Cutting back rose bush
Caring for Roses: A Beginner’s Rose Growing Guide
Ten essential steps for ensuring beautiful blooms year after year By Anne Balogh; last updated 9/2/20
Oso Easy Double Red™. Photo by: Proven Winners.
Rose care is easier than you think—anyone can grow them successfully. Plant your roses in a sunny location with good drainage. Fertilize them regularly for impressive flowers. Water them evenly to keep the soil moist. Prune established rose bushes in early spring. Watch for diseases like powdery mildew or black spot.
If you’ve been afraid to start a rose garden, the truth is, roses are no more difficult to care for than other flowering shrubs. Follow these ten essential rules to learn how to grow roses:
1. Start with the roots
You can purchase roses already potted in soil or as dormant bare-root plants. Each type has its benefits:
- Container roses: Container roses are a great for novice gardeners because they’re easy to plant and establish quickly.
They can also be purchased at local nurseries throughout the growing season. This allows you to plant them when climate conditions are ideal— preferably a cool and cloudy day.
- Bare-root roses: One of the advantages of bare-root roses is the greater selection of varieties available. Plus, they are economical and can be ordered online. However, unlike container roses, bare-root plants need to have their roots soaked overnight in water before planting. Also, the roots should be kept moist for the first few months after planting.
Bare-root roses, which arrive dormant, offer the widest selection of varieties, but also require more TLC in the months after planting. Photo by: Michael Vi / Shutterstock.
2. Choose your roses wisely
There are numerous classes of roses, ranging from micro-miniatures to grandifloras, and from groundcovers to climbing roses, with some classes containing hundreds of varieties. While it may be tempting to fill your rose garden with a wide assortment, you are likely to end up with a disorderly array and too many plants for the space.
A few well-chosen varieties will give you more satisfaction than dozens of mismatched plants that don’t work in harmony.
If you want lower-maintenance roses, try shrub or landscape roses, like the Oso Easy line, for a more care-free rose garden.
See The Best Types of Roses for Your Garden and get tips for choosing the perfect rose for your garden.
Limiting the number of rose varieties you grow will help you avoid creating a disorderly and mismatched array. Oso Easy Hot Paprika® landscape rose. Photo by: Proven Winners.
3. Find the right site
For the best show of flowers and the healthiest plants, rose bushes should receive six to eight hours of sunlight daily. They should also be planted in well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter. In especially hot climates, roses do best when they are protected from the hot afternoon sun. In cold climates, planting a rose bush next to a south- or west-facing fence or wall can help minimize winter freeze damage.
4. Get the timing right
Roses are best planted in the spring (after the last frost) or in fall (at least six weeks before your average first frost). Planting early enough in fall gives the roots enough time to get established before the plants go dormant over the winter.
Bare-root roses are typically available only in early spring and should be planted soon after you bring them home. Roses purchased in containers give you more flexibility in planting time.
5. Plant properly
Planting your bare-root or container roses properly will ensure they get off to a good start.
- The planting hole needs to be deep enough and wide enough to accommodate the plant’s roots. The area needs to have good drainage, since roses don’t like wet feet.
- Mix a generous amount of garden compost, peat moss, or other organic matter with the soil that was removed from the planting hole. Use some of this mixture at the bottom of the planting hole and place the rose bush in the hole.
- The plant’s crown should be at ground level in mild climates, and 2 to 3 inches below ground level for cold climates.
- Fill the hole partially with the soil mixture and add a slow-release fertilizer.
- Water thoroughly, and then finish filling the hole with the remaining soil.
- Water again, then mound loose soil around the canes to protect the rose while it acclimates to its new site.
- If you’re planting several rose bushes together, space them at least 3 feet apart to allow ample growing room as they mature.
When planting roses, dig a deep, wide hole that allows for proper drainage and leaves room for root growth. Photo by: wavebreakmedia / Shutterstock.
6. Fertilize regularly
For an impressive show of flowers, a rose bush needs to be fertilized regularly. Organic methods provide a slow, steady supply of nutrients. Monthly applications of compost, composted manure, and other organic and natural fertilizers, such as this organic fish emulsion, work well.
Organic amendments also help to encourage beneficial soil microbes and a well-balanced soil pH.
