Spring Pruning
After a winter of snow and cold, the warmth, sunshine, and those first early blooms have a way of calling us outside that is simply hard to resist. There is lots of work to be done in the garden to prepare it for the season and roses are a great place to begin. They are wonderfully easy to grow, but they do appreciate a little attention in the spring. The good news is that once you get the hang of it, pruning becomes one of those satisfying garden rituals you'll look forward to each year.
The forsythia shrub is a cheerful yellow bloomer and is an excellent indicator that it is time to pull out the pruners. Forsythias can be found across most growing zones in North America. If you live in the south, Edgeworthia chrysantha, commonly known as Chinese Paper Bush, is another yellow bloomer that serves the same purpose. When you see these flowering in your yard or along your street, you can trust that the time is just right for pruning.
Gather Your Supplies
Before heading out, take a moment to gather what you'll need. A good sharp pair of pruners is essential. For thicker canes on more established roses, a larger lopper or small hand saw can be helpful. Some of our customers use alcohol and a clean cloth or a diluted bleach spray for disinfecting tools between cutting each rose plant which can help mitigate the spread of disease or pests. Keep in mind that wind, humidity and other factors beyond our control also influence how disease and pests move through a garden. You'll also want garden bags or a wheelbarrow for your cuttings, and don't forget your gloves!
"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses." - Alphonse Karr
Start With Dead, Damaged and Diseased
The principles for pruning roses are consistent once you understand the intention behind them - the health and shape of the rose, and flower production. Proper pruning allows for good airflow, which helps reduce disease, and gives you the opportunity to shape the rose to suit your desired esthetics while also directing the sap that brings nourishment to the strongest, most productive canes.
No matter what type of rose you're working with, the best place to begin is always the same: dead, damaged, and diseased. Look for canes that appear brown, dry, or shriveled. Note any that are crossing and may have been rubbing against one another, or that show signs of breakage. Diseased canes may show unusual discolouration or scabbing, though keep in mind that some variation in colour on stems is perfectly normal - don't worry about every little spot! Simply remove anything that looks genuinely dried out or black, and you're already well on your way.
Cuts should be made at a 45 degree angle allowing the water to run off and preferably about ¼" (0.5 cm) above an outward facing bud. Even out the height of the plant. If not every bud is outward facing, keep in mind that having an overall even height matters more since sap flow will always go to the longest canes and ideally all canes should receive the same amount. Choose the strongest 3 to 5 canes arranged in an open hand shape. Remove the weaker canes and any that would cross another.
It’s also worth knowing that the timing of pruning and how much you prune will influence when and how your roses flower.
Pruning Modern Roses By Type
Modern roses bloom on new growth. These are varieties developed since 1867 that repeat bloom throughout a growing season. For any of the modern rose types, you can bring the overall size of the plant down to ⅓ of its height which will lead to more, larger blooms, earlier in the season. However, for roses that have become unruly or overgrown, you can follow the more detailed bud count directions below for each type to prune back further. This will delay the first flush of flowers and the blooms will be a bit smaller initially, but will lead to a vigorous second flush of larger blooms..
Hybrid Tea Roses and Grandiflora Roses: Count up from the ground 3 to 5 buds.
Floribunda: Count up from the ground 5 to 7 buds.
Landscape Roses: Count up from the ground 3 to 5 buds.
Shrub Roses: Shrub roses can vastly vary in size. Due to this, we encourage cutting them back to approximately one third of their height keeping their shape.
Pruning Historic Roses
Does your rose bloom only once in the season? It's most likely an old fashioned or historic variety. These beauties bloom on old wood. This means you don't want to cut them back in spring. Instead, look them over and remove anything dead, damaged or diseased, and then simply let them be. If you’d like to shape them, reduce their size, or thin them out, you can do that right after they bloom which will allow them time in the season to produce new growth for next year’s blooms.
Pruning Climbers and Ramblers
Climbers: Climbers bloom on both old and new growth. Begin again by removing the dead, damaged and diseased, carefully checking all sides of the canes for rub marks or damage. We highly recommend giving climbing roses the first 3 to 5 years to grow freely and fill their space before pruning for shape. Always tie up canes as the climber grows. It is much easier to train new, softer growth along structures while it's still pliable. Feel free to cut back anything that stretches out over walkways where it can reach out and scratch a passerby. Once it is established, you can also consider reducing their overall height if they have become extremely tall and unruly. Depending on the variety, bringing them down to around 7 or 8 feet will spur on growth that will soar to new heights .
Rambling Roses: These vigorous, joyful growers are generally once-blooming and benefit, as all the others do, from removing dead, damaged and diseased canes each spring. Like climbers, we recommend letting them spread to fill their space for the first 3 to 5 years, training and tying them up as they grow. And like historic roses, if they need to be pruned for size or shape, wait until after they bloom.
A Few Parting Words
While it can feel like a lot to take in at first, these guiding principles will quickly become second nature, guiding your hands almost instinctively as you move through the garden. Pruning really is one of the most rewarding things you can do for your roses, and before long you'll wonder what felt complicated about it at all. Be patient, take your time and enjoy the process. And remember roses are resilient. If you find yourself wondering whether you could have pruned differently, perhaps more optimally, the rose will be just fine.
