Rose Pruning Tips – Landscaper’s Guide on How to Prune Roses

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet."

William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

Pruning is a crucial process for growing rose bushes because it invigorates them to make more flowers and also helps shape the shrubs the way you like. If you do not prune your roses, they will likely bear very few flowers, and the bushes can grow pretty high and appear untidy.

There are several kinds of roses; it would take me quite a long while to name them all. We can, however, separate them into two broad categories in terms of their growing patterns: spring-blooming roses and summer-blooming roses. Spring-blooming roses should be pruned after they finish blooming. As for the roses that bloom all summer long, we should prune them when they are dormant, typically in late spring.

1. Remove all dead wood and weak twigs.
2. Try to thin the center of the bush as much as possible. Prune out canes that cross inward. Remove any canes that produce frail branches or show signs of decay.
3. Assess how vigorous your plant is. Check and see if the new canes are at least ¾ of an inch in diameter. If they are, it means your rose bush is vigorous. The less vigorous it is, the more you need to prune. By pruning, you remove dormant buds that will use up energy when the plant begins to grow. The more you prune, therefore, the more energy you provide for each growing point.
4. Leave about 6 - 8 canes on vigorous rose bushes. Leave only 3 or 4 on less vigorous ones.
5. In order to encourage the plant to make a lot of flowers, you should trim back the canes about 1/3 of their length. If you cut them more than that, the plant will likely produce less but larger flowers.

1. Untie all the canes from the trellis and lay them on the ground.
2. Prune out all but the healthiest three to five canes.
3. Prune all the laterals to two or three buds.
4. Tie the canes back up on the trellis. Don't cut them shorter, as that will encourage a twiggy mass of laterals to sprout from the cut ends. Instead, bend the tip of each cane in an arc at the height you like. This will help laterals form more nicely and prevent upright growth.

1. Pruning Shears - Good pruning shears should be sharp, clean and won't crush the stem as they cut it. A decent pair of pruning shears can last a lifetime if you keep them clean, dry and well-oiled.
2. Pruning Loppers - Typically, pruning shears should be good enough for pruning rose shrubs. However, heavy-duty pruning loppers may be needed in case you have very mature shrubs with sturdy branches. A good pruning lopper can prune off big branches effortlessly and leave cleaner cuts than a pruning saw.