Slow-release fertilizers, like Jobe's Organic Fertilizer Spikes, supply the right balance of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other minor nutrients. They also give rose bushes the nourishment they need for optimum growth.
For newly planted bare-root plants: Apply organic amendments to the soil at planting time. Wait until after the plant produces its first blooms to apply full-strength fertilizers so you don’t burn the new roots.
Learn more in our Guide to Fertilizing Roses.
7. Water wisely
Soil should be kept evenly moist throughout the growing season. The amount and frequency of watering will depend on your soil type and climate. Roses do best with the equivalent of 1” of rainfall per week during the growing season. Roses growing in sandy soils will need more watering than those in heavier clay soils. Hot, dry, and windy conditions will also parch roses quickly.
How you water is as important as the frequency. To keep roses healthy, avoid wetting the foliage. Use a soaker hose, watering can with a long spout, or a watering wand pointed directly at the soil.
JOIN 95,000 other garden lovers! Sign up for our weekly newsletter for timely gardening advice, design inspiration, and planting tips.
8. Prune like a pro
It’s almost impossible to kill a rose bush by overpruning. But, if you follow a few simple rules, the results will look more professional and result in a healthier plant. Many newer rose varieties don’t require much —if any—pruning. A good pair of bypass pruners (not anvil style) and rose pruning gloves can make the job even easier.
Major pruning should be done in early spring. For all roses, start by removing any dead or damaged canes (any that look brown). For specimens that require a hard pruning, cut back a third to a half of the previous year’s growth until you find healthy, white centers inside the cane.
You can lightly prune your roses all season long to keep them well-groomed.
Some varieties of reblooming roses will require deadheading to encourage reblooming throughout the season. Cut spent blooms back to the first five-leaflet stem to promote regrowth.
If your rose bushes are “self-cleaning” (which means they don’t develop rose hips), no deadheading is needed. Blooms will drop off automatically and the plants will keep on producing more flowers.
For step-by-step pruning instructions, see Pruning Roses.
9. Keep them healthy
The best way to prevent rose diseases is to choose disease-resistant varieties. These roses are bred and selected to resist the most common rose afflictions, including powdery mildew and black spot.
Powdery mildew typically appears during the summer, especially when the days are hot and dry and the nights are cool and wet. The tell-tale signs include leaves that curl and twist and the development of a white, powdery down on the leaves.
To avoid powdery mildew, water plants at ground level in the morning, since wet leaves (especially overnight) provide the perfect growing environment. Pruning a rose bush to allow air to circulate through the foliage also helps prevent this powdery growth.
This rose bush has been damaged by powdery mildew. Photo by: Amelia Martin / Shutterstock.
Black spot is a waterborne fungal disease. It appears as circular black or brown spots on the top side of leaves. It starts toward the bottom of a bush and works its way up, eventually causing defoliation. Prevent this disease the same way you prevent powdery mildew: by improving air circulation around and through the plant, and watering at ground level. A simple mixture of baking soda and horticultural oil can help fight the spread of black spot. You can also use an organic 3-in-1 fungicide. (Also see: Rose Woes: Black Spot).
Pesky insects that like to feed on rose bushes include aphids, Japanese beetles, spider mites, and sawflies.
Most of these pests can be controlled with neem oil or insecticidal soap. In the case of aphids, a blast of water from a hose in the morning is often the only treatment necessary. Companion planting with alliums can also help repel aphids.
Photo by: Jan J. Photography / Shutterstock.
10. Show them off
Roses have long been prized for their beautiful and fragrant cut flowers. But, no roses are lovelier than those gathered fresh from your own garden. Here are a few tips for preserving your cut roses:
- Roses will last the longest when they are cut immediately after the bud stage, when the petals are starting to open.
- Use hand pruners or garden scissors with sharp blades to cut the stems without damaging their water uptake channels.
- Cut roses when they are dewy fresh and hydrated (in morning or evening), not when the plant may be stressed from heat.
- Recut the rose stems right before putting them in a vase. This helps eliminate air bubbles that prevent them from taking up water.
Also, cut the stems at a 45-degree angle so they don’t rest flat on the bottom of the vase. - Strip off any lower leaves that fall below the water line to avoid rot and bacterial growth. Above the water line, leave as much foliage as possible, which will help to draw up water.
