Rose Pruning Guide

Pruning is done to encourage and speed up the natural growth of new healthy canes. This promotes larger and more numerous flowers, and aids in the formation of strong root systems.

Tools you will find useful include the essential pair of hand pruners, loppers, and a fine toothed pruning saw for larger woody stems and stumps. You should wear a good pair of thick work gloves to protect your hands from thorns.

Pruning of most roses should be done in late Winter or early Spring when roses are still dormant or semi dormant, before leaf buds have fully sprouted.

Place the thin blade of your pruners just above a leaf bud that faces the direction new growth should go and make an angled cut as shown. Avoid jagged cuts which tear the wood. This can leave the wood open to opportunistic diseases which can cause the cane to die back.

Begin by removing any wood that is dead or shows signs of disease or other damage. Next, trim out branches that cross over one another and are touching as well as other congested areas. Lastly, prune the main canes back to form a strong foundation shape, but do not prune back more than half of the plant's total former height to avoid shocking it.

Don't forget to feed your roses with a rose food fertilizer, cultivating it into the soil around their roots after pruning. Once the leaves sprout, feed once a month until first frost.