When to Prune Roses? In Spring, Summer and Before Winter

Step by step

1. 1

   Main cut - in spring, when forsythia blooms

   The most important pruning falls in spring, after the hard frosts have passed but before the buds fully open. Gardeners take flowering forsythia as their cue, which usually means late March or early April. Roses cut too early risk frost damage to the fresh wounds.

2. 2

   Cut at an angle above a bud

   Make each cut about 5 mm above a healthy, outward-facing bud, at roughly 45 degrees, sloping away from the bud. Water then runs off the wound, and the new shoot grows outward and opens up the bush. Use sharp, clean pruners and cut back to healthy, white pith.

3. 3

   Bed roses - hard pruning

   Cut hybrid tea roses low, to 3-5 buds above the ground, which is about 15-20 cm (6-8 in). Leave floribundas a little taller, at 4-6 buds. Remove dry, diseased and thin stems along with any crossing in the center of the bush, so the crown stays airy.

4. 4

   Climbing roses - depends on the type

   Prune once-flowering climbers right after they bloom, removing at the base the stems that have just finished flowering. Prune repeat-flowering climbers in early spring: shorten the side shoots to a few buds and keep the long main stems as the framework. Every few years, cut the oldest, woodiest stems out at ground level.

5. 5

   Deadhead through the summer

   Through the season, keep cutting the spent blooms back to the first full, five-leaflet leaf, and the plant will push out new buds faster. Stop by the end of August so the bush can prepare for winter. On hip-bearing varieties, stopping lets the ornamental hips form.

6. 6

   Before winter, only a light trim

   Do not do the main pruning in autumn. Just shorten very long stems by about one third so the wind cannot rock the bush and snow cannot break it. Mound soil or bark 20-30 cm (8-12 in) high around the base, covering the graft point especially.

7. 7

   Remove wild suckers

   Shoots springing from below the graft point - the rootstock suckers - are recognizable by smaller, lighter leaves, often with seven leaflets. Expose the base and tear such a shoot off at its source rather than cutting it, because a cut sucker regrows more strongly. Left alone, suckers eventually smother the grafted variety.

Why prune roses at all

Pruning rejuvenates the bush and forces young shoots, which carry the most flowers. By removing old, woody and diseased stems, you improve airflow, and that curbs fungal diseases such as black spot and powdery mildew.

Train a healthy rose so its center stays open, like an open hand. Stems that cross and grow inward rub against each other, wound the plant and cast shade. Removing them channels the plant's energy into strong, outward-facing flowering shoots.

Climbing and groundcover roses in practice

Before you cut a climbing rose, find out whether it flowers once a season or repeatedly. Once-flowering kinds set their buds on last year's stems, so a hard spring cut removes the flowers - prune them only after they bloom. Repeat-flowering kinds bloom on the current year's growth and take early spring pruning well.

Tie the long stems of climbers to their support horizontally or at an angle. A stem trained toward horizontal sets flowers along its whole length rather than just at the tip - a simple way to get more bloom without extra pruning. Groundcover and shrub roses only need thinning every few years, removing the oldest stems.

The right tools and wound care

Use sharp pruners on roses, and cut thicker stems with a garden saw. A blunt blade crushes the stem, so the wound heals badly and becomes a gateway for disease. Wipe your tools with rubbing alcohol, especially when moving from a diseased bush to a healthy one.

After pruning, gather and remove all the cut stems and fallen leaves, because they can carry fungal spores. In spring, after the main cut, feed the roses and water them to support the new shoots. Fresh wounds need no sealing.

Frequently asked questions