- Change the water frequently—daily if possible—to remove any bacteria. Also recut the flower stems every few days to improve water absorption.
RELATED READING
Pruning Roses: 8 Steps
The 12 Best Roses for Your Garden
Easy Shrub Roses You Can Grow
Getting Rid of Japanese Beetles
How to Get Rid of Black Spot on Roses
How to Get Rid of Powdery Mildew
OTHER FLOWERS YOU'LL LOVE
Peony
Hydrangea
Ranunculus
Pruning Hydrangeas: How to Prune Hydrangea Bushes
Learn when and how to prune your hydrangea plants for best bloom results.
Pictured: Let's Dance® Blue Jangles®. Photo by: Proven Winners.
The first step of pruning hydrangeas is to identify the variety, as this determines how, when, and even if it needs pruning. There are 2 main groups of hydrangeas:
Group 1: Those that bloom on last year's growth, or old wood, and should be pruned in late summer:
- Oakleaf hydrangeas (H. quercifolia)
- Bigleaf hydrangeas (H. macrophylla)
- Mountain hydrangeas (H. serrata)
- Climbing hydrangeas (H. petiolaris)
Group 2: Those that bloom on new growth, or new wood, and should be pruned in late winter to early spring:
- Smooth hydrangeas (H. arborescens)
- Panicle hydrangeas (H. paniculata)
There are also new varieties called "reblooming" or "remontant" that bloom on both old and new wood. These types don't require pruning at all, just maintenance for plant health such as cutting out dead, diseased, damaged or crossing branches.
HOW TO PRUNE HYDRANGEAS
The timing and degree of pruning is determined by which group the plant belongs to:
Pruning Advice for Group 1:
- Buds for next year’s flowers form as days grow shorter and temperatures cooler during late summer and fall.
- Typically, only a trimming is needed to maintain shape, size, and a healthy plant by cutting out dead, diseased, or broken branches. Otherwise, harsh pruning should be avoided.
- Trimming should be done immediately after flowering stops in summer, but no later than August 1. Do not prune in fall, winter, or spring or you could be cutting off new buds.
- Tip-pruning the branches as leaves emerge in spring can encourage multiple, smaller flower heads rather than fewer larger flower heads.
Pruning Advice for Group 2:
- Flower buds form on current year’s growth.
- Prune in early spring, just as leaves are beginning to show.
- Cut branches back by one-half to one-third, cutting just above a node.
- Next, remove any weak or spindly branches.
- For H. arborescens, minimal pruning promotes large vigorous shrubs with numerous, smaller flower heads. Hard pruning 12 to 18 inches from the ground or even all the way to the ground, will produce fewer, but larger, flower heads that may flop without propping.
- For H. paniculata, in order to create a strong framework, prune out surrounding smaller wood, leaving the larger stems.
Flower head size can be related to pruning. With more aggressive pruning, shoots will be more vigorous and flower heads will be larger and fewer. Less aggressive or tip pruning can result in smaller but more numerous flower heads.
The best advice for hydrangeas is to consider their mature size. Locate them in an area they won't outgrow and require heavy pruning to keep them in bounds. Hydrangeas do not require strict reqular pruning; simply keep them healthy by removing dead wood and they will grow and flower well.
Wee Bit Grumpy® bigleaf hydrangea.
Photo: Proven Winners.
DON'T WANT TO WORRY ABOUT PRUNING YOUR HYDRANGEAS?
If the thought of trying to figure out if your hydrangea blooms on old wood or new wood (or both!) sounds daunting, try planting bigleaf hydrangeas from Proven Winners.
"We select all of our big-leaf hydrangeas for a nice, rounded, compact form, so they don’t require pruning to look handsome and tidy." All they ask is that you clean up any remaining flowers from the previous year when new growth begins in spring.
TOOLS FOR PRUNING HYDRANGEAS
You don't need anything fancy for pruning hydrangeas, just a good pair of bypass pruners. We recommend bypass pruners because the blades overlap, making a clean cut that is much healthier for live plants. (Anvil-style pruners should only be used on dead wood as they can crush and damage branches.)
