Purdue
University
Consumer Horticulture
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
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Purdue
University
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Released 5 April 2001
by B. Rosie Lerner, Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist
Now's the time to prepare your garden roses for the coming growing
season. Winter mulch and foam covers should be removed as soon as new
growth becomes apparent. Since a late freeze is still possible, it's
a good idea to keep the winter mulch nearby for quick protection.
The next step is to prune roses to remove any dead, diseased or otherwise damaged canes and to control the quantity and quality of flowers produced. Cut back badly damaged or dead canes down to the base of the plant. Completely remove any suckers or shoots that arise from the rootstock. Slightly damaged canes only need to be cut back to healthy tissue. Be sure to cut back to an outward-facing bud so that new growth will occur toward the outside of the plant. This will ensure good air circulation around the plant, which helps prevent disease infection.
To prevent overcrowding inside bush-type roses, aim to have 4-8 strong canes cut to a uniform height, which spread out away from the center of the plant in the shape of a V.
Climbing roses are pruned differently, depending on what type of climbers they are. Ever-blooming climbers that bloom throughout the growing season should need little pruning the first few years. As with all roses, remove any dead or weak wood. Thereafter, remove the oldest, longer canes that have become unproductive. Younger canes (2-3 years old) produce the most flowers and should be cut back to two-to-three healthy buds.
Climbers that bloom only once should be pruned immediately after blooms fade, since buds form on the previous year's growth. As with raspberries, canes that bear flowers this year should be completely removed to allow space for the new canes to develop and produce buds for next year's season.
Shrub roses rarely need to be shaped, and heavy pruning may destroy their natural beauty. Pruning of shrub roses should be limited to removal of dead or damaged wood and thinning of excessive growth.
Last updated: 6 April 2006
For questions concerning this page, send a message to homehort@purdue.edu.
The URL for this page is http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/springpruning.html