How to prune rose bush in spring

How to Prune Roses

Marie Iannotti

Marie Iannotti is a life-long gardener and a veteran Master Gardener with nearly three decades of experience. She's also an author of three gardening books, a plant photographer, public speaker, and a former Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educator. Marie's garden writing has been featured in newspapers and magazines nationwide and she has been interviewed for Martha Stewart Radio, National Public Radio, and numerous articles.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 09/13/22

Reviewed by

Julie Thompson-Adolf

Reviewed by Julie Thompson-Adolf

Julie Thompson-Adolf is a master gardener and author. She has 13+ years of experience with year-round organic gardening; seed starting and saving; growing heirloom plants, perennials, and annuals; and sustainable and urban farming.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

In This Article

When to Prune Roses
Where to Prune Roses
Before Getting Started
Rose Pruning Tips

Project Overview

Pruning roses can be intimidating to gardeners since cutting back beautiful growth seems counterintuitive and can be downright painful if the plant is unruly. But, the practice actually creates a vital plant, as pruning encourages new growth, removes old, dead wood, helps shape the plant, and reduces the chances of fungal disease by opening the rose plant up to airflow.

While becoming an accomplished rose pruner takes time and practice, don't let that deter you; skilled gardeners agree that it's very hard to kill a rose bush and most mistakes will grow out quickly. Plus, it is better to make mistakes in the learning process than to let your roses grow rampant, creating a big mess in your garden down the road.

Watch Now: Tips and Tricks for Pruning Roses

When to Prune Roses

In most regions, roses should be pruned between late winter and early spring before blooms start to show. Timing your pruning is determined by the class of the rose plant and the hardiness zone in which it grows. Watch the leaf buds on your rose plant. When they begin to swell and take on a pink or reddish hue, it's time to prune. Timing it right is critical, as it's best to prune the plant before the buds break open and right after hard frosts have ended in your region. However, certain roses are finicky about pruning time and prefer to be cut back before breaking dormancy.

Warning

Make sure before completing this project that you have thick gardening gloves that cover your arms, canvas pants or jeans, and a long-sleeved shirt or canvas jacket. Thorn pricks from rose stems can cause a variety of bacterial and fungal infections, one of which (sporotrichosis) carries the common name "rose-picker's disease. " These infections can be surprisingly serious, so it is best to avoid thorn injury by wearing protective clothing.

Where to Prune Roses

The most obvious areas to prune on rose bushes are the dead, woody remains of flowering stalks. These dead canes may have snapped under the weight of snow or simply succumbed to a harsh winter. The less obvious canes to prune include those that are spindly or have shoots that extend well beyond your desired growing region. The ultimate goal is to maintain a "V" formation, or vase shape, between several, evenly spaced major canes that sprout from the ground.

The Spruce / Catherine Song

Before Getting Started

The proper pruning specifications vary depending on the type and classification of your rose bush. Make sure you understand the particularities of your rose's variety before you prune.

Roses that Bloom Once on New Wood

Modern roses like hybrid tea, grandiflora, and floribundas bloom best on the current season's growth. Prune hard in the spring (1/2 to 2/3 of the plant's height) and remove all old woody stems. Create an open vase shape with the remaining canes by removing the center stems and any crossing branches. Leave three to five healthy canes evenly spaced around the plant, cut at various lengths, to encourage continuous blooming.

Roses that Bloom Once on Old Wood

Ramblers like the "Malvern Hills" and "Snow Goose" rose must be pruned to remove winter damage and dead wood and shaped to keep their size in check. Ramblers bloom only once and can be pruned right after flowering, all the way back to 2- to 3-inch canes if you wish. They quickly regrow, so don't worry, as you won't lose any flowers the following season.

Repeat Bloomers

Shrub rose bushes, like the Knock Out varieties and 'The Fairy', are repeat bloomers, flowering on mature—but not old—woody stems. Leave them unpruned to increase vigor in the first two years, and then remove 1/3 of the oldest canes, in addition to any dead, diseased, or dying canes.

Climbers, like the 'William Baffin' rose, may repeat bloom, as well. Prune this bush early to remove winter damage and deadwood. Then, prune again after flowering to shape the bush and keep its size in check. Remove old and weakened long canes, as needed.

