How to Prune Roses in Utah
Utah has cold winters in its northern part, while the summers can be extremely hot. This makes rose gardening in Utah a bit of a mixed bag. But learning how to prune roses in Utah does not have to be difficult, and if you keep just a few tips in mind, you are certain to be rewarded with copious blooms throughout the summer and early fall. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Delay pruning as long as possible. Pruning stimulates growth in your rose bushes, and even though you schedule the first pruning of your roses in spring, you want to be certain that there is no longer a chance of frost that might kill off any new growth. It is a good idea to wait with pruning until the middle to latter part of April.
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Put on your gardening gloves, take the pruning saw and cut off dead wood first. Usually rather brittle, it is easy to locate the rose branches—also known as canes--that did not survive the winter.
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Trim the diseased wood next. You may find discolorations, a mottled appearance on the wood or even obvious damage. These canes also need to be cut off.
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Focus on the middle of the rose bush next. The canes here should be skinnier, and since you do not have a lot of room to work with, switch to the hand shears. Trim judiciously and remove a sufficient amount of canes to open up the interior of the bush to sunlight and warmth, while not thinning the bush to such an extent as to minimize its aesthetic appearance. Remember also that these cuts will stimulate new growth, and if you cut too much, you may end up with an overgrowth in the middle of your rose bush.
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Prune the outer canes next, beginning with the oldest branches while leaving the youngest ones to continue growing. Cut these branches on a 45-degree bias, leaving the slanted cut side facing away from the center of the rose bush. This prevents a resurgence of growth that may later threaten to overwhelm the middle of the rose bush and rob it of light.
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Reevaluate your pruning in late May, when your rosebush had at least two major spurts of new growth development. You may now prune away some of the more spindly looking canes that you left originally.
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Check the health of your roses one last time in November. The Utah winter is about to kill off any new growth, but in order to protect your rose brushes from breaking and splintering, you may need to cut off any overlong canes that could snap in the winds. Prune back as little as possible.
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Resources
- Visit the Utah Rose Society at the Utah-Rose.com website and find out which roses will grow best in your garden and how to keep them safe from pests.
- Check out your exact location with the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map.
- Visit the Atlanta Rose Society website for information where to purchase new additions to your Utah rose garden.
- For in depth information on roses, the American Rose Society website is a must-visit.
- Photo Credit Morguefile.com/Jane M. Sawyer
