How to Prune for More Roses

To increase the number of blooms on a rose bush it is important to remove flowers before they begin to wilt. Another important step is pruning the rose bush. Strategic cutting will actually spur more growth and more flowers.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Heavy gardening gloves
• Gardening shears

1. Clean your rose clippers before and after using. You don’t want to spread disease from one plant to another.

2. Wear heavy gardening gloves. Roses may be beautiful, but their thorns can inflict pain.

3. Look for a stem that has two or more smaller stems growing from it, and each of the smaller stems holds a rose.

4. Examine the rose you would like to cut off. Look along its stem for a pair of five-leaflet leaves, as close to the main stem as possible.

5. Cut off the rose and a portion of its stem by making a diagonal cut about a quarter inch above the top five-leaflet leaf in the pair (which you identified in Step 4).

Tips & Warnings

• Always cut stems close to a bud or leaf to prevent canker disease from flourishing.
• Sanitize shears to avoid spreading disease.

Resources

• Winter Rose Care