Rose Pruning Tips

Take the time to cut back your roses and ensure you get a sensational show of flowers that lasts all season.

Ready your secateurs and gloves, January and February are the perfect months to prune your roses. 

Essential to the health of your rose, pruning reduces the risk of disease and encourages new growth. It also gives you an opportunity to influence its overall shape, so you can enjoy an exquisite floral display.

Things to keep in mind

Whether you are pruning a shrub or a climbing rose, some things are consistent with both and are worth keeping in mind:

  • 1. A clean, sharp cut

    Use sharp secateurs and make a clean, slanted cut above a leaf joint to protect the health of your rose.

  • 2. The four Ds

    Remove dead, diseased, dying or damaged stems from their point of origin.

  • 3. Airflow

    Roses need airflow around the stems to prevent disease. Remove crossing stems and thin it out.

Keep in mind: A properly pruned rose will look considerably smaller and bare. This is what you want, so don’t be alarmed.

Pruning shrub roses

The jewel of our beds, borders, containers and much more, the appeal of a sensational shrub rose is hard to beat.

To get the best floral display, when pruning your shrub rose visualise a rounded bowl shape with space in the centre to reduce congestion. Then consider how you want your rose to integrate into your garden display, such as its ultimate height. The amount you cut back depends on the age of your rose, but here is a general rule of thumb to follow:

  • Year 1

    Cut back stems by 30-35cm after the first summer of flowers.

  • Year 2

    Cut back the stems by half.

  • Year 3 and beyond

    For a taller shrub cut it back by a third, to maintain its size cut it back by half and to
    reduce its size, cut it back by two thirds.

Pruning Climbing Roses

For a cascade of captivating blooms, when pruning your climbing rose visualise an open fan shape, with lots of horizontal growth. Encourage growth along the full length of the stem by pruning back the side shoots by half. Then check all stems at the base of your climber and remove any that are old or weak to encourage strong growth.

Here are some points to remember when pruning and training your rose along temporary or fixed structures:

  • Fixed structures

    Add horizontal wire at 2ft internals and use vine eyes for airy growth and easy tying in of your rose. Tie in stems at a 45-degree angle and remove any stems that can’t be tied in.

  • Temporary structures

    For temporary structures such as archways, aim for long slender growth by leaving the main stem to grow. Prune the side shoots by half to encourage repeat flowering.

By following these simple steps, you can enjoy sensational roses that return year after year.

David Austin Eustacia Vye English Shrub Rose David Austin Eustacia Vye English Shrub Rose

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