It's almost time for late-winter rose pruning

Mid-February is approaching quickly, which means it's becoming time for late-winter rose bush pruning. Late-winter pruning resets the plant's biological clock – a wakeup call to begin a new life cycle. Gardeners can expect a flush of blooms 8- to 12-weeks later, depending on temperatures.

The procedures listed below mostly apply to hybrid teas and floribundas; they are reasonably serviceable for minis. They are not really applicable to climbers, ground cover roses, trailers, or shrub roses-all those types have their own pruning methods.

Get the tools ready:

• Range of pruner sizes (Each size has a limit to the diameter thickness for which it is most efficiently used. Also, using too small a pruner on too large a cane can damage both
• At minimum: Pair of loppers and a standard-size pair of hand pruners—bypass pruners, not anvil. (Take a look at your pruners and notice that they have a sharp cutting blade (which slices through the cane), and a dull curved non-cutting blade (which holds the cane in place during the cut). These are called bypass pruners, only type recommended. )
• Clean, sharp, and in good working order
• Clean cutting surfaces with rubbing alcohol – before/during/after (highest concentration available - usually 70 percent) Helps prevent transmission of diseases from plant to plant, leaves no water residue, therefore no rust; and it can be used as first aid for punctures and scratches to one's skin.)
• Lubricate all moving parts with a little light oil (e.g., 3-in-1 or even WD-40) to make sure they operate without resistance.
• Sharpen blade with a small diamond file (available at garden centers). As much as possible, match the original bevel of the blade. Every 100 cuts or so, swipe the file over the blade a few times to keep it sharp. Also sharpen if pruners are crushing the stems or leaving a tail.

Make a plan

Which style of pruning is appealing for your plants?

There are not arbitrary levels of pruning. Base it on how many outward-facing buds you want to leave on each cane.

• Buds are found in the "axil" where a leaf meets the cane
• Leaves spiral around the cane at about 1.5" intervals.
• Therefore, outward-facing buds are usually about 4-inches apart.
• Light to moderate pruning will leave buds to prune down to if frost damages the new growth

Cut it down to size

• Use loppers to cut the bush down to about 3-feet high, without regard to the location of the highest bud
• Examine the structure of the bush
• Use hand pruners to remove canes that are twiggy, dead, crossing other canes, or passing through the center of the plant.
• Remove old leaves as you go along so you can see the structure of the plant.

Fine tune the prune

Try to leave a domed top so the plant will bush out in a pleasing, balanced manner.

• Make two kinds of cuts: Remove entire branches and shorten canes.
• To remove an entire branch, cut flush with the surface of the parent cane.

• Position your pruners so the non-cutting blade is in contact with the portion of the cane that will be removed, and the cutting blade is on the side of the cut that will remain on the plant. (See graphic above) This will make more sense when you are actually holding the pruners and getting ready to cut!
• Always prune above an outward facing bud with an angled cut. (See graphic below)

• Caution: Be careful to not disturb hummingbird nests or praying mantis egg cases! Keep them in place so they can hatch and reward you for your kindness!

Clean up the mess

1. Do not compost rose waste - send it out in your green waste bin.
2. Clean the ground thoroughly of all rose debris.
3. Apply a dormant spray to the plants and the soil surface to ward off diseases.
4. Add 2 to 4 inches of composted mulch to cover the entire garden area no closer than 6” to stem.

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