It’s Time to Prune the Roses
With all the attention on native plants and more exotic plants, we sometimes forget how interesting roses are and how well they fill out a garden. They are incredibly easy to shape and keep healthy with minimal effort. If you remember to feed them twice a year and prune them, you will be rewarded with abundant blooms every year. This is the last call for pruning for the year, and while you can simply throw your roses to the ground, knowing how to prune them correctly can help you shape your roses for the future.
Let the roses tell you it’s time to prune
Generally speaking, early spring is a time for heavy pruning of rose bushes. As soon as the last frost passes, get to work on your canes. If you are still unsure about the timing, pay attention to when the plant begins to fill with buds and leaves. This is the green flag to grab the loppers and bypass the shears.
Remove old growths before shaping
Pests may live on an overwintered plant, so the first thing you need to do is clean off last year’s old leaves. Use bypass scissors to cut off everything you see. Then look at all the canes – they will either be brown or green. Use scissors to cut off any brown stems (dry wood).
Create good air flow
Any stem or branch that points toward the center of the plant should be trimmed. The same goes for canes that cross any other cane, no matter which direction they go. Any particularly weak or thin canes should also be trimmed. You should be left with strong canes that stretch upward.
Shape the bush by identifying the buds.
Using clean pruning shears (spray them with vinegar or bleach between bushes), make cuts at a 45-degree angle, away from the buds on the stems. The angle will determine the direction of growth; the eyes of the buds will determine where growth will occur. On a rosebush, a bud is a small protruding outward bump-like growth on the stem. In spring, you can cut the stems completely, up to two-thirds of the plant, but do not cut the entire plant. Remember that you can now determine where and in what direction the plant will grow, and you want the rose to continue to grow up and up.
Aftercare is also important for roses.
In most cases, roses are self-healing, but you can protect your stems from rot and possible borers by using a pruning sealant that you can purchase at a garden center. Cleaning up all debris after pruning is a good way to protect against pests and diseases. Spring is a good time to feed roses, and fertilizers specifically for roses can be purchased at your garden center or online .