How to Prune Roses

However, roses are actually one of the most forgiving plants when it comes to pruning, advises master rosarian Michael Cevola. So don't be afraid to cut away. Here's his methodical approach to rose pruning:

Pruning tools
First, gather good pruning tools (figure A). For general pruning, Cevola recommends hand pruners with a sharp, rounded blade. Avoid using pruners with a straight edge because they crush the stem and don't make a clean cut. Use hand pruners to cut canes no thicker than your thumb. For thick canes, use loppers. For larger-sized canes that loppers can't cut, use a bow saw.

Pruning hybrid teas and tree roses
Before you start pruning, step back and take a look at the entire plant. Visualize what canes need to be removed before actually cutting them out. This helps to envision what shape to train the plant.

Cevola prunes out dead branches, downward growth (figure B) and rubbing branches (figure C) first. This helps him to get a better sense of what is left afterwards. Then he removes some crossing branches in the central part of the shrub. The goal is to open up the middle part of the shrub and have the new growth pointing outward.

"If you get a lot of canes that point inward, once they start blooming, prune them off so the center doesn't get cluttered up again," he says.

Pruning not only makes the plant look less cluttered, but it also promotes air circulation in the interior and minimizes fungal disease. Cevola prunes the canes at a 45-degree angle (figure D). This allows water to drip right off the stem so the moisture doesn't collect on the wound, causing the tissue to rot. If the cut is made too close to the buds themselves (figure E), the plant's energy may not be pushed to that bud to grow. Eventually the bud and surrounding plant tissue will die, and the dead tissue will have to be pruned down to a lower bud.

Pruning isn't an exact science but more like trial and error, so be prepared to visit the same plant repeatedly. If you've made one round of pruning cuts one week, you may find that you'll need to make additional cuts the next week. Later in the season, the buds will begin to swell. Once they start leafing out, you can see the direction that those buds are growing towards and then make your cuts accordingly.

"You're not going to hurt them. There are a lot of canes there, so you can shape the rose how you want it to fit into a particular area," says Cevola.

Cleaning Up
Cevola uses a wire brush to remove the dead bark along the woody canes of the rose bush, lightly brushing around the swollen nodes (figure F).

"The theory is that it helps prevent any disease or insects from hiding in between the bark. It also encourages new basal breaks where new canes are encouraged to start growing from new bud eyes," he says.

Always pick up any leaf litter or cut canes from around the base of the plants. Since this litter may carry fungal disease and other pests, throw it into the trash, not the compost pile.

Pruning floribunda and miniature roses
To maintain the weeping habit of his floribunda rose, Cevola prunes out deadwood and crossing branches while keeping the overall umbrella shape of the plant (figure G). Every so often, he steps back from the plant to take a look at the shape. This way he makes sure he doesn't go overboard with his pruning while also taking note as to where to make additional cuts.

Prune miniature roses the same way that you prune their larger cousins.

Ideal time to prune roses
When is the perfect time to prune roses? The answer depends on which hardiness zone you live in, but a general rule of thumb is to wait until you see a little bit of bud break (figure H).

Note: If you're going to spend any time pruning roses, chances are you're going to get cut by unforgiving thorns. Keep a pair of gloves on hand. Rubber-tipped gloves are helpful to avoid pricking, while cotton ones are great for pruning miniatures. It also doesn't hurt to have antiseptic spray and bandages nearby. Check with your doctor to be sure you're up to date on your tetanus shot since thorns can carry bacteria and fungus.