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When should i cut back roses


When to Prune Roses

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Q: Last year, we moved into a home with some beautiful rose bushes on the property, but I know very little about how to care for roses. Should they be pruned regularly and if so, when?

Roses have a reputation for being finicky to grow, but regular pruning is necessary to keep them healthy. Pruning will help your plants produce more blooms throughout the season, lessen the chance for diseases to occur, and give you a healthier plant all around.

Although it might seem intimidating to make the first cut, the task is straightforward once you understand the process and when you should do it. Roses only need significant pruning once a year and sometimes a light pruning prior to winter. However, knowing when to prune a rose will depend on its bloom time. If you prune at the wrong time, you will get few to no blooms for the season.

RELATED: 8 Pretty Plants That Stink!

Do a major pruning in the early spring.

In general, most pruning takes place in early spring before the new growth buds swell (bud eyes). However, if you live in a warm climate, that might happen in late winter. Many gardeners time their pruning based on when forsythia shrubs begin to bloom in their area. It’s best to time your pruning based on the variety of rose plants and your hardiness zone. Some types do better if pruned before breaking dormancy.

It’s always best to follow the growing and maintenance recommendations of your specific variety of roses. There are more than 300 species in the Rosa genus and several thousand varieties available. However, roses are often classified into types or categories: old garden roses, wild (species) roses, and modern roses.

Old garden roses and wild roses typically bloom once, and you should prune them in the summer after their bloom cycle has finished. The same goes for most climbing varieties. However, modern shrub roses are bred for multiple blooms and usually do best with spring pruning. Do the research and identify your variety first before you make any cuts.

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Cut off dead flowers in the summertime.

Deadheading refers to the removal of spent blossoms. This step ensures that your plant will continue to produce more flowers instead of going to seed, and keeps the overall plant looking tidy. To deadhead, cut off the spent bloom just below where the base of the flower joins the stem.

As the season progresses, you can deadhead further in larger sections. Cut the stem above a 5-leaflet or 7-leaflet branch stem once the cluster of flowers is spent. Deadhead as needed throughout the flowering season to encourage more growth. In the spring or late winter, you can prune to address the overall shape of the rose or dead branches before the next growing season.

Prune all once-blooming types in the early summer.

First of all, identify the correct variety or cultivar you have. Once-blooming types include heritage/old garden roses and wild roses that only bloom once a season. The blooms form on the previous year’s canes. If you prune these varieties in the spring, you remove most or all of the flower buds. Prune once-blooming types right after blooming in early summer.

Once-blooming roses also benefit from deadheading and can be pruned in the same manner as described in the deadheading section above. However, don’t jump the gun on the hard prune. It’s best to wait until the plant has completely bloomed out before making any cuts.

RELATED: Managing 3 Common Problems Faced by Roses

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Trim longer stems right after the first frost in the fall.

Pruning roses in the fall is a hot topic for some gardeners. There’s one school of thought that says you should never do so or you will stimulate growth, only to have it die off when the cold weather arrives. Others say the fall season is the perfect time to prune any dead, broken, or diseased branches.

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Again, it depends on the specific rose variety you are growing and your climate. For the most part, you can prune away dead, damaged, and diseased stems any time of the year. In the hottest climates, you can encourage a second burst of blooming with a summer prune. Check with local plant experts for timing.

Otherwise, make any cuts on healthy branches late enough in the fall season to avoid causing the plant to send out tender shoots that can’t survive in winter. After the first frost is typically a safe time to prune the stems before the plant heads into dormancy, but it depends on the climate in your area.

Prepare your rose for winter.

Keep up with deadheading as long as your plant continues to produce blooms, but stop about 8 to 10 weeks before your first frost date. This step will help any new growth harden off naturally before winter. Leaving some flowers can encourage development of rose hips, the red balls beneath the flowers that hold the seeds. Let them be; they offer added interest to your fall and winter garden and provide food for birds over the winter.

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If your roses are still pretty tall at this point, cut them back to 4 or 5 feet high and then thin out any broken branches to help reduce wind damage in late fall and winter.

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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.

