Did you not happen to get all your outside work done before the snow fell this weekend? Now that it's warmed up a little bit, now 's the time to head outside and get those chores done. One chore I haven't gotten done was pruning my roses. Roses are best pruned in February or March , with President’s Day being the is the usual starting date for rose-pruning. But if your roses are leggy like mine are, it's time to prune them.
To prune a rose (except for climbers), cut above existing buds or forks in the branch, and cutting at a 45-degree angle.
Shrub types should be cut back to about 18″ off the ground and tiny canes removed entirely. Prune out any canes that criss-cross each other to ensure good air circulation and healthy stems. A dab of Elmer’s Glue on the ends of the cut canes can help discourage rose cane borers, a type of beetle.
Knockout and other types of landscape-style roses can be pruned back to close to the ground if you want to control the size – they’re very amenable to pruning. Knockouts will also re-bloom better and faster if they’re deadheaded their spent flowers removed back to the next stem.
Climbing roses are different. Correct pruning for climbers is designed to trick the plant into growing where YOU want it to grow and blooming where YOU want it to bloom, too – not just at the very top.
I found this great video (at the top) that shows how to prune them.
If you have any questions, please send me an email and I'll do my best to help your roses!
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