If you look at the calendar, Spring begins on March 20 but
lovers of roses, spring comes when that yellow-flowered shrub called Forsythia
starts to bloom. Then our season begins. But before we enjoy the fragrance and color of the rose garden, there's much work ahead with cleanup and pruning. Some rosarians start early
which is not such a bad idea especially if you have plenty of roses to
prune. You can always cut more later but you have a head
start. Pruning our roses is a rite of spring for us.
We prune our roses for several reasons – to keep our roses
healthy, to control its excessive growth and to shape your bush for a better
display.
Before we rush out there in the garden, make sure you have
all the right equipments. A good pair of bypass pruner preferably Felco.
No 2 is recommended. Keep your pruner very sharp. A sharp pruner is less
taxing to your hand and creates less bruising on your roses. For cutting
larger canes, a lopper is a better choice. Their longer handles make it
easier to cut through thicker canes. You should also have a pruning saw
for those extra thick canes.
Also, of utmost importance is to wear gloves. A good
leather glove is a must to protect yourself from too many scratches. Long
sleeved shirts or jackets will protect your arms and wrists. Hat is also
important to protect your face from the sun and to protect your head if you are
balding. My favorite is a pith helmet. Make sure your tetanus
booster shot is up to date.
Your first agenda is to cut the dead, diseased and damaged
canes. Cut until you see the white or cream colored pith. If necessary,
you can go down to almost near the bud union. Roses will bloom on a dark
colored pith but once the weather warms, the canes die back or become
unproductive. Don’t go crazy looking for white pith on “Peace”
rose. It does not have white pith. After getting rid of the dead
and diseased canes, begin cutting the longer canes first and get them out of
your way. Pay close attention to what you are doing. Work from the
outside in. Remember that you are surrounded with thorns so be very
careful.
Cut
above the leaf with five leaflets to about ¼ inch from the bud. If
longer, the cane can die back and if shorter, new growth might break off in the
wind. Cut to an outward facing bud so a new growth will face outward
too. With few exception, like roses that tend to grow sideways, cut in
the direction you want the branch to grow. Roses like The McCartney
Rose, First Prize and Just Joey tend to sprawl so prune them
to an inside facing bud. Always remember to aim at an open
space in the bush. Make the cut on a slant so water drain off. Seal
with Elmer’s glue to prevent the cane borer from burrowing into the newly cut
canes.
You
also want to open the center of the bush for good air circulation to ward off
diseases. Cut long and straggly canes and canes that are crossing or
touching each other leaving the stronger canes. I usually cut to about a
foot high except for the shrub types which can go from 18 inches to 24 inches
tall. Leave three or four good healthy canes. If only one cane is
available, cut it lower to encourage new growth from the bud union.
On Hybrid Teas, Grandiflora, and some Floribundas, remove
stems smaller than a pencil because they will not produce good blooms for
cutting. For exhibitors, cutting back to 6 to 12 inches length will
produce stronger canes and good quality blooms. Miniature roses are
pruned the same way as Hybrid Teas. If you find this too tedious, you can
go drastic and use a hedge pruner and prune to 5” high. Mother Nature is
very forgiving and usually corrects our mistakes so don’t worry too much.
Climbers and ramblers bloom from the 2-year old canes so cut the dead wood only
and trim to desired shape. Old Garden Roses also bloom from the second
year wood so cut only the dead wood in spring and prune drastically after
flowering to promote growth and improve its shape.
Remove all blind shoots. These are branches that
taper down to almost nothing. Remove spurs. These are short growths
only a few inches long that have hardened off and taper down to a point.
They will not flower.
Prune to desired height you want for your rose. Some
rosarians want their roses tall. I want my roses short and compact
looking. I can also look down at them instead of stretching my neck to
appreciate their beauty. After you are done pruning, remove every
leaf. These old leaves are the reservoir for black spot and mildew.
You might also want to start your spraying program with dormant oil to take
care of the overwintering insects. Also, spread a cupful of Epsom salt
around each bush for better growth. Then you can relax a little bit while
waiting for the new growth to arrive.