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

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

Watch Now: 7 Tips for Every Gardener

How to prune roses: spring, summer and autumn pruning of roses, when to prune and how to prune correctly

Do not neglect rose pruning! After all, it is needed not only for beauty (the shape of a shrub). Pruning allows you to get a large number of flowers in the new season. I'll tell you exactly how to prune roses and properly form the aerial part of the plant.

Editor's note: The recommendations of the author - a landscape designer from Novosibirsk - are based on the experience of growing for their own climatic zone. Adjust for your region: add or subtract a few weeks if you grow roses in the south or in central Russia

Architectural Plants Ltd

Pruning tools
Pruning should only be done with a good, sharp tool that ensures a clean cut, without deformation or damage.

I use secateurs and garden shears to prune roses. I cut the stiff shoots with secateurs, and it is convenient to cut faded flowers with garden shears. I also definitely use gloves (either special for rose growers or old leather ones) - rose thorns are very sharp, and injections and scratches from them heal for a long time. nine0003

Janet Paik

Important: Learn how to make the right cut: at an angle of 40-45 degrees at a distance of 5-6 mm from the bud growing in the direction we need, more often - outside the bush. The cut should be even, without damage to the bark and without “chewing” the wood - the health of your plants depends on this.

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Tatyana Osipova

Spring pruning
I am often asked when is the best time to prune roses - in autumn or spring. Of course, after the winter! The main pruning of roses occurs in the spring, after the plants have come out from under the snow. Spring pruning of roses is of two types - sanitary and shaping.

Janet Paik

The basic rule for pruning any shrub: the stronger the shoot, the less it is cut. For a weak shoot, on the contrary, a stronger pruning is needed, that is, it needs to be cut as low as possible - this stimulates the development of lower, stronger buds (they are located closer to the root system and receive more nutrition). nine0003

Important: Don't get too carried away with pruning. The rose does not have to "rise from the ashes" every year, like the Phoenix bird. It weakens her. A well-formed bush increases in volume every year, you only need to correct its shape annually and regulate flowering by pruning.

Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Pruning tips for different types of roses

Tatyana Osipova

Tatyana Osipova

on the diagram: strong spring pruning of roses - for 1–2 kidneys

Tatyana Osipova

on the scheme: moderate pruning of roses in spring - for 4–6 kidneys

Tatyana Osipova

In the diagram: weak pruning of roses - for 8-12 buds

Tatyana Osipova

By the way : Do not rush to pick up a climbing rose in spring. I usually remove or loosen some of the holding devices, but I do not immediately raise the rose: I wait until it wakes up and leaves open on new shoots located along the entire length of the stem. And only then I raise, placing the shoots at an angle. So the rose will bloom throughout its height. If you pick it up right away, flowering will be on the tops of the shoots, and the bottom will remain bare, not blooming. nine0003

The photo clearly shows that new, flowering shoots have grown along the entire length of the stem that was bent over last season. Now they also need to be placed horizontally so that the kidneys on them wake up along the entire length, and not just at the tops. For beginner rose growers, the figures below schematically show examples of such a garter.

Tatyana Osipova

Scheme of a horizontal garter of a climbing rose in spring

Tatyana Osipova

Scheme of a garter of climbing rose shoots at an angle

Tatiana Osipova

In fact, there are no strict rules on how to prune this or that group of roses. Proper pruning is the one that benefits the flowers. Most often, I do a combined pruning: on one bush, I cut some shoots strongly, and some moderately. With such pruning, for example, a hybrid tea rose, you can achieve a more beautiful shape of the bush and longer flowering. The most important thing is to try to form a bush that is beautiful in shape: rounded, symmetrical, without “holes” and distortions. nine0003

The photo clearly shows how I cut two spray roses in my garden

Tatyana Osipova

Photo: the same roses, but after pruning. I trimmed the shoots a little and gave the bushes a suitable shape

Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Summer pruning of roses
Pruning roses during the summer is also possible and necessary. Summer pruning of roses is especially important in the first years of the plant's life. Within two to three years after planting, you need to try to properly form a bush - so that it is harmonious, rounded, not one-sided and not crooked. For this, pruning of roses is needed in the summer: shorten too long shoots in a timely manner, remove those that grow inside the bush or cross with others (otherwise the bush will be too thick and all its branches will not have enough light), remove damaged or broken stems in time. nine0003

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It is convenient to combine the formative pruning of roses in summer with the pruning of faded flowers. When I remove a faded flower or inflorescence, I always look at how the shoot is located relative to the shape and symmetry of the entire bush. If I see that it strongly outgrows the bush or has taken a not very good direction, I cut it off lower - to the bud that seems to me more correct for the formation of the bush.

