When to prune roses
Compared to the common knowledge of roses among most people, the question of when to prune roses is addressed by our editor in the following article.
Roses are not just "medicine jars" and require frequent pruning. When is the best time to prune roses? In fact, roses can be pruned at most times, the difference lies only in the degree and purpose of pruning.
Let's start with the heavy pruning in winter. When winter comes and the roses shed their leaves (or after the frost, when the rose leaves turn red), you can start pruning. Shrub roses usually undergo heavy pruning, cutting to 1/3 of the plant's height. This will result in more new branches and more flowers in the following spring (refer to the figure below).
So when should roses be pruned during the growing season?
Generally, we can choose to prune from the end of August to the beginning of September. However, pruning at this time is different from that in winter. Winter pruning is to ensure better flowering the following year, while pruning during the growing season is to make the autumn flowers better. It's suitable to lightly prune the flowering branches at this time, usually at 2/3 of the tree's height, retaining as many leaves as possible because leaves are the factories of photosynthesis (refer to the figure above).
Besides the two mentioned times, there are other occasions during the cultivation of roses when appropriate pruning can be done, such as pruning blind branches in roses. This should be done as soon as they are noticed, the earlier the better.
Pruning can also be done during the blooming period of roses. This usually involves thinning out too many buds, as too many buds can lead to a dispersion of nutrients, resulting in poor flowering.
After flowering, it is also necessary to prune promptly. Gardeners usually cut off the spent flowers. What gardeners need to understand is that when pruning spent flowers, all branches below the first set of 5 small leaves under the flower should be cut off (as shown in the figure below).
By now, gardeners should have a general understanding of when to prune roses. Roses require frequent pruning, especially potted roses, because they have less space and relatively fewer nutrients. Pruning can improve the shape and flowering of our roses, and we should not be greedy for plant height.
This article shares a specific introduction on when to prune roses (with pictures), hoping to bring some floral knowledge to flower enthusiasts.