Forsythia? Why the picture of forsythia? This is supposed to be about how to prune roses.

Well, just like the robin is a harbinger of spring, the forsythia in bloom is the harbinger of pruning. When the forsythia is in bloom in your area, it is usually the time to prune your roses.

How to Prune Roses

Pruning can seem like a daunting task, but in no time it will become second nature. So let’s start with the repeat blooming roses. If you have bushes in your yard that have come through the winter, Mother Nature has done some of the pruning for you. There are three steps to take: prune out the dead wood, cut out crossing canes, and then final pruning.

Start with canes that are black and prune them down until the center of the cane is white. Generally this will be where the soil had been mounded around the canes over the winter.

Next, if there are canes that cross one another and are rubbing, cut out one or both. Canes that rub together cause lesions which can provide entry for insects and disease.

The final step is to prune to direct the seasons growth. You want to prune a cane to an outside facing bud. Look closely at the canes. You should see small swellings. These are the buds and the canes that they produce will grow in the direction that the buds are pointing. You want your bush to have a vase shape ant that is the reason to prune to an outside bud. To make the pruning cut, hold the pruning blades at a 45 degree angle about 1/8 inch above the bud with the higher side of the angle on the bud side of the cane.

Other Rose Tips

If you are uncertain about where to prune, do the task in a couple of steps. Prune less off the cane the first time and then come back later and see if you should take more off. Once the buds begin to grow, it may be easier for you to see where to prune.

A good rule of thumb is to have rose canes be at least as large as your little finger. Canes that are smaller tend to not be strong enough to support the blooms. Also any cane that grows from a bud will not be larger than the cane that it came from. I know that sounds confusing, but it means that the canes on the top of the bush are smaller than the ones at the base. So to get good flowers at the top, the canes at the base need to be big.