Our latest video on rose pruning is live and ready to help you get your roses in shape for spring. We show you 4 easy steps to guide you through the process, ease fears and keep your roses healthy.
While this video was shot in January, you can still take care of your rose pruning tasks in February, and even after they start sending out new growth if you’re really behind. Just do it soon and you’ll be rewarded with blooms in spring.
How to Prune Roses in 4 Easy Steps
If you’d rather see words on the page, check out this blog post with step by step instructions for rose pruning:
Valentine’s Day and Rose Pruning – scroll to the bottom of the newsletter and check out the added bonus link.
Since you’re holding your garden shears, now is also a good time (if not a little late) for winter pruning your fruit trees. If you planted new fruit trees recently, take the time to train (read: shape) them so they develop strong scaffold branches at the right angle (about 60 degrees). Check out this helpful post by Robert Kourik, a respected author I met at the Heirloom Expo a couple years ago:
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You don’t need to pull ALL the rose leaves off; Just the ones left *after* pruning the rose canes.
The Real reason for removing the leaves is to lessen the chance of pests (and their eggs),
powdery Mildew, and Rust spores from ‘sticking-around’ for the next growing season.
Some Rosarians even recommend using a dormant oil spray on the newly-pruned rose —
to coat, suffocate and kill any remaining bugs & eggs sticking to the rose.
True, Mark. Getting rid of the leaves removes remaining traces of mildews and other fungal issues. However, we think it’s a great starting point for beginners who are afraid to prune. It boosts courage to start by ripping off all the leaves. But for those who are unencumbered by fear of pruning, cut first, then remove leaves.
Thank you for this informative video! I have been told for many years to cut all the canes down to a foot from the ground and only leave three to four canes. My roses just haven’t been the same. I will try this technique, especially with pulling the leaves off, as I have never heard that before. I do have one question, do you use this technique with all varieties of roses (hybrid, Floribunda, Heirloom, etc.)?
There will be variances with different types of roses. For example, with climbing cultivars you leave the long vining canes and prune back the lateral shoots, maybe tip-pruning the ends of the vines if needed. I would research further for your type of rose before taking the pruners to the plant, just to be sure.