When to prune roses

Worth the work I feel. I wouldn't take anything less the very greatest care when pruning my roses, with both the timing and technique.

 

Gosh, what on earth have I started here? I'm really sorry everyone!

I have 'pruned' some of the roses as they were trailing face down all over the ground and I felt sorry for them! (perhaps poor choice of word as they are not trailing roses). I have filled up a wide vase and they are looking lovely on the kitchen table. Sorry, I don't know how to connect photos etc so I can't show them to you, but they do look nice and I couldn't have left them all over the driveway.

 

Can I jump in with a rose pruning question please?

My largest cluster flowered climber is doing rather well, however there are a number of short straggly and weedy branches (from last year) under the main flowering canopy which are entirely blind- no foliage, no buds, no flowers.

Its likely that any leaves have dropped because of black spot. Im tempted to prune these out,or should I leave them to see if the leaf nodes develop?

What do you think WOO?

 

Oh for sure, they are all still green. Its just they are stunted, gnarled and unproductive. I doubt they could ever support a bloom.

Ive continually swept away piles of leaves since the spring. Every time there is a flush of lush new growth, within a fortnight black spot strikes. The big winds a the beginning of last month dislodged a lot of leaves too.

Photos:

 

Hi Melinda,

That sort of growth looks like a result of no pruning to me, they are thin and spindly branches instead of thick strong stems and shoots full of flowers or buds ready to flower.

They also don't need those cable ties at all if they are pruned correctly-I presume they are being used in order to make it appear thick and bushy.

It needs a firm, brave pruning next early Spring I think with the main stems being brought down to just under knee height.

It is difficult to see clearly but I think you may have a bit of blackspot on it too-as I say though, it is difficult to see the leaves.

 

Morning lollipop! :D

I can definitely confirm the black spot!
This rose is growing along a side return, and has to be tied in to keep the space passable.

I never have the courage to prune as hard as I should on my climbers :( I feel cruel- my hybrid teas generally get much tougher treatment.

Plus Ive been working away in Sri Lanka for much of the past couple of years since university, I always manage to get back in time to miss pruning season.

 

Hi again Melinda,

It took me a while to develop my hard as nails attitude to roses but after I pruned one back hard it responded so well to it that I just went secateur mad the spring afterwards :D

As far as tying it away from a walkway-I can agree with you there-my seagull rose is definitely trying to kill me and needs tying in continuously.

 

A rose pruning question please.

Alexa tells me to prune late Winter to early Spring - any earlier and any new growth could be caught by frost.

My last garden waste collection is this Monday - so I'd like to prune the roses before then to fill up the garden waste bin.

Question is - why does it matter if new growth is damaged by frost - does this in some way inhibit next years growth? Won't the rose simply replace this damaged growth come the Spring?

 

I've never noticed rose growth get damaged by frost, unless the frost is very late say in April.
But then I only have one rose bush.

I think the rose pruning advise is another example of "once said always repeated", for the next 50 yrs.

 

The answer to your dilemma, I think, is to cut back your rose bushes before this weekend, and use the space in the green bin. But only cut them back, say 15", above the ground. They may show new buds if winter is kind, but you can then select the outward facing bud that's, say, 6" above ground and prune back in February. This will leave you with only short prunings to store until green bin season returns; or smuggle them into the general grey bin when nobody is looking!