Things You'll Need:
- Lopping shears or pruning saw
- Gardener’s gloves
- Pruning shears
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Step 1
Plan to prune most aggressively during late winter/early spring, when the bush rose is dormant--all the leaves have dropped off, and there are no real signs of growth. At this time you should prepare to remove all dead or diseased wood, cut back the canes, and thin out twigs and thin branches. You will need pruning shears, lopping shears and possibly a pruning saw.
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Step 2
Remove any canes that are crossing and on top of each other, and prune out spindly twigs and branches out the center of the bush to ensure light and air can circulate. Depending on your rose type and its location, you made need to cut the canes back to a height of 12 to 24 inches, shaping them to accommodate their location.
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Step 3
Prune gently during blooming and growing season. Shape the plant by cutting back depending on what you want the bush to do. Look at the leaflet clusters. Rose leaves usually cluster in groups of 5 and 7. Each type of cluster results in a somewhat different growth patterns.
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Step 4
Cut for new blooms. If you want to stimulate blooms, cut the rose branch at a 5-leaflet cluster. Prune about a ¼ inch above where the leaf stem meets the branch-the new bud is tucked in there. The resulting branch will be shorter and bloom sooner.
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Step 5
Cut for new branches. If you want to stimulate new branch growth (which will result in new blooms at the end, but it will take longer) cut the rose branch at the 7-leaflet cluster. Prune about a ¼ inch above where the leaf stem meets the branch--the new bud is set in there.
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Step 6
Keep an eye out for die back (branches turn yellow or black, then die) or diseased wood. This can happen throughout the season, and should be promptly removed.
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Step 7
Clean up all debris and dispose of properly to avoid pests and disease wintering on the trimmings.