Also see: 12 Essential Garden Tools
MORE ON HYDRANGEAS
Hydrangeas: Growing & Care
Types of Hydrangeas
Changing Hydrangea Color
How to Fertilize Hydrangeas
White Hydrangeas
8 Reasons Hydrangeas Won't Bloom
RELATED:
How to Prune Roses
How to Prune Shrubs & Perennials
Updated: 4/8/21
Terms and rules for pruning rose bushes
Despite the huge number of types and varieties of roses, there are general pruning rules for them.
Our specialists have detailed them for you:
- rose eyes, or growth buds, are located in the leaf axils, the cut is made no higher than half a centimeter from them at a slight slope;
- work should be done only with a sharp tool, since a cut with a blunt pruner can severely damage the shoot, up to its death; nine0009
- if the core of the shoot is brown, then it should be cut to a healthy white core;
- it often happens that large and well-developed shrubs, after pruning, release several shoots at once from one point, in this case the strongest of them should be left, and the rest should be cut off;
- when two branches intersect (and rub against each other), one of them is cut below the intersection point - the branches must not be allowed to touch; nine0009
- completely remove diseased or damaged shoots, as well as weak and thin growths. Pruning is carried out to a healthy shoot or to ground level;
- there should be a distance between the stems - this will ensure full access of air and light to them and the foliage, and will also save the bushes from powdery mildew, rust and black spot, which result from stagnation of air inside the bush.
This universal pruning method is especially relevant if you do not know which variety of the flower queen grows on your site. nine0003
Rose pruning dates
Roses are pruned several times a year.
- Spring pruning from late winter to mid-March. Swelling growth buds will serve as a signal to start work. If young growths are frozen, they should be cut to dormant buds.
- Summer pruning is carried out throughout the entire flowering period - remove wilted buds. This will help to avoid rotting of the petals, excessive consumption of nutrients for unnecessary seed formation, and also stimulates the growth and re-blooming of remontant varieties. Cut the inflorescence along with the shoot to the nearest strong bud. At the very end of summer, do not remove wilted flowers, then new shoots will not grow and will not freeze in the autumn-winter period. nine0009
- Autumn pruning is carried out in November. Most often, it is necessary for plants that grow in a site with strong winds.
At the same time, shorten the longest branches by 15-30 cm. Such pruning will help to avoid strong rocking of the rose by the wind. In the north of our country, where all varieties of roses require protection from frost, cut the branches to a height of 20-30 cm - then it is more convenient to cover them.
Remove basal shoots
Some varieties of roses are grafted onto root stock selected from wild varieties. During the growing season, young shoots form slightly below the place of budding. These are basal shoots of the stock, which must be removed to the ground. However, you should not cut the shoot at ground level, as this will lead to increased growth of new root shoots. nine0003
Tips for pruning different types of roses
Don't over pruning strong floribundas, as pruning can exhaust them. But even weak pruning will lead to the development of thin branches. The best option in this case would be a combined one, when at the beginning of flowering some shoots are pruned strongly and others weakly.
The bushes will put out a lot of root shoots and will bloom longer.
In the spring, in the second year after planting, it is advisable to shorten all the main basal shoots by a third of their length, and cut the side stems to 2-3 buds, leaving about 15 cm from the base. Cut large branches on old bushes completely or up to 3-5 buds in such a way as to open the middle of the bush. nine0003
Remontant and hybrid tea varieties of roses have flowers on growths of the current year, so they need annual moderate-strong pruning. The largest stems are cut to 4-6 buds (about 20 cm from the ground), less powerful - up to 2-4 buds (about 15 cm from the ground). This type of pruning gives the best results. When the shrub begins to age, remove two or three stems annually.
When you prune remontant and hybrid tea rose bushes, you will encourage the growth of strong basal shoots and form a spherical bush with an open center and evenly spaced branches. nine0003
Published: 31 Aug 2020
Views: 5001
(Votes: 733, Rating: 4.
6)
Share with friends:
When and how to prune old rose bushes?
Over time, rose bushes have various care tasks that must be performed if we want to keep them in good condition. One such task is cropping. As the rose gets older, pruning can be a little more delicate. There are many people who don't know how0073 pruning old rose bushes for fear that they will stop producing precious flowers.
For this reason, we are going to point out what steps need to be taken into account in order to learn how to prune old rose bushes.
