Pruning Roses?

Question

I have a very old rose bush, that climbs a trelis at least 10 ft tall. I don't know if and when, and how to trim it, so that it comes back next year. The bush is about 100 years old, has some very large stems, and is currently making its way through my rain gutters, not to mention attacking people walking by. Is there any one out there that knows how I should go about this?

Answer 1

General Pruning:
You do this to remove any dead or dying canes or spent flowers. You need to pick a set of five leaves, but not necessarily the first set. Pick a set of five that are pointing outward because that will be the direction of a new cane and flowers. If you choose one pointing inward then your canes can cross and will cause other problems. Cut the cane at an angle like this (/) about 1/4" above the five leaf set. It is okay to do this with each cane and especially if the cane is dying. It is also okay to do this throughout the growing season because it promotes new growth. Also, it is important to seal any pruned cane the size of a pencil or larger with white glue to protect the wound and promote faster healing.

Autumn Pruning:
Any time between the first freeze of Autumn and the last freeze of winter you can seriously prune your rose down to about 2 feet. This will create a fuller, lusher plant for the new season. Once again you will want to cut at an angle. However, instead of cutting above a five leaf set, this time you will want to cut right above a node which will resemble a small, reddish, slightly pointed bump on the cane. Like the five leaf set, make sure the node is pointing outward.

http://www.bayeradvanced.com/article/how-to-prune-hybrid-tea-roses.html?source=google
Video from Expert Village on how to prune a rose:
http://homegarden.expertvillage.com/videos/deadheading-roses.htm

Good Luck

Answer 2

The pruning of rose bushes can be confusing, especially when you start talking about hybrid teas, old garden roses, shrub roses, once-blooming roses, and English roses. This confusion leads to doubt and improper pruning or no pruning.

The class of rose and the time of year it blooms influence the type and amount of pruning. General pruning principles apply to all roses, but there are differences between classes. The closer one gets to species roses the less severe the pruning. Hybrid teas have the distinction of requiring the most severe pruning for optimum bloom and plant health.

Because of the variety of rose types available, one may need to have an understanding of how the rose flowers. Pruning should also be looked at as applying a few common sense principles to accomplish several tasks. These tasks are to remove dead, damaged, or diseased wood; increase air circulation; keep the shrub from becoming a tangled mess; shape the plant; and encourage the growth of flowering wood.

The majority of pruning is done in the spring. Many rose growers suggest waiting until the forsythias start to bloom as a good signal for the pruning season to begin.



The goal of spring pruning is to produce an open centered plant. This allows air and light to penetrate easily.

Answer 3

Climbing roses need slightly different pruning to a standard rose.
A young rose can be pruned almost down to the ground but an old one like this needs a bit more consideration.
Cut it back to strong green shoots. Then if it is still too big / thick cut out all cross members, (those which cross over themselves like crossed fingers). By now you should have removed a considerable amount.
Leave the plant alone during its growing season and then tackle it again the following spring, cutting it back to strong shoots and removing cross members. By now your rose should be under control.
Good luck.

Answer 4

being such an old bush a good prune is a great idea, but not to go as far as cutting it back to the main cane . that might be a bit extreme. Shape it to the size you want, cutting cane that is above a five leaved branch. the new sprout will grow in the direction of the last remaining leaf, so make sure you cut at the right point to encourage the shape you desire. Good luck.

Answer 5

Here is a website on rose pruning. http://www.alaskarosesociety.org/documen...
When pruning shrub roses, especially if pruning a mature bush with many canes, consider removing the entire cane by cutting as close to the ground as possible. When cut from the center of the bush, this will help make room for new canes to grow without crowding and will help keep the bush vigorous and renewed when you remove older canes to make way for new, vigorous canes. By also removing entire canes from the outer edges of the bush, you work to keep it contained within the desired area.