Roses?

Early spring is the best time start pruning rose bushes that are repeat-flowering roses.

When the hard frost is gone and the buds are just beginning to swell.

Once-flowering roses, that bloom only on old wood from last year, should not be pruned in the spring.

They should only be pruned right after the flowering is over in the summer.

Instructions For Pruning Roses

Whether you are pruning rose bushes such as a hybrid tea rose or an old shrub rose, or a climbing rose, there are some general rules you ned to follow:

A: Cut out dead wood, dead wood is dull brown or gray and no new growth is sprouting from it.

B: Cut out damaged wood, sometimes weather conditions can snap, bend or crack the canes. You do not have to cut it all the way down to the base, however, if lower down undamaged parts show signs of life. Just cut back below the the damage and the cane will more than likely rcover.

C: Remove misplaced or criss-crossed canes. These includes those that are rubbing together and growing in the wrong directions, for ex; toward the center of the bush. Cut these back as far as you can.

D: Remove suckers, these are errant canes that emerge from below the graft union, or bulge, at the base of the rose bush.

E: Prune to shape, after the above is done, take a look at the shape of the bush. Is it too wide or loop-sided? Go ahead and shape it to your liking, then cut back abou 1/3 to 1/2 off the top. If you cut back too drastically you will have larger but fewer blooms.

Whenever you remove dead and spindly wood,or removing old canes, make the cut as close to the base as possible.

How To Prune Climbing Roses

Climbers should not be cut drasically as you would loose the framework that has formed over time.

Climbing roses should also not be pruned for the first two years; they need time to build long canes that will grow short lateral canes that will produce flowers.

However, the short flowering shoots that grows out from the long arching canes, should be cut down to about 3 inches every spring or late winter.

All damaged or dead would should be pruned off at any time during the season.

Very old canes that are not productive, should be taken out at the base in early spring.

Can I Prune Roses In Summer

Pruning rose bushes in the summer is only done on once-blooming roses and I mean, Only, those roses that bloom only once and don't repeat flower.

As stated above, these roses should not be cut back in the spring at all, or you will not have any flowers until next year.

However, I recommend a light pruning for most rose bushes AFTER the first bloom flush in the summer.

This will result in a fast re-bloom and lots more flowers. Follow this by fertilizing your lightly pruned rose bush.

Again, roses that only have one flowering flush, should be pruned in summer right after flowering.

Don't wait, or the rose bush wont have time to build new canes for next summers flower show.

The reason for pruning roses bushes is to help the rose to stay healthy by promoting new growth.

Pruning roses also encourages flowering or larger blooms.

It is also a must for keeping the new modern rose varieties bloomimg all season long.

Start pruning when new growth just begins, from mid-winter to mid-spring, depending on what climate you are in.

When you see the buds begin to swell, this is the sign that it's time to prune your roses.

Important pruning tip : Each rose variety has specific pruning needs, so be sure to check yours before pruning.

A final note or caution regarding pruning is that very young rose plants need some time to grow before they get cut back a lot.

Now if you are planting bare-root roses, by all means get their shape right when you put them in the ground. Container roses can often use a little grooming and trimming to get them growing in the right direction after being crowded in a field.

After that skip a pruning season to let your roses fill out, and you will soon have larger rose bushes that will really benefit from pruning.

How To Prune Rose Bushes

First remove all dead wood, cutting back to healthy wood. Cut these canes off as close to the base as possible.

Then take a look to see if if the rose bush is congested with too many canes. If the rose have been neglected, it probably could use some thinning out, by trimming out the thinner,spindly and twiggy growth.

Remove the canes that makes the rosebush crowded. Your goal should be to allow air and light to reach the interior of the plant.

Then do an over all pruning by cutting down the plant by a third, more if it's a very established bush that is very vigorous.

You should also be pruning rose bushes for shape, structure and air circulation.

During the growing season you should remove any diseased foilage and canes at once. Also keep cutting off all spent flowers as they fade. This will keep the new blooms coming all season. And it will make your roses look better and your garden will look well kept and pretty.

When it comes to pruning tools, I recommend using the by-pass pruners for the cleanest sharpest cuts. Keep you pruning blades clean and sharp and always keep them hidden from small children.

As you can see there is no real mystery to pruning rose bushes, so do not be afraid to tackle this important rose task.

ARS Rose Pruners

Having the right rose pruning tools is very important and it will make pruning rose bushes pleasant and easy for you.

The ARS rose pruning tool below is the one I personally use. These pruners make it easy to prune rose bushes without any cuts and scratches from those pesky rose thorns. I couldn't be without these rose pruners.

If you would like to purchase these ARS pruners, just click on the product link below

ARS Rose Pruner With Branch Grip - $ 59.99 The perfect rose pruner gives you 2' of extra reach. Cut-and-hold branch grip helps trim the pricking sprigs of roses safely and efficiently. Spring loaded gripper adjusts to the thickness of a stem. Lightweight aluminum arm and hard chrome plated blades resist rusting and corrosion. Comfortable hand grip helps prevent fatigue. Revolving arm allows you to turn the pruner blades in any direction without moving the hand grip. 2' length.

To Watch a Video for Pruning Rose Bushes, click on the Video below.