Cutting a Rose

There are certain garden tasks that need to be done every year. Soil needs to be provided with nutrients, mulch needs replacing, irrigation needs checking, and as anyone with roses will tell you, those bushes need to be pruned. Roses are definitely high-maintenance superstars of the garden, with their lush foliage and striking flowers. Each year, they need to be pruned in order to increase in size, produce more blooms, be more full and balanced, and have better health overall. Most roses need to be pruned just once a year, thankfully, and the time to do it is just around the corner. In wintertime, between the months of December and February, roses are dormant, meaning that they are not putting on growth, they are not flowering or fruiting, and they typically do not need much ongoing care. This is the perfect time to prune.

You'll need gloves, preferably ones that go a bit up your forearm. Roses have prickles, which can tear through both clothing and skin, and it's best to protect yourself in advance. Depending on the size of your rosebush, you'll need either some regular pruning shears or long-handled lopping shears (or both!). A smaller-size saw may be handy as well, if a larger renovation is going to be completed on the shrub at this time. Make sure all tools are clean and sharpened before use. Using dull blades to cut through branches and stems can leave jagged, uneven cuts that catch moisture, and may lead to fungal problems later on. Clean tools are necessary to prevent the spread of pests and disease between plants.

There are a few pruning practices that are universal, no matter what type of rose you are pruning. The first step to all yearly rose-pruning activities is to lop off the top third to half of the plant to encourage vigorous spring growth and to better see its structure. All pruning cuts should be made at a 45 degree angle about 1/4" above an outward-facing branch or bud. The cut angle should slope away from the bud. Next, remove all dead, damaged, or broken canes down to the crown. If there are any canes that are discolored or hollow, remove those as well. 

Canes that are crossing (especially those that are touching) should be remedied by the removal of one. If there are any canes that are very thin (thinner than the girth of a pencil), they can be removed as well. Next, move towards the bottom of the plant and remove any debris covering the base. Search for any suckers, which are extra-vigorous shoots that arise from the rootstock of your rose variety. Make sure to cut these all the way back down to where they connect with the trunk.

Now is the time you get to start making some decisions about your rosebush. Choose between 3 and 6 strong, healthy canes towards the outside of the plant. Trim these back so that there are just 3-5 buds on each cane. These will be the canes that put on the most growth when spring rolls around, and they will form the general shape of the shrub going forward. Finally, remove all leaves from the bush. Diseases and insects tend to overwinter in the leaves, so this helps to prevent any issues in the coming season.

Pruning Notes for Different Types of Roses

Regular rosebushes like Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, and Floribundas, the directions above can be followed generally, depending on the size of the bush. On larger bushes, more outer canes can be chosen for form and foliage, cut back to between 3 and 5 buds each. Minature roses, on the other hand, are pruned a bit differently. These roses are typically much smaller, to between 6 and 12 inches high, and have tiny blooms and leaves. They do not need any special pruning; simply cut out any dead, damaged, or diseased growth and remove hips. Then, lightly shape.

Rambler roses have pendulous canes and can also be great groundcover-type roses. They produce canes that can reach up to 10-15 feet long in just one season, and produce the best flowers and foliage on old wood. This coming year's greatest blooms will come from last year's growth. Prune these immediately after they are done flowering, removing some of the older large canes and giving it a general trim for shape and size.

Finally, climbing roses produce flowers on wood that is two or more years old. They are often pruned in the fall, before cold weather sets in. Remove dead and diseased canes from these large plants, and remove one or two of the oldest canes each season to make room for the newer ones to push on through. Side shoots can be shortened to 3-6 inches after flowering. If plants are strong, keep between 5 and 8 canes. For plants that are not doing so hot, only keep 3 to 4. 

And there you have it! Remember to clean your tools after you're done, and replace any mulch around the base of your roses that may have gotten shuffled around during the pruning process. If there is still some frosty weather to be had in your area before springtime rolls around, make sure to protect your newly-pruned roses and any new growth they may send out in response.