Why prune?
By getting rid of old stems, you’ll encourage the development of strong, new stems which will generate and produce lots of quality blooms. Pruning also allows light and air to flow around the branches, which can reduce the risk of disease, such as black spot and powdery mildew.
Prepare your tools
Make sure your secateurs are clean and sharp to avoid damaging stems and spreading disease. If your roses are well-established, you might also need a pruning saw for thicker stems. Always wear long sleeves and a thick pair of gloves to avoid getting scratched.
What to cut
- Any wood that looks weak, thin or dead.
- Stems and branches of pencil thickness should be shortened to 8 – 10 cm (this is in line with standard hard pruning guidelines for hybrid teas and floribundas). Thicker stems can be cut less drastically and left longer.
- Inward-facing branches and branches that cross over or rub against each other. The aim is to open the centre of the bush to let in light and air.
How to cut
Cut 1 cm above an eye (leaf bud) on an angle of 45 degrees sloping down from the eye. This helps water run off and encourages outward growth. Make sure your cut is clean, with no ragged edges.
Things to remember
- Treat each plant individually rather than pruning uniformly or to the same height.
- If growth is strong, remove less and if growth is weak, remove more. Vigorous pruning will give strong stems and good flowers.
- After cutting, remove all the remaining leaves and spray the dormant bush with lime-sulphur spray to protect against fungal diseases and pests.
- Climbing and weeping roses flower from mature wood, so don’t prune these too severely or they won’t flower.
- Let newly planted roses become established for a year or two before any hard pruning.
- The only pruning that should be done in summer is dead-heading spent flowers.
The ideal cut
- The bud faces outwards.
- 45-degree angle.
- 1 cm above outward-facing bud.
- Angled away from the bud so the water runs off.
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