Equipment / Tools

Gardening gloves
Bypass pruning shears
Long-handled loppers

Materials

White glue (optional)

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

Begin Pruning From the Ground Up

In the spring, take inventory of your rose bush, noting its overall health and shape. Then go low, pruning off dead canes at the base and opening up the center of the plant to allow light and air circulation.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Remove Broken, Dead, and Diseased Wood

Follow old wood down the cane to a location that looks healthy (or green). Cut it at a 45-degree angle, taking care to expose the white flesh inside. If the flesh is not white, cut lower until you reach healthy flesh.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Remove Twiggy Canes

Remove canes that are thinner than a pencil. These canes will grow gangly and produce very few blossoms.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Remove Sucker Growth Below the Graft

A sucker is any new vertical growth that extends from the main canes. Suckers can also pop out of the ground. Suckers will contain no flowers at all or flowers that are inferior to those growing from grafted branches (canes that have fused together). Trim these at the ground or below the spot where the main branches fuse.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Prune New Growth

Prune new growth to shape the plant to your desired look. Make clean cuts at a 45-degree angle, about 1/4 inch above a bud that is facing toward the outside of the plant.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Seal Cuts With White Glue (Optional)

If cane borers are a problem in your area, seal any major cuts with white glue.

James Solomon / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0 US

Rose Pruning Tips

Unless your species of rose naturally produces red canes, dead branches can usually be spotted by their black or reddish-black appearance. Dead canes can also be yellow or splotchy in color, containing almost no green.
If you don't know what type of rose bush you have, watch the plant throughout its growing season. If it blooms on the new growth, prune it next year while the plant is still dormant or just about to break dormancy. If it blooms early on last year's canes, don't prune it until after flowering is complete.
Some roses, like Alba, Centifolia, Damask, and Gallica types, only bloom once, producing flowers on old wood. These varieties don't require much pruning at all. Simply, remove dead or thin wood to shape the plants after flowering is complete.
For maintenance during blooming season, deadhead spent flowers to a strong node and rip out all suckers that form at the base.

How to Prepare for Rose Bloom Season

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.

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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.

OTHER FLOWERS YOU'LL LOVE

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Pruning roses in spring - tips for beginner growers (with video)

In the new season, work in the flower garden begins with the removal of shelter and spring pruning of shrubs and flowers. Particular attention should be paid to roses, because without careful care they will not be able to please you with spectacular flowering, or even die altogether.

An important role is played by sanitary pruning of plants to a healthy (green) tissue. Cut roses of all kinds in spring. At this time, it is necessary to remove all old, dry, weak and frozen shoots so that the plant does not waste its strength on them, but seeks to grow new ones, on which buds will soon form. Also, during spring pruning, roses are given the desired shape, shoots are cut to stimulate flowering, and young shoots are removed near the base of the bush.

Rose pruning dates in spring may vary from year to year, as winter leaves at different times. Here you need to focus on the weather conditions and the condition of the plants. Roses are pruned when the weather is warm, the buds swell, but the shoots have not yet started to grow. As a rule, this happens in March-April.

Plants are recommended to be cut on a sunny day with a sharp pruner, the blades of which are previously disinfected in a raspberry solution of potassium permanganate. Sections are made just above the kidney (about 5-7 mm) at an angle of 45 degrees, and after trimming they are treated with garden pitch. In addition, before the leaves bloom, it is advisable to spray the bushes with copper sulfate.

Pruning climbing roses in spring

Pruning climbing roses in spring to form a bush. Although plants from this group may not be cut at all, in this case, after 2-3 years, it will be difficult to approach and cover the overgrown bush for the winter. Therefore, in the spring, after removing the shelter and sanitary pruning, the climbing rose bush is thinned out, all the branches that thicken it are removed and they try to shape it so that the shoots grow horizontally.

If you are new to rose growing and are afraid of ruining the bush when pruning, watch the video, which describes the entire procedure in detail.

Pruning rose bushes in spring

In order for the rose bush to have an attractive shape, all old shoots are cut "into a ring", leaving no "stump". An adult plant should consist of 3-5 strong shoots, which shorten to 3-4 buds. In this case, the height of the bush is usually 10-20 cm. Shoots that interfere with each other are also cut out. At the same time, of the two such branches, the younger one (which has a lighter bark) and well located is left.

Shoots of roses are cut above the bud directed to the outside of the bush

Pruning of hybrid tea roses in spring

An adult hybrid tea rose is cut to a height of 20-25 cm from ground level, leaving 5-6 buds on the shoots. When planting, young seedlings are cut to a height of 15 cm, so that 2-4 buds remain on the shoots. Roses in this group bloom on current year's growth, so don't be afraid to completely cut branches over two years old and shorten young ones (this encourages flowering).

Spring pruning of floribunda roses

Spring pruning of floribunda roses should be more gentle than hybrid tea roses. After wintering, shoots older than 2-3 years are not completely cut out, but they are made short, and annual shoots are shortened by only 1/3 of the length.

