The differences and precautions in pruning roses in the north and south during winter

Pruning Chinese Roses in the North

In the north, the characteristic of winter is "outdoor ice and snow, indoor warm as spring." As someone living in Zhejiang, I don't long for the beauty of snow and ice in the north, but I do envy the indoor warmth in the north during winter, which you all understand.

Many rose enthusiasts in the north don't know whether they should prune their roses in winter. Some say to prune in winter, while others say to wait until spring.

Personally, I don't think it's necessary to worry too much. Whether pruning in winter or in spring, as long as it's done properly, it's a good approach.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Winter Pruning and Precautions in the North

Because it's particularly cold outside in the north during winter, roses will be in a deep dormancy. In this state, it's completely fine to prune the roses, but you should leave some room for adjustment when pruning.

We know that new branches and leaves of roses are not frost-resistant. So when pruning in winter, be careful not to cut too much, leave some room for adjustment. After all, winter is still long, and no one knows how the temperature will change. So try to保留 more, in case some get frozen, there's still room for compensation.

Differences and Precautions in Pruning Chinese Roses in the North and South During Winter

For extremely cold regions, we also need to insulate the roses in winter. After proper pruning, insulation will be much simpler. You can refer to the introduction in the book "How to Grow Chinese Roses from Scratch" for specific insulation methods.

Since winter pruning may worry about branches getting frozen, is it okay to wait until spring to prune? Of course, it is.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Spring Pruning and Precautions

If you choose to prune in spring, you must grasp the timing. You should prune about half a month before the roses start to sprout. If pruning is delayed, the new buds of the roses will start to sprout, resulting in a significant loss of nutrients, and it will also affect the germination of new buds after pruning, because the remaining buds will be flatter due to the loss of nutrients.

If roses are not pruned in winter, the apical dominance will cause the upper buds on the rose branches to swell earlier, accumulating more nutrients. If not pruned in early spring, there is a high probability that the top of the rose branches will sprout while the lower buds will not.