How To Prune Your Roses For Stunning Results

Sakura flower prune -

Pruning and deadheading are essential to proper rose care. Great! If it doesn't kill your roses, go right ahead.

Basic Pruning Rules

1. Always remove any dead or decayed growth. This keeps your bushes looking good and denies disease and insects a place to call home.

2. Always keep the center of the bush free of growth. This denies insects a place to live, and allows good air circulation to avoid fungus infection.

3. Remove crossing branches to promote stronger growth.

4. Shape your rose bushes as they grow. 5. Always using sharp pruning shears.

5. Always using sharp pruning shears.

6. Clean the shears after each use to remove any disease or fungus spores. Regular Elmer's glue works fine and it is cheap.

Pruning Terms And Techniques

Hard (or "Low") Pruning -- Cut canes back to 3 or 4 buds from the base or the bud unions. This pruning technique works best with new hybrid tea, grandiflora, and floribunda varieties. You should not do hard pruning with established bushes because they may not recycle. Moderate (or Medium) Pruning -- Cut strong stems back to approximately half of their length. Weaker stems may be cut back even more, if needed. This technique works well with established gardens of floribundas, hybrid teas, grandifloras, and tree roses. Light (High or Long) Pruning -- Cut the canes back to around 2/3 of their length. Light pruning is not usually recommended for most bushes, because it tends to produce early blooms and poorly developed flowers. Proper pruning is easy, and it is the key to a happy, healthy rose garden.

Prune your roses -