Rose care requires attention and targeted interventions throughout the year. To obtain abundant flowering and healthy plants, it is essential to know the three key moments of pruning: winter, which represents the main intervention, summer and autumn. Each of these prunings has a specific purpose and must be carried out in the right period to guarantee the plant the best possible development.
Winter pruning is undoubtedly the most important and is carried out in mid-winter, before the plant develops new buds. The ideal period is between the end of January and February, when the roses are still dormant. This is the right time to take care of the “queens” of our garden, preparing them to bloom at their best during the following spring and to enrich the green space with color and the inebriating scent of their petals.
(Read also: Growing roses: the beginner’s guide with the right tips to make the queen of the garden shine)
An important warning for those starting out
If your rose plant is very young, keep in mind a fundamental detail: it is generally recommended not to prune roses for the first two years of life. This initial period is crucial to allow the plants to develop correctly and thicken naturally, creating a robust structure that will accompany them in subsequent years. Only after this initial phase can we proceed with regular pruning.
When to prune roses
Is your rose plant very young? Keep in mind that it is generally recommended not to prune roses for the first two years. This way the plants can develop and thicken. Winter pruning allows you to remove dry branches damaged by the cold, while summer pruning, but also autumn pruning, removes withered flowers to encourage the appearance of new roses and fallen or dry leaves.
Autumn and winter pruning of roses
As regards pruning roses when the plants are at rest, we are talking about autumn and/or winter pruning. Intervention is performed when the plants have completed their flowering cycle. In autumn, dry and fallen leaves and withered flowers are removed. In winter, dry and suffering branches are pruned with clean cuts, made just above the bud.
Summer pruning of roses
Those who wish can carry out a second pruning of the roses during the year. This is summer pruning, which takes place when the plants are still in flower, generally at the end of August or September. The objective is to eliminate the now withered roses to give the plant the opportunity to delight us with a new flowering. However, summer pruning of withered flowers is not mandatory and is recommended especially for rose plants and rose bushes with large flowers.
It is pruned according to the variety
Not all roses should be pruned the same way. In fact, the methods of intervention vary depending on the variety we are growing.
Shrub roses require more decisive pruning: each branch must be shortened, keeping only two or three buds and the cuts must be made above the buds facing towards the outside of the shrub. This allows the plant to develop harmoniously and with an open shape.
Climbing roses, however, follow different rules. For this variety the branches should be left longer, maintaining five or six buds for healthy and robust branches. Naturally, even in this case, the parts of the branches damaged by the cold are eliminated. An important aspect to encourage the optimal development of climbing roses is the use of a trellis that provides the right support to the branches, allowing them to grow in the desired direction and to distribute themselves evenly in the available space.
How to prune roses
The actual pruning of roses is therefore carried out in winter. Pruning methods may vary depending on the variety of roses we need to take care of. In any case, common to the various rose plants is the need to eliminate dry, withered branches or branches that simply create disorder or excessive crowding in the plant.
In this way, the circulation of air and light between the branches of the rose plants is promoted, even in the internal part. Pruning is carried out above the healthy bud present in the selected branch.
The cut must be oblique and in the opposite direction to the gem.
Prune roses in winter
Here is a useful video that allows you to better understand how to proceed with pruning roses at the end of winter, in order to encourage the growth of the greatest number of new branches and spring flowers.
This type of pruning allows you to remove the branches damaged by the winter of shrub roses. You will have to observe your rose plant to eliminate branches compromised by the cold. It would be a good idea to shorten each branch trying to keep only 2 or 3 buds. Try to prune above the buds facing outward from the shrub.
If the roses are climbing, however, the branches will remain longer. For healthy and robust branches, 5 or 6 buds will be kept, while the parts of the damaged branches will still be eliminated. To encourage the development of climbing roses it is necessary to use a trellis to support the branches. In autumn, at the end of the spring and summer flowering, action is taken to eliminate all withered flowers, dry leaves and branches that are too long.
Prune faded roses in summer
New roses only bloom on new branches, which is why it is important to carry out intelligent pruning at the most suitable times of year. At the end of summer you can prune the faded roses. You will have to remove the branches bearing the withered flowers to encourage the development of new flowers. If the branches have grown a lot during spring and summer, you can shorten them with sharp scissors. The cut scar, if it is very large, can be covered with pruning putty.
Here is a video that will help you to better understand how to prune faded roses in summer.
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