When to Trim Shrub Roses?
The queens of the flower kingdom are shrouded in mystique. Serious gardeners who show roses talk of endless hours fussing over roses, spraying them, applying fertilizer and pruning. When an amateur approaches rose pruning, the task may seem intimidating, but pruning roses is surprisingly similar to pruning other plants. Does this Spark an idea?
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Pruning Rationale
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Rose shrubs are typically pruned for three reasons: to control the size of the roses, to improve the quality of the blooms and to remove winter-damaged canes. Rose canes may be pruned once in early winter and once in late winter. In early winter in cold Northern states, tall shrubs may be pruned to reduce roses to a size that can be protected from winter ice and snow. Then in late winter or early spring before roses break dormancy, the plants are typically pruned to remove any damaged canes and to shape the shrubs.
When to Trim
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If you have forsythia shrubs growing in your neighborhood, you can use this plant as a guide for pruning roses. The best time for springtime rose pruning in your region will be when the forsythia plants produce blossoms. This time period may vary wildly. According to Washington State University, forsythia blooming and rose pruning may occur as early as February 20 in a mild year or as late as March 15.
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What to Prune
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Remove all dead, diseased or damaged rose canes. Rose shrub damage usually appears brown or black on the canes. If the cane is sliced open, the wood beneath will appear black as well. Remove the canes back until the wood appears creamy, white and healthy. Cut these canes 1/4 inch above an outward facing bud. Remove the oldest cane to its base and cut all healthy canes back by half.
Pruning to Shape
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Shrubs that grow as wide as they grow tall may be pruned to change the shape of the shrubs. Typically, new shrubs are deadheaded, but not pruned until they reach maturity and their shape becomes obvious. Dead and damaged wood must always be removed to protect these roses, as well as any canes that grow inwardly or rub one another.
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- Photo Credit kyria rose image by PHOTOFLY from Fotolia.com
