How to Prune Wild Roses

Wild roses are the living ancestors of all roses. Lovers of the outdoors commonly see wild roses growing and blooming on the plains, in the mountains and throughout the entire world. Wild roses are gorgeous, colorful, easy to care for and prolific; they are also formidable opponents when you start waving your pruning saw around. There is a reason they are called wild--maybe they should be called "man eating."

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Long sleeves
• Canvas thorn-proof gloves
• Long handled bypass shears
• Pruning saw, pruning shears
• First aid kit

1. Soak your shears in equal parts of water and bleach. This helps protect your wild rose from insects and diseases.

2. Step back and observe your wild rose. How do you want it to look and what areas need to be worked on first? Early spring is the best time for this because there are fewer leaves and you can see the stems better, but talk to your local nursery about specific pruning suggestions for your area or zone.

3. Remove any dead, damaged or diseased branches first. Get rid of dead wood first. Also snip any weak spindly canes the size of pencils with your long handled shears. Don't be shy because you can not hurt it and it will be healthier with a good yearly pruning. Cut all branches at a 45 degree angle and not straight across.

4. Snip all branches that cross each other or rub on each other. With a wild rose, these will be plentiful.

5. Cut back side shoots, which are branches that grow horizontally from the middle canes.

6. Reduce other long, gangly branches by at least a third. Make cuts about 1/2 inch above outward facing buds. Wild roses are usually quite tall and wide, so a good length is about 4 feet long when pruning, but this depends on your tastes and the space it inhabits.

7. Train your climbing wild roses by tying them up to a trellis or fence. Snip off any canes that don't fit the pattern or shape you are working toward.

8. After the first bloom of flowers you can work on your wild rose several more times during the growing season. You will also want to deadhead the old blossoms as much as you can, which will promote re-blooming.

Tips & Warnings

• Investing in bypass pruners that work like scissors is a good idea because the anvil types crush the stems, which makes them more susceptible to disease. To help your wild roses become healthy, fertilize regularly and water deeply. Safe times to prune a wild rose include just about anytime but summer and early fall.
• Many expert gardeners will tell you not to prune wild roses, but if you can no longer get your hand in your mailbox or enter through your garden gate, then it's time to tackle these persistent thorny plants.
• Vigorous pruning is important to the health of your plant, but avoid drastic measures. If you are planting a wild rose plan where it's going to go and be sure to give it enough space in the beginning. Pruning heavily in the spring and then several other times lightly will keep your rose in check and promote a wonderful shape, blooms and vigorous health. If you are doing a heavy prune, consider taking the bulk off in stages.

Resources

• The History of Wild Roses
• Gardening Article Archive on pruning wild roses