Roses are a symbol of love, beauty and fragrance. There are 169 species of roses from Alaska to northern Africa. In ancient Rome roses were used as confetti. Perfume was also made from rose petals.
Rose bushes are an asset to any garden. In order to encourage a multitude of blooms and new growth roses need to be pruned.
When to Prune Rose Bushes
It’s best to prune roses during the spring. When you see leaf buds begin to enlarge on your rose plants and turn a reddish color it’s time to prune them. It’s wise to prune roses before they leaf out. The main goal is to avoid any spring freezes. Make sure that the rose is dormant. Don’t prune any rose bush until after it flowers.
Roses are armed with a self protective mechanisms called thorns. Gardeners need to wear proper clothing while pruning roses. Long sleeves, heavy pants, and boots are ideal to wear for this task. A pair of gloves will help to protect your hands. Avoid wearing sandals, sweat pants, sweaters, and low shoes.
Products to use
In order to prune roses effectively you will need the following tools: By-pass Pruners and Long-handled Loopers. A sharp pair of hand shears will also do a good job in pruning roses.
How to Prune Roses
Pruning cuts need to be made 1/4 inch above the buds. To make a clean cut angle your pruning shears at a 45 degree angle. It’s not good for the rose bush to have any incomplete cuts. Your plant will become vulnerable to disease and insects. Do not remove any buds that grow along the stem. Cut the buds that face inwards. Buds that grow outwards will thrive better and receive more sunlight and air. It’s important to get rid of dead cane, suckers and rootstock. They emerge from the ground. Cut away any dead wood. Remove any damaged or broken canes. Please remember that dead wood is a blackish or dark brown color. Living wood is greenish in color. Older canes take longer to leaf out than young canes. After pruning clean up all the rose debris that surrounds your rose bush. If you do not put it in the trash it will attract unwanted insects to your plant.
Rambling Roses
These roses need to be pruned to remove any damage caused by winter weather. Remove any dead wood that you see on the plant. You can prune ramblers right after flowering. Cut back to 2-3 inches. Rambling roses only bloom once and are not repeat bloomers.
The early spring is the best time to prune Hybrid Tea Roses. All dead wood should be removed. Any center stems and branches that cross inwards can be removed. Reduce the remaining stems by 18 – 24 inches. By doing this the stronger stems will be longer than any new growth.
Modern Shrub Roses
This particular rose needs to be un pruned for the first 2 years. This will increase their vigor. They bloom on mature stems but not old woody stems. Prune one third of the oldest canes. Remove any dead or dying canes.
Pruning roses will cause them to perform at their highest level. They will bring joyful anticipation to any gardener.
Sources:
www.backyardgardener.com
