When to trim roses for winter

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:
How to Grow Hydrangeas
Different Types of Hydrangeas
Changing Hydrangea Color
8 Reasons Why Your Hydrangeas Won't Bloom
10 Elegant White Hydrangeas

RELATED:
How to Prune Roses
How to Prune Shrubs & Perennials

Updated: 4/8/21

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.

OTHER FLOWERS YOU'LL LOVE

Peony

Hydrangea

Ranunculus

How to prune roses for the winter

Do you want your flower garden queens to look really regal next season? We will tell you how to prune roses for the winter so that they winter safely and without loss.

Roses are usually pruned in autumn in preparation for winter shelter. But inexperienced flower growers sometimes doubt whether it is necessary to do this at all or whether spring pruning can be dispensed with. Let's take a look at this contentious issue.

Is it necessary to prune roses for the winter

Autumn pruning of roses is carried out in order to prepare them for shelter, increase winter hardiness, provide shoots with access to light and strengthen plant immunity. The fact is that unripened shoots left for the winter on a bush can rot under the covering material. To prevent this from happening, in autumn (usually in the second half of October), all unripened, dry, damaged shoots that thicken the bush are removed from roses that need winter shelter and the remaining stems are shortened to the height of the covering material.

Both adult roses and seedlings planted this year are pruned for the winter. At the same time, it must be remembered that the bushes cannot be cut before the night frosts begin, since any pruning stimulates the growth of shoots.

Winter-hardy flowers (for example, wrinkled rose hybrids) winter well without shelter, so they are not pruned for the winter.

Rose wrinkled Alba does not need autumn pruning

How to prune a climbing rose for winter

Climbing rose shoots are cut as little as possible in autumn: they do not need to be adjusted to the height of the shelter, since the stems of the plant are bent to the ground.

How to prune park (bush) roses for the winter

Among the park roses there are many representatives of winter-hardy varieties that do not need shelter and, as a result, pruning for the winter. Their inflorescences, unripened, damaged shoots and small branches thickening the bush are minimally cut off.

How to cut hybrid tea roses for the winter

Shoots of hybrid tea roses are boldly shortened by half. You can even resort to strong pruning - the plants will winter well and quickly grow new branches in the spring. In addition, be sure to remove all young unripened shoots. Otherwise, the bush may die.

Remove all pruned shoots from the site and burn them: they may contain pests and pathogens

How to prune floribunda roses for the winter

Quite often, floribunda roses still bloom in mid-autumn. But if the cold has already come, then do not spare the flowers, cut them off and prepare the bushes for shelter.

Autumn pruning options for floribunda roses depend on what kind of bush you want to get next year. If you shorten the shoots much, then less tall, but lush bushes will grow, evenly strewn with flowers. With light pruning (if you cut only a small part of the stem under the inflorescences), a tall and slender bush will bloom next season with a lot of flowers only in its upper part.

How to prune ground cover roses for the winter

Ground cover roses that spread along the ground do not need autumn pruning. For the winter, they only remove flowers.

How to prune indoor roses for the winter

Indoor roses need a rest in winter. In autumn, they stop feeding it, gradually reduce watering, prune, transfer the plant to a bright room with an air temperature of 10-15 ° C and keep it there until spring.

During the autumn pruning of a room rose, 4-6 buds are left on each healthy shoot, small shoots are completely removed or 2-3 buds are left on them.

If a large number of shoots are left, small flowers will bloom on a lush bush next season. And on a bush with several shoots, larger roses will bloom. After all, under cover, the leaves can rot and infect plants with fungal diseases. It is important not to damage the kidney! If the leaves are firmly attached to the bush, carefully break off the petiole with a sideways movement.

Nevertheless, the main pruning of roses is carried out in the spring. At the same time, the bush is given the desired shape. We wrote about this in more detail in one of our materials.

understanding how to prune correctly and without damaging the plant

Roses are the favorite of most flower growers. These beautiful plants adorn many suburban areas. How pleasant it is to watch the blossoming buds of roses with petals of the most incredible shapes and colors, exuding a delicate pleasant aroma. In order to enjoy the riot of color in the new season, pruning roses for the winter should be a mandatory procedure among the activities to prepare the garden for winter.

