It pays to understand the Rose you are going to prune. Shrub roses flower on the previous years wood. Hybrid Tea and Floribunda flower on new wood.
Shrub Roses (Light pruning)
- Some flower only once per season, others are repeat flowering.
- Both types can be congested and prone to disease if not thinned yearly.
- Non-repeat flowerers are best pruned lightly after flowering.
- Repeat flowerers can be pruned when dormant taking out slightly more wood.
- Prune to allow air and light into the shrub.
- Encourage new growth from the base cut back an occasional old stems to ground level.
- Light, tip pruning of side shoots helps keep a compact habit
Hybrid Tea Roses (Hard pruning)
- HT’s are vigorous plants usually producing a single bloom at the end of each shoot.
- To encourage new wood on which they flower, ‘harder the pruning the better the flowering’.
- Shorten stems to about 8″ from the ground
- Remove all weak shoots entirely.
- In warm areas cutting back can be slightly less severe 10-12″
Floribunda Roses (Medium Pruning)
- Floribundas produce flowers in clusters at the end of shoots.
- A treatment between that for shrubs and HTs works best.
- Aim to cut to an outfacing bud 2-3″ above last years cut. Once a stem has 3or4 steps in it then cut into old wood.
- Shorten main stems to 12″ from the ground. Remove weak stems.
Generic Rose Pruning Tips
- The best time to prune is as roses start into growth. From mid February in the UK.
- Aim to keep the centre open.
- Cut out dead and diseased wood then destroy.
- Cut out crossing or rubbing branches.
- Newly planted bare rooted shrubs can be pruned to an outfacing bud 3″ high. This helps start a good framework for future years.
- Deadhead after flowering cutting back to where fresh growth is maturing.
For Climbing and Rambling rose pruning read
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