Don't forget to keep an eye on the growth of the rootstock: as soon as you notice, remove it immediately. It is not worth the wait and delay. nine0003

There are varieties of roses that suddenly throw out long thick shoots - "rods". I shorten such shoots just below the total height of the bush. As practice shows, there is nothing to expect from these shoots, and they spoil the general appearance of the bush.

Tatyana Osipova

Autumn pruning of roses
In autumn I try not to cut roses, I remove only faded flowers and buds, as well as unripe and broken shoots. However, sometimes, in order to cover roses for the winter, you have to cut off some of the shoots - otherwise they will interfere with putting up a shelter. Read more about how to prepare roses for winter in the article about autumn care. nine0003

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How do you prune your roses during the season? When do you think it is right to prune climbing, ground cover or standard roses ? Share your life hacks for caring for roses in summer, autumn and spring

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How to prune roses in the garden

Regular pruning of roses is the key to their lush flowering and good growth of new shoots. However, it is very important to do it correctly. Otherwise, you can destroy the plant. We will tell you how to prevent this. nine0003

There are several types (degrees) of cutting. They depend on the season, the group to which the rose belongs, and the height of the shoots of the plant.

Short (low) or high pruning roses

Used in spring (after winter cover has been removed) for hybrid tea, polyanthus and floribunda roses. And such pruning is carried out during the planting of new seedlings.

With heavy pruning, 1/3 of the shoots are left, while the stems are shortened at the level of 3-4 buds from the base of the bush. nine0003

Medium or moderate pruning roses

Suitable for various medium sized roses and mainly used after flowering. Shoots are shortened at the level of 5-7 buds from the base and thus form a bush.

Long (high) or low pruning roses

Recommended for vigorous climbing and tall hybrid tea roses. At the same time, the shoots are shortened slightly: at the level of 8-15 buds from the base of the bush. Long pruning is carried out during the spring planting of seedlings. nine0003

In addition, there is a combined pruning - when the shoots of one plant are shortened to varying degrees. With the help of such pruning, bushes of some varieties of floribunda roses are formed. This allows you to give the plants an elegant shape.

As well as sanitary pruning, which is carried out throughout the growing season in order to prevent diseases. At the same time, affected, dry, frozen and weak shoots are removed, the stems are shortened to a healthy (green) tissue.

nine0003

Don't feel sorry for the roses! From a damaged (brown) and dry branch, nothing will grow anyway

Spring pruning of roses

Before spring pruning, winter shelter is removed from plants, garbage is removed, all old leaves are removed and mulch is raked. Then the roses are pruned when the weather is warm, the buds swell, but the shoots have not yet started to grow. At this time, sanitary pruning is carried out.

If the bush is too dense, thin it out and leave 4-5 strong, healthy stems. At the same time, it is important that all cuts are made with a sharp pruner, which minimally injures the plant. In addition, all shoots are cut at an angle of 45 degrees, retreating upwards from the bud by about 5 mm. nine0003

In spring, it is recommended to prune roses of any kind, as at this time it is important to remove all old and dry shoots so that the plant does not waste its strength on them, but seeks to grow new ones.

In addition, during spring pruning, the bush is given the desired shape and shoots are cut to stimulate flowering.

In the spring the shoots are pruned to healthy tissue

Summer pruning of roses

In the summer, sanitary and formative pruning of bushes is continued: wild shoots, dried branches and wilted flowers are removed, cutting the stem to the first cinquefoil and a healthy bud. Roses older than 3 years often grow too many young shoots in August, which thicken the bush and create a shadow inside it. This can lead to the development of fungal diseases, so during the summer you need to get rid of excess shoots. nine0003

Pruning roses after flowering

This is a very important summer pruning and should be mentioned separately. Removing wilted buds allows roses to bloom longer and not waste energy on fruiting.

