Pruning is an important step when it comes to growing and taking care of roses. It’s a vital routine that helps maintain air circulation in the rose bush when it gets warm and humid.
WATCH: How to repot a rose with Graham – plus other winter gardening jobs
5 common mistakes when it comes to pruning roses
1. Don’t save the suckers
Remove suckers (growth that emerges below the graft scar), they are ‘sucking’ the nutrients out of your rose bush and will weaken the plant.
2. You’re cutting at the wrong angle
Cut at a 45-degree angle with the cut facing downwards, avoid anything small. Also remember to cut just above a bud or leaf node.
3. You’re not using clean tools
Sterilise your secateurs with alcohol between each shrub to avoid spreading any diseases – and wear gloves and long sleeves.
4. Incorrect shears
Not all pruning shears are the same, you could be doing more damage by using the wrong ones. Look for bypass shears that feature a blade which passes over another in a scissor-like fashion, this produces a clean cut and is best suited for live stems and branches.
Avoid anvil pruning shears, they feature a blade which meets another and crushes the stem rather than cuts through it and is designed for use on deadwood.
5. You’re not removing the stems
Remove any dead or spindly stems, leaving 3-5 strong stems each pointing outwards in a different direction, creating a ‘vase’ shape.
What is the best time to prune roses?
Prune in mid-winter when the plant is dormant. It’s a brutal job and, while the process may seem harsh, it’s tough love and your rose bushes will respond with beautiful, soft love.
What is the rule for pruning roses?
Don’t be shy, be brutal and cut as needed. You need to cut dead canes back to the base of the plant and cut damaged or diseased canes back to healthy tissue, where the centre is white.
You might need
Fearless bare-rooted roses
Mariangela bare-rooted roses
Guy Savoy bare-rooted roses
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