How to Prune Roses Easily
Roses contain a great deal of energy in their roots, and every spring revitalize and grow new stalks. They need winterizing pruning in the fall -- you can often remove one-third of the plant -- and cleanup pruning in June after they flower.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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1
Wear gardening gloves to protect yourself from thorns.
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Trim the rose into a V-shape to keep it open, as roses like airflow. Prune old stalks and leave the young fresh growth on hybrid tea roses. Avoid damaging any new growth that may at first look like a small, red bud. Antique roses or floribunda roses may not have a bud union. In this case, trim stalks as needed to keep the plant open. Prune climbing roses from the base as well.
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3
Remove dead wood and canes damaged by insects, as well as canes thinner than the diameter of a pencil, as these drain the rose’s energy for growth. Remove one of a pair of canes that rub on each other. After completing these cuts, prune hybrid teas, floribundas and grandifloras back to 12 inches for larger flowers and 24 inches for many smaller blooms, recommends the Texas A&M System AgriLife Extension.
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4
Remove deadheads and spent flowers, so the rose doesn't spend energy creating a rose hip. Cut the rose after the flower dies below the first leaves that form in groups of five. Cut roses just above an outside leaf of bud that faces to the outside of the plant. That way the growth of the plant will be outward, not inward. Make the cut ¼ inch above the bud and angled the same as the bud.
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Tips & Warnings
Water in the morning, so the moisture won't lead to leaf rot.
Fertilize, as roses are hungry. And enjoy your rose garden.
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References
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