Pruning Roses 101 - Beta readers welcome

Pruning 101

Nothing terrifies new rosarians quite like the prospect of pruning their roses. I know I was intimidated by the prospect.

What I didn't know:

1. Roses don't have to be pruned to grow. Granted they will appear bedraggled and won't bloom as well, all the same it isn't necessary for their survival.
2. Roses are infinitely forgiving. Unless you prune them to the ground in the late fall, they will recover from your novice efforts at pruning them. Depending on where you live, many will even forgive being taken to the ground.
3. There is NO one way to prune. There are many methods to choose from depending on what it is you want from your roses, and what type of roses you grow.

What you need:

A good pair of gauntlet gloves is a must.

Yes, real rosarians wear gloves. Being scratched, poked and impaled grows old quickly. If that weren't enough there are some very dangerous bacteria growing on rose thorns. One bout with a swollen angry finger requiring antibiotics and you'll succumb to wearing gloves very quickly.

Regular cloth garden gloves are so close to being useless it is not worth wearing them.

West County makes a very good thorn resistant elbow length glove. They are both washable and durable for a reasonable price. I must say they make it almost feel like cheating.

Goat skin is also a good thorn resistant choice.

Do an internet search and you can find some really good deals on rose gloves.

A sharp pair of pruning sheers.

You get what you pay for in this arena. If you only have a few roses, buy a nice pair at your yard and garden center. Mid price should serve you well. 

If on the other hand you have a large garden planned, over twenty bushes, you'll be better off in the long run to buy Felco pruners. They are expensive. The blades are easy to sharpen and are replaceable. Felco's come in a number of sizes to fit the rosarian's hand, making long pruning sessions much more comfortable. These pruners, properly cared for, will last you a life time. The cheaper models hold up three to five years in my experience.

A lopper and pruning saw are also nice to have for the larger canes, but not necessary to start.

Spring Pruning

Now that we have the fear quelled and the equipment we'll need, let's take a look at spring pruning. Spring pruning is about the three D's, Dead, Diseased, Damaged.

Remove all of the dead foliage and clean every scrap of it out of the garden. Black Spot and Powdery Mildew, the two most common maladies, are fungal and winter on the old foliage. If dead leaves are left in the garden, so are the spores. Rain and hand watering splashes mud containing the spores unto the bushes starting another cycle of disease. Prevention is cheaper and easier than spraying.

Remove the dead canes as close to the bud union as possible to allow space for new canes to sprout (basil breaks). If only part of the cane is dead prune to ¼ of an inch above the first healthy budding eye facing to the outside of the bush this will keep the center of the bush clear of growth and allow for good air circulation. Good circulation will help combat fungal disease.

When dealing with diseased canes bring bleach wipes or 90% isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel with you into the garden. Wipe your pruners between each cut to minimize the chance of spreading the illness. Prune at least one inch below the infected wood at the first outward facing budding eye. 

Note: During the growing season removing the effected leaves will often bring illness under control without having to prune.

Damage is treated the same as the diseased wood. You only need to remove the damage.

Spring is a good opportunity to remove all of the twiggy growth on your bushes. This spindly growth will not provide sturdy bloom stems, and takes energy the bush could be using for stronger growth.

Clear the center of the bush of all growth or as much as is possible to promote good air circulation.

Feed, water and spray if you wish and then wait for them to bloom.

Dead Heading

Your first flush is beginning to fade and the garden is starting to look pretty sad. This is where dead heading comes into play, and where most of the disagreement is played out.

If you intend on showing your roses contact your local Rose Society and inquire with them how best to prune for show quality blooms.

For the rest of us it is a pretty straight forward situation. There are two methods which work well for garden roses.

If you don't care how large your roses are going to get or how bushy they are, snap the blooms off as you walk through the garden enjoying your roses. Bring a bucket to put the dead or fading blooms in, as not to promote fungal problems. How easy is that?

Remember it is VERY difficult to kill a rose bush by pruning it. Breath, got your bleach wipes or alcohol towel with you? Good, let's proceed.

If you live in an area where roses grow into monsters, you have limited space, or want to ensure strong bloom stems it is a little more complicated but not much.

Slide your hand under the blossom and trail your pruner down the cane until you find a *leaf set pointing in a direction you want growth. Prune ¼ of an inch above this spot, and place the cutting into a container for removal from the garden.

*Conventional wisdom has been to prune to a five or more leaf configuration. I have found no difference in pruning to a three leaf configuration verses the five or more. The community of rosarian's I'm involved with have all reported similar experience. Cut to the first solid set of leaflets pointing in a direction you want growth.

Do not be fooled into thinking spindly growth will get thicker, it won't. It also will not give you longer stems if you cut too little off. Find a solid spot to prune, even if it takes the cane to your knee or a bit lower in height.

Roses will feed the top first. The taller the rose the further the energy needs to be pushed. If left too tall the bush will drop the leaves at the bottom, a condition known as 'leggy', and will not be as full or lush as you'd like.  Please note some roses are leggy no matter what you do, though most will look better if kept to a reasonable height.

Floribunda and Miniature roses bloom in clusters. It is important to remove the entire cluster once it is spent to the next healthy leaf set. They will continue to grow if you don't. The problem comes from too much growth and they become congested. You'll end up with a nice leafy bush and no flowers. Be brave, take the entire cluster off; the rose will thank you.

Old Garden roses bloom on old wood (last year's growth) most of them do not like to be hard pruned. It is best to leave these taller than you would a modern rose and remove only the stem of the dead bloom.

Some areas have trouble with cane borers. Tiny wasps drill a hole in the center of a pruned cane and lay their eggs. Should the cane be one cut close to the bud union, the larvae will kill the rose. If you see holes in the end of your canes, prune to solid wood and seal your prune wounds with white glue. The wasps don't like the glue and won't bore through it.

End of Season

At the end of the season stop deadheading a month before the first frost or cooler temperatures start and call it good until spring.

If you have heavy snow, prune the bushes so they won't break under the weight of the snow.