When we purchased our house, there was a lovely rose garden in the front yard that we have managed to keep alive and well throughout the last couple of years with minimal care. The main reason they’ve stayed healthy is that we prune them at the end of winter each year. Pruning roses after winter is one of the best things you can do for healthy growth, bigger blooms, and good shape. The exact method depends on the type of rose, but the core principles are the same.
WHEN EXACTLY TO PRUNE ROSES AFTER WINTER
Roses should be pruned in the later winter to early spring. This usually ends up being somewhere between February and April. Ideally, this is when the hardest frosts are over. You can also look for swelling buds on your roses; they will look like small red or green bumps on the stem.
MATERIALS
| MATERIALS NEEDED |
|---|
| Garden Pruning Shears |
| Thick Gloves |
| Loppers (for very thick branches) |
| Disinfectant Wipes |
| Mulch |
| Plant Feed |
TIME COMMITMENT
| ACTIVE TIME: Depends on how many roses, our garden takes about 6 hours |
| TOTAL TIME: Depends on how many roses, our garden takes about 6 hours |
STEP BY STEP
STEP 1 – PRUNE THE ROSES
The first step is to actually prune the roses after winter. Prune one bush fully at a time before moving on to the next. For every branch on the bush, find a bud towards the bottom of the branch (for our bushes, it tends to be about 10-20” from the ground) that is facing in a direction where you want the future growth to go. Usually, that means picking a bud that is facing away from the center of the plant so that you will encourage the bush to grow in a more open shape.
Cut the stem close to the bud, but not so close that you damage any of it. This is usually about ¼” beyond the bud, but there’s no need to be super precise with that measurement. Make sure to angle the cut away from the bud (at about 45 degrees) and not level with the ground. This will help prevent water from settling on the cut end, which will help the roses grow back better.
This is also a good time to help shape your roses. If there are branches that are crossing through the center and growing inward, feel free to remove them entirely, which will help your bush to grow in more of an open, vase shape. Also, remove any diseased-looking branches, super-thin branches, and any leaves that remain after you’ve finished pruning every branch.
Once you have completed a bush, wipe the pruning shears with a disinfectant wipe before moving on to the next bush. This helps prevent any disease from spreading from one plant to the next. Continue all the bushes in the garden have been pruned.
It will feel aggressive, but don’t worry about how much you’re cutting back. Take a look at the before/after photos below of how much we cut off our roses. The roses will grow back beautifully, BECAUSE of the aggressive trim.
STEP 2 – WEED, MULCH, & FEED THE ROSES
The next step to prune roses after winter is to add mulch to the soil. Before you spread the mulch, make sure to fully weed the area where you will be applying it. I like to weed the area around each bush as I’m pruning, but you could also do your weeding at the end.
Once the rosebed is weeded, apply the mulch around the base of each rose bush, keeping it 1-2 inches away from the base of the plant itself. Spread the mulch about 2-3 inches thick. Good mulch options include shredded bark, wood chips, well-rotted compost, and leaf mold. We make it easy on ourselves by purchasing mulch that specifically mentions roses on the bag.
After the mulch has been applied, feed the roses with a granular rose fertilizer. We use Miracle-Gro Shake ‘N Feed Rose & Bloom Plant Food. Sprinkle the feed around the roses, making sure not to get too close to the base of the plant. Then loosely mix the granules into the soil and water thoroughly.
For more outdoor maintenance reading, check out How To Temporarily Manage Hillside Erosion, or How to Rehabilitate a Gravity Chair.