Pruning Roses
I use the following steps each spring
1. Remove all top growth down to 16" in late February to mid-March on Hybrid Teas.
2. On March 15, or sooner if there is no frost, pull leaves or light mulch away.
3. Watch daffodils and forsythia for first blooms. Use their blooming date as a beginning target date.
4. Pull
all mulch away down to the bud union if you can. 5.
Pruning: a.
Remove all dead canes. b.
Remove all weak and/or small canes. c.
Remove crossing canes. d.
Open up the center of the plant to improve air
circulation by pruning out center canes. e.
Count the number of strong healthy canes that are
left. On a one year old plant I try to leave 3 - 5
strong canes. On an older plant I may leave 8 - 10
strong canes. If you plan to exhibit, prune to fewer
canes so that the strength goes to only a few canes. This produces fewer blooms, however they will be larger. f. On
all of the canes that you have left, prune down to an
outward facing bud on good wood. Good wood means that
the inside of the stem is a creamy white color. After
some hard winters I have had to prune down to the bud
union to find good wood. g.
Seal all cuts with Elmer's Wood Glue. h.
Spray with a fungicide!!!!!! i. If
it is still cold, I pull mulch back over the canes
after the glue and spray have dried. j. I
may fertilize at this time with epsom salts (1/2 cup per plant, 1 tablespoon for miniature roses) and blue
chip (a time-release nitrogen fertilizer)or 1/2 cup per plant of 10-10-10 (1/4 cup for miniature roses). by
John Niemeyer