Pruning Roses

"It can take years for you to become an expert at pruning rose, but don’t be put off by any lack of skill in that area, it is always better to prune your roses badly than not at all." Well, that's what the experts would have you believe at least. But the truth is very different.

Rose pruning is EASY.

Just to prove the fact, take a look at the images belwo. The first two, show a very straggly Iceberg rose. The next two show the rose "pruned" to roughly 1/2 the size. Any dead wood, unwanted branches and twigs removed etc. And the final images show the same buch in full bloom the following summer, 3 months later. As you can see, it's flowering well, even though the pruning was less than expert.

Here are some basic tips to help and guide you so that you can learn how to prune roses in an accomplished and capable manner.

Before you go out to start pruning your pruning your roses you will need to make sure you have all the correct equipment, this will include a thick pair of work gloves, a good sharp pair of secateurs and some gardening string or twine. Always make sure your tools are clean and sharp before you use them, to ensure clean cuts and no contamination from other plants that may carry diseases.

Some people will use a small pruning saw as well but for beginners this is not a necessity. Roses are summer flowers and will bloom during this time, you should always prune while the plant is in its dormant stage. Autumn (fall)is the best time for pruning to be done but if you are living in a climate where you can experience frost over the winter months then it may be better to prune during the early spring months after any ice has thawed.

Before you start pruning, stand back and take a look at the plant as a whole, it will give you an idea of the overall shape of the plant and what needs looking at and what parts need the most attention. Always start your pruning from the bottom of the plant first and work your way up to the top and out. Firstly you should remove all the dead leaves and twigs from the bush, any twig that looks weak, thin or dead should be cut off and discarded as this will not allow the plant to bloom properly later on.

You should also cut any twigs or branches that are growing towards the center of the plant, you want the rose bush to breather and open out without getting too crowded and over grown in the middle. When look for a good place to cut on a branch that needs to be cut back, you should go for a place that is a few millimeters up from the bed. You need to get rid of the old and lengthy part of the branch but the new bud should be left near the top. The cut should made at a 45 degree angle facing away from the bud and always be done with sharp tools to avoid a raggedy and disheveled edge.

If you are living in an area that has a ‘cane borer’ problem then you should use a sealant on the end of the branch after cutting to ensure it does not get diseased. Once you have finished your pruning you should clean around the bottom of the plants and make sure there are no snails, slugs or dried leaves left around the bottom and take all the cut and mulch away from the area. You can then give the plants a good watering and a bit of food and wait for them to bloom beautifully in the summer.