Pruning roses: when & how?

When and how to cut roses? We show you how to properly prune roses and what you need to pay special attention to when pruning.

Pruning different types of roses (Pink) is not as difficult as is often assumed. Even as a hobby gardener, with a little practice you can succeed in cutting the roses optimally. All you have to do is observe the plants well enough or get information to get to know the different growth of the different types of roses and their flowering behavior. In this article we will explain in more detail how to properly cut your roses. We will show what needs to be considered when pruning roses and the pruning technique so that your roses grow lushly year after year and produce numerous flowers.

When should you prune roses?

The roses are cut in spring and only in mild weather. In unprotected locations endangered by late frost, the first cut can be postponed until May. Because frost can damage the fresh cuts and the new shoots.

When to prune roses:

• Pruning: It is carried out in spring (March to May), regardless of whether the rose is planted in autumn or spring.
• Annual spring pruning: This can be done on all types of roses and also takes place between March and May. How it is carried out depends on the growth and flowering behavior of the rose. We'll explain in detail what that means in the following paragraphs.
• Annual summer pruning: Summer pruning is limited to removing wild shoots and wilted flowers. In the case of the latter, however, there are some differences between the types of roses to be discovered.

Tip: A sufficient supply of potassium in your roses makes them more resistant to cold winter frosts. For example, the beauties can be strengthened with a dose of our Potassium-rich Plantura organic rose fertilizer. Especially in lukewarm winters and sudden cold spells in theIn the spring, however, it is better to cover the young, sensitive shoots with winter protection.

The right way to cut roses

You should definitely observe the following basic rules when cutting roses:

1. Use sharp scissors for a smooth cut
2. Always cut over an outward pointing bud or eye
3. Cut about 5mm above the bud or eye so as not to injure it
4. Cut the cut surface at an angle so that the water can drain off

Tip from the professional: So-called eyes are hidden, undeveloped buds. A side shoot can develop here. They are easy to recognize in roses: they form a kind of inverted "V" or even the spherical base of a bud.

Pruning of roses

Pruning roses should ensure good rooting and create a balance between roots and shoots. If the planting is carried out in autumn, the pruning is postponed until spring. If planted in spring, you can cut immediately. You only have to follow a few small and simple rules:

• Root cutting: Shorten the roots to a length of about 20 - 30 cm below the grafting point. This wound stimulus stimulates the branching of the roots and the rose will grow faster
• For bush and wild roses, all shoots are cut in half so that they are about 40 cm high
• Climbing roses are cut back to 10 buds off the ground
• All other roses should be trimmed to 3 - 5 eyes off the ground
• The above rules for the correct procedure when pruning roses also apply to plant pruning

Pruning roses in spring

All roses can be cut back in spring. For all types of roses, the following three basic rules apply, according to which the basic pruning is carried out:

1. Remove Deadwood: Dry, frozen wood is removed near the junction with he althy wood, or at the base if necessary.
2. Remove thin and diseased shoots: These rob the he althy and stronger shoots of the power to bloom. They are completely removed at the base of the plant or at their origin on a stronger shoot.
3. Prune shoots that are too dense: If the shoots are too close together, the one with the weaker growth or theunfavorable direction of growth away. In this way, the air circulation in the rose bush can be improved, so that rose diseases are prevented.

Starting from this basic pruning, an individual pruning is then carried out for different groups of roses, which promotes good growth and rich flowering.

Tip: The group of ground cover roses is an exception. These will not be cut with this basic pattern.

We have summarized the right pruning technique for each group of roses for you:

Rose group	Pruning in Spring
Rose Beds	Pruning back to 3 - 5 eyes off the ground. Weakly developed shoots are shortened more than strongly developed ones. Extremely fast-growing varieties (such as 'Gloria Dei') are not cut back quite as deeply (6 - 9 buds above the ground), miniature roses much deeper (2 - 3 buds above the ground)
Hybrid Tea Roses	Hybrid varieties are also cut back to 3 - 5 buds above the ground. Weakly developed shoots are shortened more than strongly developed ones
Once flowering shrub roses (flowering in July and July, then decreasing)	In the case of shrub roses that have bloomed once, only the basic pruning described above is carried out. If necessary, dense or lazy shoots can be removed at the base
Shrub roses that bloom more frequently (blossom June - September)	Shrub roses that bloom more often are lightly thinned out if necessary by removing entire shoots. Older shoots should be removed just above the ground every 4 - 5 years
Once flowering climbing roses and ramblers (flowering in June and July, then declining)	For climbing roses that have bloomed once, only the basic pruning described above is carried out. If necessary, dense or lazy shoots can be removed at the base
Climbing roses that bloom more often (blossom June - September)	After the first flowering in spring, the side shoots growing on the long shoots are shortened to 3 - 5 buds. Only old, lazy shoots are removed at the base. How to properly cut climbing roses, we will be happy to explain to you in detail again
Ground Cover Roses	Ground cover roses do not receive a basic pruning every year. Every 3 - 4 years they grow to about 30 cm, regardless of the eyesHeight shortened, whereby a hedge trimmer should be used
Wild Roses	In the case of wild roses, only the basic pruning described above is carried out. If necessary, dense or lazy shoots can be removed at the base
Old and historical roses	Only the basic pruning described above is carried out on old and historic roses. If necessary, dense or lazy shoots are removed at the base
English Roses	Depending on whether the English roses bloom once or more, they are treated in the same way as shrub roses that bloom once or more
Rose Roses	The crowns of the rose stems are cut back like bed and hybrid tea roses to 3 - 5 buds above the grafting point
Cascade Roses/Weeping Roses	Stems with hanging shoots are treated like climbing roses that bloom once or more often depending on their flowering behavior

Pruning roses in summer: Should you cut off faded roses?

No major cutting measures will be carried out in summer. Only the removal of wilted bud sites is done during this period and again, each cut should be above an outward-facing eye. This summer cut encourages growth and flowering.

Tip: If you want to keep rose hips as a bright splash of color in the garden or as food for the birds, you must not cut off faded inflorescences from roses that have bloomed once - they will not bloom again educated. You should also refrain from cutting off the blossoms in late summer, even if roses bloom more frequently.

Recognizing and removing wild shoots on roses

In the spring and summer of grafted roses - i.e. almost all garden roses - a wild shoot can grow out of the rootstock. Wild shoots are easily recognized by their smaller, lighter leaves. They also have at least seven or more leaflets per leaflet, while grafted varieties typically have five leaflets per leaflet.

Pruning roses in autumn and winter?

There is not much to do in the care of roses in autumn and winter. There is no pruning, mainly because a cut could now stimulate the formation of new shoots. These boysShoots would then be defenseless against the early or late frosts. However, many roses benefit greatly from winter protection. The grafting area is covered with a pile of earth, mulch or fir branches to protect it from frost. Of course, the right fertilization is particularly important for winter-hardy roses. For this reason, you can still fertilize in autumn with our Plantura organic rose fertilizer. Its extra high potassium content ensures frost-proof plant cells and stable cell walls that are less affected by cold temperatures.

For all enthusiastic rose fans, we have prepared a lot more expert knowledge about rose care, rose care in pots and everything you should know about the right rose fertilizer.