Rose Pruning Tips for Healthy Roses

It pays to understand the Rose you are going to prune. Shrub roses flower on the previous years wood. Hybrid Tea and Floribunda flower on new wood.

Some flower only once per season, others are repeat flowering.
Both types can be congested and prone to disease if not thinned yearly.
Non-repeat flowerers are best pruned lightly after flowering.
Repeat flowerers can be pruned when dormant taking out slightly more wood.
Prune to allow air and light into the shrub.
Encourage new growth from the base cut back an occasional old stems to ground level.
Light, tip pruning of side shoots helps keep a compact habit

HT’s are vigorous plants usually producing a single bloom at the end of each shoot.
To encourage new wood on which they flower, ‘harder the pruning the better the flowering’.
Shorten stems to about 8″ from the ground
Remove all weak shoots entirely.
In warm areas cutting back can be slightly less severe 10-12″

Floribundas produce flowers in clusters at the end of shoots.
A treatment between that for shrubs and HTs works best.
Aim to cut to an outfacing bud 2-3″ above last years cut. Once a stem has 3or4 steps in it then cut into old wood.
Shorten main stems to 12″ from the ground. Remove weak stems.

The best time to prune is as roses start into growth. From mid February in the UK.
Aim to keep the centre open.
Cut out dead and diseased wood then destroy.
Cut out crossing or rubbing branches.
Newly planted bare rooted shrubs can be pruned to an outfacing bud 3″ high. This helps start a good framework for future years.
Deadhead after flowering cutting back to where fresh growth is maturing.

For Climbing and Rambling rose pruning read

Gardeners Tips