On roses in which several buds form on one stem (floribunda, climbing climbers, scrubs), cut off the entire brush above the upper cinquefoil.

Hybrid tea roses, which produce only one flower per stem, have wilted buds cut differently. In the first half of summer, the shoot is cut so that only 3-4 leaves remain on it above the soil level. This will contribute to the rapid growth of new shoots coming from the roots. nine0003

In the first half of summer, you can also prune floribunda roses.

And in the second half of summer, only faded flowers should be removed.

Climbing ramblers (which bloom on second-year shoots) have their clusters removed after flowering to the first leaf. This will contribute to the branching of the shoots, on which flowers will bloom next year.

Pruning roses in autumn

Roses grown in mild climates without winter shelter do not need pruning for the winter. And from covering roses in late autumn (approximately in October, before frost), all unripened shoots are removed and the stems are shortened to the height of the covering material. nine0003

General rules for pruning roses

At any time of the year, it is important to trim rose stems correctly. The oblique cut should be approximately 5 mm above the kidney.

Rose cutting chart

If you want a spreading rose bush, cut the branches above the bud that is on the outside. Then the new shoot will not grow in the center of the bush, but outward. And if you need to grow an upright bush with vertical shoots, pruning is done on a bud, which is located on the inside of the stem. nine0003

In addition, the age of the bushes must be taken into account. So, in annual plants, the shoot is cut about half.

In the second year, 2-3 regeneration shoots are formed on each branch, which grow from the root collar. In no case can they be cut to the ground, since it is they who provide the plants with lush flowering and longevity. So, two-year-old shoots are shortened by 2-3 eyes from the base, and one-year shoots are shortened above the upper well-formed bud, located below the faded buds. nine0003

In adult roses (from the age of three), all dead and weakened branches and short shoots that have grown after pruning the previous year are completely removed. In addition, for the formation of good flowers, all side shoots of any thickness growing towards the center of the bush should be cut.

Pruning of hybrid tea roses

Pruning of hybrid tea roses in the shape of a ball. In these plants, buds form on the shoots of the current year, so they are greatly shortened. On young bushes, 2-4 buds are left at a distance of 15 cm from the ground level, and on adults - 4-6 buds at a distance of about 20 cm. On lateral shoots, 2-4 buds are also left. nine0003

Pruning scheme for hybrid tea roses

In addition, the inner stems are removed from the center of the bush, which contribute to thickening.

Pruning of hybrid tea roses is carried out every year

Pruning of floribunda roses

Floribunda roses also need strong (short) pruning, otherwise they will grow a voluminous bush with weak stems and small flowers. But so that the plant does not quickly deplete with strong pruning, a special method is used: some stems are made short to get early flowering, and annual basal shoots are cut only 1/3 of the length. nine0003

Floribunda rose pruning chart

Leave 2-3 buds on young side branches and 3-5 buds on old ones. At the same time, the old stems growing in the middle of the bush are completely cut out.

In floribunda roses throughout the growing season, up to shelter for the winter, shoots are cut every 10-12 days. Their stems are tied with a rope, bent to the ground and then covered. And the main pruning is carried out in the spring. nine0003

After removing the shelter, the stems are shortened so as to give the bush a beautiful shape, 2-4 buds are left on the side shoots. And in the summer of such roses, wilted flowers are cut to the first leaf.

Pruning scheme for climbing roses

Pruning polyanthus roses

Polyanthus roses are also mainly pruned in spring (usually in April), and only damaged and weak branches are removed in autumn. In early spring, strong shoots are shortened by 1/3 of the length, dead, weak and diseased branches are cut out completely. Thickening shoots are removed from the center of the bush. nine0003

Pruning scheme for polyanthus roses

Pruning ground cover roses

For ground cover roses, flowering shoots, weak branches and diseased growths are cut off in autumn, strong young basal branches that have grown this year are left, but at the same time they are slightly shortened.

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