Spring pruning roses in the garden
by Bronwynne Bailey
It is important to prune roses in mid-February to mid-March while the plant is still dormant. You may see small leaflets forming on the ends of branches; that is a signal that your plant is ready for pruning. Pruning is important to remove old branches, shape the plant, stimulate new growth, and optimize air circulation through the center of the plant.
Heavy pruning is done annually; deadheading should occur throughout the growing season to stimulate more flower production. Buds and blooms may be cut for arrangements. Spent flowers should be removed before the rose spends energy creating rose hips (seeds). This will maximize floral production. Do not just snip or break off spent blossoms. Leave two five leaflet leaves when deadheading.
When pruning, wear gardening gloves to protect your hands from thorns. You will also need a set of sharp bypass pruners, not anvil cutters. A bypass pruner uses two blades that slide past each other to create a clean, precise cut which is ideal for live plant material. An anvil pruner has a single blade that cuts against a flat surface (the anvil), making it better suited for thicker branches and deadwood. Using anvil cutters on live plants may crushing delicate plant tissue. You will also need a sharp set of two handed loppers.
Begin by examining the base of the plant. First remove any dead, diseased, or broken stems. My roses were amazing last year and the one in the before picture is over six-feet tall. Because this is a hard pruning, I will remove all of that excess growth, leaving five strong, canes 18 inches tall. The blue arrow points to the oldest cane. That cane was removed by cutting parallel or flat against the crown of the plant. Spindly growth was removed leaving four strong canes and one small cane which I kept because I wanted to create growth in that direction. Other excess growth at the top of the stems was cut away at a 45 degree angle. When you finish, be sure to discard your cuttings.
That’s really all there is to pruning roses! When your roses bloom, you’ll be glad you did it!
Looking for a great resource to rely on to help make your roses thrive? MSU Extension Publication 2835, “Roses in Mississippi,” is a great tool that tells you everything you need to succeed!