Autumn pruning of roses for the winter is necessary to strengthen the plant itself. If pruning in the spring aims to form and ennoble a beautiful bush, then the autumn procedure is aimed at providing access to the light of the buds and stems of the plant, airing its crown, and also increasing the winter hardiness of the rose. In addition, pruning old branches provokes the laying of new buds, from which large flowers will bloom, and the formation of new, stronger shoots.

You can also find out how to cover roses for the winter here: https://diz-cafe. com/rastenija/kak-ukryt-rozy-na-zimu.html

If wild-growing beauties look chic and delight with flowering without additional care, then garden roses need annual pruning

The pruning procedure is subject not only to roses that have been decorating the flower garden for more than one year, but to young seedlings planted this year. The main recommendations include the need to remove all unripe buds and flowers that have already blossomed, as well as cutting out diseased and weak stems.

Unripe shoots left for the winter begin to rot in the shelter. This often leads to fungal infection and disease of the entire plant. After pruning, only lignified powerful shoots with several dormant buds should remain on the bush.

In order to prevent the development of pathogenic microbes, the cut remains of the plant must be removed and burned, not left under the bush.

The bush after pruning has only 3-5 evenly spaced most developed and more powerful shoots that do not thicken the crown

It is also necessary to get rid of old shoots in a timely manner, which include three-year-old stems with many side branches and covered with dried bark.

In order for the pruning procedure to bring only a positive effect, you must adhere to several basic rules:

Pruning should only be carried out with sharply sharpened secateurs. A blunt tool makes torn cuts and damages the bark of the plant, which then heals for a long time or even dies off from infection.
To remove thicker stems d=1.5-2 cm, it is preferable to use a hacksaw.
Choose a place for cutting over a swollen bud that has not had time to germinate, maintaining a distance of 0.5-1 cm. The shoot should be pruned to healthy white wood.
The cut must be made at an angle so that the cut area does not become a hotbed of moisture accumulation and infection.

The best time to cut roses for the winter is on a sunny, windless day. As a rule, rose bushes are pruned at the end of October.

Pruning is performed on the external bud. This will prevent the thickening of the bush and ensure sufficient ventilation and illumination of the crown

In order to prevent infection of plants with fungi and infections, it is advisable to disinfect the tools before pruning by treating them with a solution of potassium permanganate, and after trimming the cut point on the stems themselves, with garden pitch.

And, perhaps, the most important rule that should be followed when cutting roses for the winter, says "do not overdo it." Since the volume of the root system of a rose, like any other plant, must be proportional to the volume of its aerial part, pruning must be carried out correctly and carefully so as not to disturb the nutrition system, which can lead to illness and even death of the plant.

In order for the flower garden to become more beautiful every year, when pruning roses, one should take into account the characteristics of the varietal group of representatives growing on the site. Depending on the size, variety and growth intensity of the bush, one of the main types of pruning can be applied:

Short cut

After pruning, only the base of the bush with 2-3 dormant buds remains. Short pruning is applicable for polyanthus roses, the branches of which are prone to strong tillering.

When heavily pruned, all stems of the aerial part of the plant are cut mercilessly

Strong pruning is also successfully tolerated by miniature roses, mature bushes of hybrid tea roses and climbing representatives of the Rambler group

For other varieties of the plant, short pruning is permitted only as a last resort.

Medium cut

With a moderate pruning method, weak shoots are also completely eliminated. Medium pruning perfectly activates the growth of young shoots.

During medium pruning, the stems of the bush are shortened by half, and low 25-30 cm shoots with 4-5 buds remain at the base of the plant

Moderate pruning suitable for pernepianos, hybrid teas and many other groups of roses

The only exceptions are English and park roses, climbing, ancient and specific beauties of this family.

Rules for planting and caring for garden roses: https://diz-cafe.com/rastenija/posadka-i-uxod-za-rozami.html

Long cut

After pruning at the base there are rather tall shoots on two thirds of the stem with 8-10 buds. Weak gentle pruning is used for delicate varieties of Bengal roses, old and species, park and English, as well as vigorous hybrid tea varieties. The use of gentle pruning on other groups of roses allows you to achieve earlier flowering, but with the constant use of this method for several years, the bushes lose their shape and stretch out strongly, and their flowering becomes less abundant.