You can’t have a garden without a few roses too enjoy. Over the years roses have come and gone in my Ohio garden. I have learned so much other the years. In this post I am sharing how I prune my roses during the Spring Season.
Pruning Roses Tips
It is important to watch the weather before pruning. Years ago I lost one of my favorite rose shrub because I pruned it in early Spring (mid-Febuary) because I thought it was such a nice day. I will never forget how heartbroken I was when I found the green turned to brown and it never came back when Spring arrived. Today I wait until mid-Spring or at least 4 weeks before our last frost date in Ohio. The photo below is a rose shrub after a really hard winter in 2015. Most of mine and hydrangeas died all the way back to the ground that year.
You can find your last frost date on the USDA website.
From My Personal Notes
Here are some drawing from my sketchbook that illustrates how to prune the roses. The drawing on the right shows to cut at an angle above the new growth.
Be sure to wear long sleeves or be prepared to BLEED!
In the photo above you can see the new growth located at the bottom of the plant. You will need sharp pruners to get all the way down there to prune. Do not be afraid to take off too much – that is impossible!
I share more about roses on my website!
Let’s Connect
The next time you are at a garden center I hope you will check out the rose isle. You will be surprised to see all the new and improved roses available to home gardeners today. Be sure to connect with me by commenting on this post. I would love to hear about your experience. Tips and tricks about growing roses are welcome so reach out today.
Happy Spring Gardening,
4 Responses
Bren, thanks for such a great tutorial! I love the illustration, but I really appreciated the info on rose timing. I’m new growing roses and when to prune has been a mystery….especially because spring comes at such a different time each year. Thanks for the GREAT tips!
Thanks for stopping by Beth – I kind of learned the hard way when it comes to roses. I pruned a few that I had in my garden when I first moved out to the country. It took me a few years until I realized ‘darn it – I pruned that rose in early February…. could be why I lost it back in 2005!’ In the photo below I had a cute little rose I had first added to this new landscape and I’m very sure it was early pruning that did it in!
Beautiful Roses and great article!
Thank you Maggie – Can’t wait to share them as they bloom this late spring into summer.