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Rose Pruning 101 - Part 4

Saturday, 26th September 2009

How Hard Should You Prune
Ensure that you always cut back weak varieties and thin shoots harder than vigorous and strong shoots.
As floribundas are naturally inclined to produce more flowers they are usually pruned less than hybrid teas.

Pruning bush roses to suit growth habit.Along with pruning according to its type, each rose bush should also be pruned according to its own growth habit be it tall, compact or spreading. Note where the best growth came from the previous season and prune to encourage similar growth.

Remember that the bushes in a newly pruned bed of mixed roses will be of differing heights and irregular shapes. Any angular stems will not be noticeable once the foilage grows in spring.
Pruning tall bushes heavily, in an attempt to make them match the moderate growers in the bed will only shorten them temporarily. Strong, coarse growth will appear in spring.
Any immature shoots that have not finished flowering by pruning time are best left on the plant until the flowers fall and then trimmed.

Pruning newly bought roses
Do not underestimate the importance of cutting back newly bought roses as this is extremely beneficial to the plant. Pruning needs to be carried out immediately before planting following the same procedure for all types of rose.
Most plants simply need to have the shoots cut back a little above a sound bud with thin shoots trimmed back father than thick shoots with the aim being the encouragement of strong, vigorous lower growth rather than thin, spindly top growth.
Cut back by a third to a half any unusually long branches while any withered, soft and immature growth should be removed entirely.
When it comes to cutting flowers from newly planted rose bushes during their first season, rather break off the faded flowers or cut them off with very short stems.
Avoid removing any leaves, where possible, as they provide valuable nutrients for the plant.

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