Index
- 1 Types of pruning
- 2 When to prune old rose bushes
- 2.1 Pruning roses in June
- 2.2 Pruning rose bushes in the fall
9002 step by step0027 Types of pruning - Light pruning of rose bushes: Light pruning cuts less than a third of the rose stems.
The effect that it has on plants is the formation of large flower stalks and large dense plants. Recommended for large flowered roses, large flowered tea hybrids, etc. Light pruning should be intermittent as it will leave tall bushes with little bloom. nine0009 - Moderate pruning of rose bushes: It consists of making a cut in the middle of all rose bush stems. The height achieved at the same time is the height of a rose bush about 45-60 cm in height. The purpose of this pruning is to produce a more developed individual than a heavy pruning, and it is better suited for garden roses. Recommended for tea hybrids and adult large flowers. Moderate pruning produces smaller flowers but higher yields.
- Heavy pruning roses: For heavy pruning, cut the stems to a height of 15 to 25 cm, leaving 3-4 buds from the base. With heavy pruning, you can get larger flowers and lower yields. Recommended when rose bushes are not very vigorous to encourage growth.
nine0009 - Pruning new plants (training pruning): Plants younger than 2-3 years old, recently planted or grafted. Trim the roots and select 3-4 vigorous shoots, 2-4 hybrid camellia buds, 5-6 lily buds.
- Clean cut: Works on all rose bushes (old or new). Remove lignified or dry sawdust, diseased or crossed branches.
- Pruning old rose bushes: Pruning between coarse and medium so that the plant is about 30-40 cm tall.
There are three different ways of pruning rose bushes, depending on the desired result of the rose bush:
When to prune old rose bushes
The type of pruning of rose bushes depends on their age. Depending on the different years of cultivation, pruning is carried out as follows:
Subscribe to our Youtube channel
After pruning, it is necessary to enrich the soil with ameliorants and fertilizers.
Spring pruning (late winter or early spring) is a rejuvenating pruning done when there is no danger of frost. This is the time of traditional rose pruning with regular annual pruning of all shrub roses, hybrid tea roses, garden roses, dwarf roses or miniature roses …almost all rose bushes except climbing roses. Pruning climbing roses has its own characteristics and tricks, as we will see in a moment.
Pruning roses in June
After the first spring bloom, which usually occurs between April and May, many gardeners prune their rose bushes again in June. Dry roses should preferably be cut only one or two buds below the rose to stimulate new blooms without reducing the vigor of the rose. nine0074
If you decide to prune your rose bushes in June, it should be a very shallow pruning, independent of the deep pruning that can be done in late winter and early spring, which is more intensive pruning.
Pruning rose bushes in autumn
It is highly recommended not to prune older rose bushes in September or October. especially if we live in a cold area prone to early frosts. In hot or temperate climates, pruning may be considered, but it should always be done to maintain order in the bushes, and not for heavy spring pruning. nine0003
The problem with these prunings is that they are very close to winter. Where we can, we encourage the bush to grow new shoots that freeze before new roses grow.
Pruning old rose bushes step by step
One of the most common questions beginner gardeners have is not knowing where to start pruning. Ideally, our rose bushes should be pruned once a year. As for timing, start pruning in late winter or early spring. If we make it early in the spring, we need to make sure we don't have frost . But if we can make it to the end of winter, we're less at risk. The sap will not flow through the stem, and early shoots will be less likely to freeze.
Before you start cutting, prepare the necessary tools. Check your rose pruning shears in case they need sharpening. If the scissors are not sharp enough, we run the risk of “breaking” the branches and not cutting them cleanly enough, which can be an entry point for viruses and diseases. Scissors must be very clean. nine0003
The incision should be made over the dormant buds of rose bushes and beveled so that drops of water do not remain in the incision during rain, do not stagnate and cause infection of the rose bush. Cuttings should always be made over buds facing the outside of the rose bush to avoid ingrown branches.
Once pruning is done, We must remove all pruning waste from the garden to avoid fungus or any other type of disease.
If the rose has been attacked by a fungus or parasite, it is best to completely remove the remains. It's ideal to burn them so they don't spread, but it may be enough to take them to a landfill. If we find healthy pruning residue, we can chop it up with our garden shredder and add it to the composter to make natural compost and fertilize the garden.
