My bucket is ready for me every time I head out to the garden this time of year. Winter damage can wreak havoc on your roses.

In it are my sharp-as-a-knife Felco pruners and their holster, my adjustable long-handled loppers for cutting through really thick old canes, my gauntlet gloves (to protect my hands and forearms), my kneepads, my small rake and big dustpan (for raking out blown-in leaves between the canes), my pruning saw (for old, gnarly dead crowns), my Elmer’s Glue (to seal the ends of the pruned canes), a spray bottle with isopropyl alcohol (to sterilize my pruners if I have to cut through some diseased stuff), and my Deep Woods Off to keep mosquitoes, flies, and ticks away from me while I’m working.

I always do some stretching before I head out to limber up a little and I do most of my gardening on my knees to save my back. I love pruning time! It’s a good thing, this spring!

The best way I can describe how my gardens looked when I started pruning is to call all of it a HOT MESS!! After a record warm winter and ever since spring arrived, the temperatures and weather in general have been pretty un-springlike. The sunshine is so strong in March and April that the soil begins to warm up despite colder than normal temperatures. Also, there were some lovely warm days in the 70’s and low 80’s when many of the rosebuds on the canes swelled and broke into new growth. Then, out of the blue, the temps dumped into the teens at night and froze those new sprouts into crispy critters. This has happened several times in the last few weeks and it is a real heartbreak for the rose gardener.

Winter Damage protection for roses

If you live in a colder area of the country as I do here in north-central Connecticut, it is essential that you begin your winter protection program at planting time. I do this by digging a hole deep enough in the ground to accommodate burying the bud union, or crown, of the rose 3-4″ below soil level. That way, the crown of the plant, from whence all good things come, is protected at all times of the year. This is where those big, beautiful ‘basal breaks’ originate from. Rosarians love to see basals. These new canes push their way upward like a big piece of asparagus and are always prolific bloomers. They help to rejuvenate the rosebush, especially after an early spring like this one, full of freeze-thaw-freeze-thaw temperatures…ouch for the roses!

Pruning old canes

My gardens were full of nasty, freeze-damaged canes this April. Ugh! Winter damage is the worse. Because all my roses are planted deep, I know that if I need to, I can prune out all those weather ruined canes, all the way down to the ground, if necessary, and the rose will push up healthy new ones.

Even if we don’t have a wicked winter season, every few years I prune hard to rejuvenate the plants. New growth in modern roses is essential for lots of bloom! Don’t be afraid to prune the old canes right out. Prune out any canes that are crossing each other, and try to open up the center of the rosebush. Anything that is gnarly, black, or barky is not going to do your rose any favors! I always tell folks that resurrection only happens in church on Sunday morning. If that old rose cane is dead, prune it out!

How to

When you’re pruning, try to prune to an outward-facing swelled bud. That bud points the direction of the new cane to rise. Pruning to an outward facing bud means that your rose canes will grow away from the center of the plant. This will help with air circulation and keep the canes from crossing over and injuring each other with their sharp prickles. When you are finished, seal over the newly pruned canes with a drop of Elmer’s Glue. It dries clear and prevents borers from drilling down into the canes to lay their eggs.

Pruning is a wonderful thing for our roses. It sends a clear signal to the plants that it is time to grow, and our plants awake full of energy and grow rapidly. It’s a good way to repair winter damage. Be sure to supply water if needed. I know that we have been in a moderate drought here since last July, so I have already begun my watering program. Last night, I dreamed that the roses in the gardens were blooming. In around six weeks or so, I know my dream will come true! Happy Spring!