Pruning ground cover roses in spring

These plants do not need shaping, so light thinning and sanitary pruning is enough for them in spring. At the same time, vertically growing processes are cut out. If the old shoots overwintered normally (they have green bark), then they are left untouched. But once every 5-6 years, ground cover roses are pruned heavily (side shoots are shortened to 2-4 buds), otherwise the old bush will stop blooming.

Pruning border roses in spring

Border roses are mostly sanitary pruned in spring

In adult bushes, the central shoots growing vertically are not cut off (unlike groundcover roses), and the side shoots are cut a little. In addition, in order for rose bushes to grow beautiful and proportional, in the first year in late spring and summer, all their shoots are pinched over 4 or 5 leaves and faded buds are removed in a timely manner.

Pruning park roses in spring

For several years, park roses bloom perfectly without shaping, because in these plants flowers bloom both on old stems and on growths of the current year. So, in the spring, only sanitary pruning is carried out. But in old bushes, you need to shorten all the shoots a little, otherwise the flowers will become small and few.

Pruning room roses in spring

Contrary to popular belief, indoor roses can bloom luxuriantly every year. But for this they need to be cut correctly

Experienced rose growers recommend pruning indoor roses not in spring, but in autumn. But if you did not have time to do this, then the queen of the flower garden, grown at home, is cut off in March-April, when her buds have not yet had time to bloom. At the same time, the following rules are observed:

last year's shoots are shortened so that 3-4 well-developed buds remain on each branch;
if the rose blooms sparsely, rejuvenate it with heavy pruning;
give the bush the desired shape (ball, ellipse, cone) and remove all weak, thin, damaged, dried and growing branches inside the bush.

Remember: when pruning roses of any kind, you must follow the general rules. They are presented in detail in the video "General principles of spring pruning of roses."

Roses are pruned not only in spring. How to care for plants in the rest of the year, learn from our articles.

How to prune roses for the winter.
How to prune roses in the garden.
Rose grower's calendar: how to care for roses all year round.

Pruning roses in spring - what is important for a florist to know

Spring pruning of roses is an important stage of care, which determines how generously and willingly the bushes will lay buds and how intensively they bloom throughout the season. Is it time or not? Is it time for pruning? We answer questions.

Forsythia can serve as a signal to start work, opening its first tender buds with the onset of heat. At this time, the buds of many trees and shrubs are filled with vital juices and swell, but have not yet begun to grow. In Central Russia, this time comes in March-April, in the northern regions of the country - in April-May. But it is best to focus on the state of weather conditions on your site - after all, in different years, winter gives way to spring at different times.

Pruning is an obligatory stage of care for all varieties and types of roses - spray, standard, climbing, ground-blooded. No need to regret leaving more than expected - in this case, after 2-3 seasons you will get long-legged lanky bushes that have lost their beauty, shape and compactness. To form the correct skeleton on the plant, it is enough to leave 5-6 healthy strong shoots.

Pruning roses in spring - tools and conditions

Choose a nice sunny day for pruning. Check the weather forecast in advance. If strong wind and rain are expected, postpone the operation (additional stress in the next 2-3 days is undesirable).

Sections are made at a 45° angle 5-7 mm above the level of the kidney. Use a sharp secateurs, previously disinfected in a strong solution of potassium permanganate. First of all, we cut off dry, weak and damaged branches - this is a sanitary standard. Next, we act according to the situation and carry out a formative pruning. Be sure to look at the cut - it should be milky white and pointing down - that is, the kidney should "look" outward. If the core is brown-brown, cut even lower. A diseased branch will still not give a healthy shoot, but will only take away the vitality from the bush. As a result, after pruning, the rose should have several strong shoots, shortened to 3-5 buds. Once again we repeat: no need to regret! Roses form new shoots very quickly.

Features of forming pruning

For spray and standard roses , it is better to trim at the same level. In this case, all the buds will start growing at the same time, and you will get the most magnificent wave of flowering. Then the rose will rest, gain strength and give a second wave of flowering. With multi-level pruning, the buds will open at different times - flowering will be longer, but less intense.
Climbing roses (give buds on last year's and young shoots) cut to 3-5 buds, shortening only short side shoots - long skeletal lashes are left intact. Climbing roses that bloom once (give buds on last year's shoots) are not subjected to spring pruning, performing only sanitary, in relation to weak and diseased shoots.
Ground cover roses cut to a height of 20-30 cm - new buds will quickly grow from the buds below. The procedure is repeated in the spring every 2-3 years. Once every 5-6 years, an intensive formative pruning is carried out, leaving no more than 2-4 buds on the branches - otherwise the plants will stop blooming. Pruning can be done with sharp garden shears.
Hybrid tea varieties of roses form buds on the shoots of the current season, so pruning is carried out intensively, completely cutting out branches older than two years.
Learn more