The best time to prune roses for ‘amazing blooms year after year’

One task that needs to be done every year to keep roses thriving and growing is pruning. Pruning requires gardeners to remove plant parts such as leaves, stems and faded flowers to improve the plant’s shape and overall health.

With that in mind, leading garden ladder expert Henchman shared tips for pruning roses to keep them “thriving” and “providing stunning blooms year after year.”

Experts say the “best time” to prune roses is late winter or early spring, before the plant begins to grow. However, they said that when to prune plants will also depend on the type of roses and when they are planted.

They said: “For example, climbing roses can be pruned in the summer after they have finished flowering, although winter pruning at the height of the pruning season can help keep them in order. Light pruning in summer also helps shape the bush and encourage even more flowering. “

Some roses can be lightly pruned in the summer months, followed by more thorough pruning in the winter or early spring.

Experts say gardeners should “avoid pruning too often” and be careful with new flowers and buds when it comes to pruning.

How to prune roses

1. Direct course

First, gardeners should prune roses with pruning shears, removing old flower heads and surrounding leaves.

While doing this task, gardeners should keep an eye out for “common” rose diseases such as black spot and any pesky pests such as aphids.

Infected leaves and stems should be removed to prevent disease and infection from spreading to the rest of the plant.

2. Remove damaged stems.

Gardeners will then need to remove any dead or damaged stems. Experts said: “Prune them back to healthy wood, making sure the cuts point downwards to prevent water from pooling on the buds. For thicker branches, a pruning saw will come in handy.”

3. Remove cross stems and suckers.

Remove any stems that cross the center of the plant to improve air circulation in the plant. Suckers, the spiny stems growing from the rootstock, should also be removed as they compete with the main plant for nutrients.

They need to be pruned at the base, which may require gardeners to remove some soil to gain access to the base of the plant.

After pruning, seal the trimmed area with a sealant to protect the plant.

4. Formation

Old, woody shoots, weak shoots, thin stems, wilted leaves and shoots with poor flowering should also be removed.

“These stems usually lack vigor to support full flowering and should be removed,” the experts added.

After removing weak stems, shape the bush to suit its intended growth habit. For roses that require an open shape, the stems that grow inward should be trimmed, and for roses that require growth to grow upward, the stems that grow outward should be trimmed.