Plant Lady: For thriving rose plants, follow these tips to prune during dormant season

While growing up, I was a bit nervous about roses. I had heard all the “rules” required to grow them and felt it was a daunting task.

Skip ahead many years and at one point I had over 80 roses growing on my property. Turns out roses are quite easy to grow, especially in USDA Zone 9 (the greater Sacramento area). They love heat, handle frost, tolerate alkaline (high pH) soils, and even deal with poor drainage — though that’s not ideal.

January through February is a crucial period for rose care. It is annual rose pruning time. The following are my do’s and don’ts on pruning roses.

First, the goal of pruning is to revitalize the rose by directing energy into the future blooms. The key is pruning to allow light and air into the center. Removing spindly or old canes (stems) directs energy into younger, more robust ones.

Timing

▪ In the target period of January to February, not all the leaves will be gone on your roses, and in fact you may have a few blooms left. Prune anyway.

▪ Prune when a few days of dry weather is predicted. This prevents standing water on fresh cuts, decreasing the chance of fungal and bacterial diseases.

Equipment

▪ Use a sharp pair of loppers (long-handled pruners) and/or hand pruners.

▪ I also recommend a pair of rose pruning gloves. These leather gloves go up the elbows, saving your skin when you have to reach into the center of a rose.

Process

▪ In order to prevent transmission of disease and bacteria, dip your shears into a 10% bleach solution when moving from plant to plant.

▪ Many roses are grafted onto a different root system which can lead to suckers from the rootstock. If you see any canes coming directly from the soil or below the graft line, cut these off.

▪ First remove dead canes. These usually have a black coloring and are often shriveled. If you scrape them lightly they will be brown.

▪ Always prune to an outward facing bud, which will direct growth outwards.

▪ Make cuts at a 45 degree angle, ensuring water will run off.

▪ Remove dead leaves or debris away from the plant. Wet organic matter can harbor fungal or pest issues.

Pruning is generally the same for most rose types, but there are a few variations. Below are some of the key variabilities and how to treat them.

Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, Shrub Roses, Grandifloras

These are repeat blooming roses, meaning they will bloom all summer long. Note: Their first blooms in April/May will be the most abundant. Chances are your roses fall into one of these categories. These need to be pruned in winter (January or February).

Remove any spindly canes (anything narrower than a pencil). Next, you need to decide which large canes to keep. The goal is to have anywhere from three to seven main canes with even spacing. Cut the canes down to prevent your roses from being too tall next year. Remove one-third to two-thirds of the height. Leave at least three dormant buds along each cane.

Once Blooming, Old English Roses

As the name suggests, these roses bloom once in spring and then stop. They are not as common in gardens for this reason. Pruning follows the same general guidelines as the Hybrid Teas , but the timing is different. Old English roses bloom on older wood and therefore need to be pruned after they finish blooming in spring (April to June).

Ramblers

Ramblers are very large, climbing, sprawling roses. The most common in Zone 9 is the Lady Banks’ rose. They are ideal for creating a screen or covering an unsightly fence, and are almost always one time spring bloomers. It is only necessary to prune these roses every few years to revitalize them. From a seasonality perspective, it is best to prune in winter (January or February). You will be sacrificing most of that year’s blooms, but this will give the plant the entire season to grow back. Unlike Hybrid Teas, Ramblers have a less contained, sprawling form, and you will likely have more than seven major canes remaining after pruning.

Climbers

These are similar to Ramblers, but on a generally smaller scale. Their pruning interval is the same — they need to be pruned to remove dead material and revitalize every few years in late winter (January or February). When trimming, keep in mind the structure you are trying to attain, as these are often grown along a trellis or arbor. Keep the major scaffolding canes, removing the spindly and dead stems. Note: Some climbers are spring blooming only and should be pruned directly after flowering (April to June).

Groundcover Roses

These roses are found growing in parking lot medians, and are ideal as a groundcover with little care. Yearly pruning is not necessary. Every few years in late winter (January to February) these plants should be pruned to thin out and to remove dead canes.

The takeaway is do not be afraid to prune your roses. You can’t kill it by pruning. What you will do though, is reap the benefits of energy allocation to blooms and the rose structure you desire in the future season.