How do you successfully prune roses?

Question

My rose bushes have grown out of control, they are too heavy for their small stem and are currently flowering. Branches have grown in all different directions, but I would like to make my next prune right, so that they grow neatly? How?

Answer 1

There are many sites with valuable tips, for example,
American Rose Society's site--www.ars.org/About_Roses/pruning.htm -

Pruning roses is easy and fun if you follow the basic rules - Good luck.

Answer 2

You should consider getting a rose care book by Sunset or Ortho or other gardening book publishers for excellent ideas and tips.

If you live in an area with mild winters (no deep winter freezes), then you should delay pruning until after danger of the last frost. Otherwise, your roses should have been pulled down and buried under a heavy bed of mulch to protect the canes from dying back.

After danger of the last frost, you can prune the canes back to a wide open 'vase' shape, leaving only 3 to 5 solid, healthy canes which do not interleave. Leave them about 12" tall. Make sharp cuts with a 'bypass' type of pruning shears. 'Anvil' types can smash the wood, leaving ragged canes. When you make a cut, leave a bud or eye facing outward - that's where new growth will take place. And don't leave short lengths of canes that can die back - the rule is don't leave anything you can hang your hat on.

Cut off all the sucker canes growing from below the graft - they are part of the rootstock, not the desirable flowering rose which you want to keep.

Clean up all canes, flowers and leaves, so you don't leave any mold or fungus spores on the ground. You can spray your bushes with a winter dormant oil spray to smother & kill all insects and egg cases which may otherwise overwinter and emerge in the spring. You may also want to spray with a fungicide or a lime-sulphur spray (Bordeaux mix) to kill any fungus spores. Be sure to thoroughly spray the ground, too.

You can safely water when the bushes start showing new red leaves, but don't fertilize until about 4 weeks into the growing season. I like to use a fish emulsion which can be diluted to 1/2 strength and is readily absorbed by the plants.

In the summer when you prune during the growing season, cut out the crossing branches back to the stem (no short stems to hang your hat.) Removing the interior crossing branches allows more light and air into the interior of the bush. Make your cuts just above a 5-leafed branch - the eye at the base of those branches will tend to produce new flowering clusters. And continue to make your cuts so the eyes face outward. Also, cut out any rose hips which may have formed. They will divert your bush's growth to make seed pods, not flowers.

Good luck and enjoy your roses.

Answer 3

In fall or early spring, during coldest weather cut them back to the beginning using angled cuts at the base near the trunk. It sounds harsh and will feel harsh but they need a drastic pruning and they need it each year. Use sharp pruning shears and take each branch off at the base of that stem until you have only four or five good heavy stems coming from the base of the rose. I'd make sure the shears are clean by using bleach water between uses and drying and oiling with any oil after. In the spring when they start to leaf out fertilize with a pellet fertilizer and then use some weakened rose food. spray the liquid food on stems, leaves and all around the base. AT the point that they are leaved out spray with an insecticide and a fungicide or use any natural products. I use octagon soap melted and mouthwash in a spray bottle for insects. Spray underneath leaves and use a rag or towel to wipe any aphids or mealey bugs off. This will hopefully keep them growing and blooming. Mulch around the base not touching the base and water during dry spells and prune back each year to the point of the start, maybe a little farther if they are tumbling or climbing roses. They can be staked if they are heavy .

Answer 4

Try this site....

www.marinrose.org/pruning.html

Roses are pretty hardy plants, they should look great again in no time.

Answer 5

challenging problem. research onto yahoo or google. it can assist!