Rose Pruning: General Tips / RHS Gardening

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Rose pruning: general tips RHS Advice Guide These general tips for rose pruning will help you improve the health and lifespan of any rose.

By The RHS Advice Team

• Quick facts
• Suitable for...
• When to prune roses
• How to prune roses: general tips
• Pruning an unknown rose
• See also

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Quick facts

Suitable for - All roses

1

Timing - See individual profiles

2

Difficulty - Moderate

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Suitable for...

The following tips are for all roses. However, there is more detailed pruning advice available for specific types;

• Rose pruning: climbing roses
• Rose pruning: hybrid tea and floribundas
• Rose pruning: groundcover roses
• Rose pruning: patio and miniature roses
• Rose pruning: rambling roses
• Rose pruning: shrub roses

When to prune roses

Late winter (February or March) is often a good time for pruning roses but see the individual rose profiles above for more specific timing.

How to prune roses: general tips

When tackling roses bear the following in mind;

• Cuts should be no more than 5mm (¼ in) above a bud A bud is a small, undeveloped shoot that contains the potential for new growth. Buds are typically found on stems, where they can be apical (found at the tip) or axillary (found between leaf axils) and may develop into leaves, shoots or flowers. and should slope downwards away from it, so that water does not collect on the bud. This applies to all cuts, whether removing dead wood, deadheading Deadheading is the process of removing spent flowers from plants to encourage more blooms and prevent seed production. This helps to redirect the plant's energy into producing more flowers rather than producing seeds. or annual pruning
• Cut to an outward-facing bud to encourage an open-centred shape. With roses of spreading habit, prune some stems to inward-facing buds A bud is a small, undeveloped shoot that contains the potential for new growth. Buds are typically found on stems, where they can be apical (found at the tip) or axillary (found between leaf axils) and may develop into leaves, shoots or flowers. to encourage more upright growth
• Cut to the appropriate height, if a dormant bud Dormant buds (also known as epicormic buds) are those that remain inactive unless stimulated to grow and develop by a loss or damage. For example, if a plant has been damaged by frost, it may be able to rejuvenate from dormant buds at or below soil level. In woody plants, dormant buds are often found in the inner bark of older branches. is not visible
• Cuts must be clean, so keep your secateurs sharp. For larger stems, use loppers or a pruning saw
• Prune dieback to healthy white pith
• Cut out dead and diseased stems and spindly and crossing stems
• Aim for well-spaced stems that allow free air flow
• On established roses, cut out poorly flowering old wood and saw away old stubs that have failed to produce new shoots
• With the exception of climbing roses and shrub roses, prune all newly planted roses hard to encourage vigorous shoots
• Trace suckers back to the roots from which they grow and pull them away

These tips should be read in conjunction with the appropriate rose pruning profile.

Pruning an unknown rose

Perhaps if you've inherited a rose or lost the label - you may not know what type of rose you have. In which case, follow our basic tips below to get you started. Prune in February or March.

Climber or rambling type

If your rose has long arching stems, is very tall or needs some sort of support to hold it up then it is most likely a climber or rambler.

• Where there is only one thick old stem going down to ground level, go easy as it may not regenerate if cut hard back. Instead, shorten by between a third and a half
• For multi-stemmed roses, aim to take out one or two of the oldest looking stems (i.e. grey, flaky bark Bark is the outermost layer of woody plants (trees, shrubs and woody climbers). It is several cells thick and provides protection against physical damage, disease and environmental stresses. Bark comes in a wide variety of colours and patterns, and these can help gardeners when identifying plants. The fissures and crevices of bark on older plants also creates valuable habitat for many garden creatures as well as lichens and small plants. ) to as near to the base as you can
• If the response the next season is for the rose to send out a lot of strong but barren (non-flowering) shoots, chances are it is a rambler. A rose that responds with less vigorous, flowering growth is probably a climber

Shrub or bush type

Very small roses are easy to recognise so follow our guide for patio and miniature roses. Larger roses might be any number of types, from hybrid A plant produced by crossing two distinct parents, often different species, to produce offspring that combine the characteristics of both. Hybrids can occur naturally, but crosses are often made deliberately by plant breeders to produce plants with better yield, improved flowering or vigour, or improved disease resistance. tea and floribunda to species and shrub roses. If in doubt;

• Take out one or two stems as close to ground level as you can or to younger looking (green barked) side stems low down
• Shorten remaining stems by between a third and a half
• If the response the next season is lots of vigorous regrowth that flowers well, chances are it is a floribunda or hybrid tea
• Otherwise, it is more likely to be a type of shrub rose

Feed all pruned roses with a general purpose or rose fertiliser in spring. Mulch Mulch is a layer of material, at least 5cm (2in) thick, applied to the soil surface in late autumn to late winter (Nov-Feb). It is used to provide frost protection, improve plant growth by adding nutrients or increasing organic matter content, reducing water loss from the soil, for decorative purposes and suppressing weeds. Examples include well-rotted garden compost and manure, chipped bark, gravel, grit and slate chippings. with garden compost Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own. or manure.

See also

Royal National Rose Society

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