pruning roses

Pittsburgh Rose Society

HOW TO PRUNE YOUR ROSES:
The bare basics, for more information go to the
ARS website or see our monthly newsletter.

GENERAL TIPS

Step One:

Cut out all dead wood. How do you know it is dead? The cane
will probably be black or very brown. When you cut the center
will not be "fresh" looking. If the center is pithy, continue to
prune lower till you hit a solid light color (almost white) material.
If the cane is still too long, cut it lower to the height you desire.
The average height of a hybrid tea rose is 18" from the bud
union.

Step Two:

For your final cut on the cane, angle the pruner for a 45 degree
angle about 1/4 to 1/2" above an out facing bud eye. What is a
bud eye? This is a bulge on the stem that shows where a new
stem is trying to emerge. Why out? Because ideally you want
the new growth to face out from the center of the bush. This
promotes air circulation around the inside of the plant and
reduces disease attack. See Figure #1

Figure #1

CAUTION

DO NOT CUT BELOW THE BUD UNION ON A
GRAFTED BUSH

See figure #2

What is the bud union? Until recently almost
all commercial rose bushes were produced by a
propagation technique know as "grafting". The
bud union is where the rose plant you want to
have is attached to the more mature root
stock. This way growers could combine fast
growing, hardy root material with the newly
developed plant variety.

Why worry about this union? If you prune
below this bud union you will loose the plant
that you want to grown. What will come back
during the growing season is the underlying
root stock plant. If it blooms, it will be nothing
like the plant you purchased from the nursery.
If the bush is growing on its' own roots there is
no worry about the bud union. There is none.

Figure #1

Figure #2

Step Four:

In the Spring, seal the pruning cut. Why?
During the growing season a healthy plant
will seal the cut stem in about 30 minutes.
But in the Spring, the plant is, or should
be, still dormant. Therefore, it is a good
idea to seal the cut end to prevent insects,
such as rose vine bore, from invading the
stem. Is it a fatal mistake not to do this?
Probably not but it is an ounce of
prevention.

What to use? The cheapest and most
readily available product is Elmer's glue, but
don't get the water soluble type or it will
wash away in the rain. The ladies may have
left over nail polish that can be used if you
don't mind the eclectic colors.

Step Three:

Remove all small "twiggy" growth, especially
from the center of the bush. There
should be only healthy, well positioned
canes remaining. The centers should be
open to encourage air flow to discourage
dampness. Damp plants are prone to fungus
attack.

Finally:

Be sure to clean up all the debris. Why?
Not because you Mom would tell you to do
it but because removing dead and spend
material reduces the chance of spreading
fungus spores (Black Spot being the worst
enemy).

WHAT ABOUT DIFFERENT CLASSES OF ROSES:

A tea rose should be pruned differently than a climber and so forth. The following is a
brief synopsis of commonly given advice.

Hybrid Teas, Florabundas, and Grandiflora:

These bushes produce better quality of blooms if the bushes are radically pruned in
the spring. Follow the directions above and leave 4 to 6 strong healthy canes, facing
our from the center of the bush, about 18" to 24" tall.

Climbers:

This is the hardest class to discuss. First, typically a climber blooms from old wood.
Cutting the long canes back is contrary to the plants growth habit. Cut out the dead
canes and cut back no more than 1/3 from the ends. Tie the canes in an arched
fashion. New shoots will grow form this arch and give the display these bushes are
famous for. Most experts say don't prune at all for the first three years. But do train
the canes to grow up the support you have provided. After the third year, thin the
bush so there are no crossing or rubbing canes. If you have to choose between an old
cane and a newer, greener large cane, prune the old cane out favoring the younger.
This will rejuvenate the bush.

Shrubs:

Start out the same. Cut out the dead, diseased and damaged wood. Then shape the
bush. The "cut back 1/3rd" rule of thumb is a good gauge of how much off the ends.
What you are doing is shaping the bush. Take back more or less depending on how you
want it to look when the foliage emerges.

Miniatures:

What you do with these also will be guided by what you want from the plant. If you are
only interested in a good garden plant, then cut out the dead and shape to your
desired form. If you want larger blooms on longer stems, follow the rules above and
prune much like a hybrid tea. Remember, these roses do not all grow and respond the
same way. Some are really small, growing 6" to 10". Some (the miniflora types
especially) can grow to 5' to 6' in a shady garden. Gauge your pruning to the plants
growing habits and how you want it to look two months after you prune.