Nurseryman John Greenlee visits Descanso Gardens in La Canada, California and talks with Mary Brosius, rose curator, to learn more about how to appropriately prune roses. By following these simple steps and pruning your roses when they are dormant, you will have big, beautiful bushes in the spring.
- By starting at the bottom of the plant, you can make fewer cuts, rather than starting at the top and working your way down.
- Determine which are your new, good canes. Look for smooth bark usually a different color than an old cane. Remove dead canes and the older canes.
- If two canes are rubbing together, remove the older cane. The thorns of the canes can damage the cane they're rubbing against.
- Remove the small, weak sucker growth at the bottom.
- Shape next year's growth by trimming off short twiggy branches, as well as branches that cross or form awkward angles.
- Reduce the overall height of the rose bush by about one-third. Choose the area to prune near an outside leaf bud or eye and make a slanted cut above the eye of about one-inch.
- Look for some parts of the rose that are crowding the growth of the main portion of the bush. Again, make your cut above the eye.
- Once you've finished pruning your roses, use an oil or sulfur dormant spray to protect your plants from insects and disease.
Guests Mary Brosius
Rose Curator, Descanso Gardens
Descanso Gardens 1418 Descanso Dr.
LaCanada, CA 91011
Phone: 818-952-4391
John Greenlee
Greenlee Nursery, Inc.
Website:
www.greenleenursery.com Also in this Episode
