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How to trim roses in the spring


How to Prune Roses

By

Marie Iannotti

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.

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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 30+ 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

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

Materials

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault 

  1. 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  

  2. 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  

  3. 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 

  4. 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  

  5. 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  

  6. 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

How to Prepare for Rose Bloom Season

How to Prune Roses: An Ultimate Guide

Many flower gardeners love roses, but struggle to maintain them. Roses have acquired the bad rap of being delicate, hard to grow, difficult to maintain and disease- and pest-susceptible. Because of this poor description, many gardeners are fearful of the rose. It will take too much work, you have to be an expert and they probably won’t survive. But today, there are so many types of roses, and some are no more difficult to grow than any other shrub in your yard. In general, the floribunda and shrub roses are the easiest to grow. However, rose breeders have been hybridizing new roses that are more disease-resistant and easier to care for. Every class of rose has some easy to grow choices.

Browse All Roses for Sale

Before getting started, be sure to do some research. If you see a garden with some beautiful roses, talk to the gardener. Ask what variety they are growing and what the biggest problem is. In some areas, it may be related to weather, or it could be a specific pest or disease. The more you know before you choose and plant your roses, the better able you are to take preventative steps immediately. Another resource could be a local garden club. They know who among them has the best rose gardens. Of course, any botanical garden has a rose garden and they also are usually willing to answer questions–or they may even offer classes.

So, now your roses have grown well and your rose plants are ready for their first pruning. Don’t be afraid. It is almost impossible to kill a rose by over-pruning. A bigger mistake most beginners make is to under-prune. That won’t hurt your plant, but it probably won’t look as good as it could. Remember, this is a living plant. It wants to survive and thrive. Keep in mind if you are a beginner at rose pruning, you are learning and will get better every season. Here are a few tools you will need for pruning:

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A basic pruning cut should always be made above an outward facing bud. The bud is a little harder to see in the fall and winter compared to the spring when the bud starts to swell. Look for the leaf scar where the leaf was growing last season and right above it is the bud. Make the cut at a 45-degree angle away from the bud. 

Fall Pruning

Fall pruning of roses is a somewhat controversial topic. Some gardeners feel pruning should only be done in the spring, while others believe in fall pruning. Probably a combination of both is best. At least pruning any dead, broken or diseased branches should be done in fall.  

Pruning roses in fall, especially in the northern part of the country, is preparation for the dormant period of winter. Make sure you prune late enough that your pruning doesn’t stimulate the plant to send out tender shoots that can’t survive in winter. Start by removing any remaining leaves or flowers from the plant. This allows you to clearly see all the branches and make pruning decisions.

Next, remove any damaged branches or diseased branches. These are easy to see and they have to go. Be sure that any diseased branches are removed down the cane far enough to be in a healthy cane. If there is a darker color in the cut edge, cut again lower down on the cane. That color could indicate the leading edge of the disease, and if you leave it, it will continue down the cane. The cut edge should be all white or pale green. Once you have removed all the diseased and damaged canes, look for any long spindly canes. These will be whipped around in the winter wind and could damage stronger canes. The rule of thumb is to remove all canes that are thinner than a pencil. 

All the pruning you did up to now was obvious and necessary. The next stage will require some decisions. Look for any canes that are crossing over each other or rubbing against each other. This will cause scarring and could be an opening for disease to enter your rose. Decide if one or both should be removed. Remove any that have already been damaged, but if you are debating on the second branch, leave it for now. You have a second chance with spring pruning. If you live up North, you may have to contend with winter kill, so being conservative with pruning in the fall is justified. Remember to maintain the basic vase shape with an open center to allow good air circulation and allow winter wind to blow through with minimal impact on the rose.

The final fall pruning step is to cut the height of the rose back about one-third. This will help to prevent root lift due to the pressure of the wind. After you finish this last step, it is essential that you clean up all the debris. This removes any of the diseased material from the remaining healthy plant and also any pest that may be lurking to winter over in the debris. Once everything is cleaned up, you can add winter protection if needed in your grow zone.

Spring Pruning

After the last frost date for your grow zone and when you can see the buds starting to swell on your roses, it is time to spring prune. If you live in a zone where winter rose care includes protection of the graft site with soil or straw, this should be gradually removed prior to pruning.

Whether you did a fall pruning or not, follow the instructions for fall pruning now. Again, prune any broken or damaged branches from wind damage or heavy snow load. It isn’t unusual for there to be some winter dieback in the northern areas with more severe low temperatures. Prune the rose to remove all winter kill. 

The rest of the pruning is done to retain the shape of the rose bush and encourage growth. For most roses, the goal is to have six to eight strong healthy canes remaining after pruning. Floribundas and shrub roses will have more branches naturally. The final height of the roses after pruning is usually 18-24 inches tall. This will produce fewer blooms but larger blooms. If you want more blooms and don’t mind that they are a little smaller, allow your rose to be a little taller.

Pruning Climbing Roses

Pruning climbing roses is very different from other roses. Not only is pruning necessary, but you will need to train your rose to grow in the direction you want.

The canes of climbing roses are long, so be sure to wear protective gloves and arm protection. Start by removing any canes that are sticking straight out from the bush. This will allow you to get closer to the bush without getting stuck by thorns. Also, remove any wayward branches that you won’t want to use. 

Next, inspect the remaining canes for damage and disease. Remove any broken or dead wood and any diseased branches. Also, look for canes that are crossing or rubbing each other. Those spots could be the site for disease to gain a foothold. You should be left with healthy main canes ready to be trained into position. Main canes are canes that you can follow all the way back to the base of the plant.

The flowers on your climbing rose will come on the lateral branches. To encourage your plant to have a full profusion of flowers, the main canes need to be trained in a horizontal position. If you allow the canes to grow straight up, the only blooms will be at the ends of the canes. Attach your rose canes to the supporting structure (trellis, porch rail, fence) using cloth strips, covered wire or even zip ties. The cane should be loosely attached to allow for growth and some movement in the wind, but tight enough to keep it in place. 

The final pruning is of these lateral branches which should be pointing upward. Any branches that are pointing down or out will want to grow upward and will actually curl up as they grow. This gives an unattractive appearance to your plant, so remove any lateral branches that point down or out. What you should have is a long main cane trained into a horizontal position with numerous lateral branches that all point up or vertically. Prune these lateral branches back to two buds. These will form two branches instead of one and give a fullness to your rose with lots of blooms.

As always, a good cleanup after pruning is essential. This one step can prevent problems later. Be especially meticulous if you have removed any diseased materials. You don’t want to leave behind anything that could reinfect your healthy roses.

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Pruning Groundcover Roses

Groundcover roses need very little pruning. Most of the time, pruning is done to maintain the shape and to keep it within the space allotted. Early spring, when the buds begin to swell, is the best time to prune. 

Start by removing any dead or damaged canes. Also, remove any canes that are growing vertically rather than horizontally. Prune strong canes back by one-third. The lateral shoots can be pruned to two buds. If your roses have become overgrown and unmanageable, consider a hard pruning. Cut your roses to about eight inches off the ground. This should stimulate vigorous new growth.

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Pruning Old Garden Roses

There are some roses, mostly heritage roses, that need special consideration when pruning. These roses bloom only once a season and the blooms are on last year’s canes. If you prune them in the spring, you will be removing all the flower buds. Wait until after the bloom to prune.

Learn More About The Different Types of Roses

As you can tell, pruning roses is not as intimidating as you may have thought. Just take it step by step and be confident that you will not harm your rose. Every year, you will learn more and it won’t be long before gardeners will come to you for advice about how to grow and care for roses.

 

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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:

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.

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