The rose bushes have a large number of varieties, which can range from shrubs in the garden or pot to the form of hedges or of the climbing type. Its flowers, roses, are one of the most appreciated in gardening around the world, and especially in western countries they are attributed a great romantic or other sense, depending on their color.
However, for a rose bush to be healthy, maintain the desired shape and give a good amount of flowers, we must prune it regularly. If you want to know how to prune rose bushes , join us in this article.
When to prune rose bushes – the best time
Usually, the best time to prune the rose bush is in the month of March , once the frosts have ended . However, all areas do not have the same climates, and in some places late frosts are common. In that case, it is best to delay pruning until you are sure there will be no more frost.
This must be done this way because the new shoots, which grow rapidly stimulated by pruning, do not have the strength to withstand a frost and, if we can too soon, the whole function of stimulating the growth of pruning is spoiled. In addition to the annual pruning, with the rose bushes it is necessary to maintain individual attention throughout the year, always removing the roses that dry as they do so.
How to prune rose bushes step by step
In pruning, you should always make clean cuts, diagonally and above shoots that are oriented outwards, so that the rose bush does not grow towards itself, which would be problematic over time. Next, we are going to see how to prune the rose bushes according to where they are planted or their type:
How to prune rose bushes planted in the ground
When pruning rose bushes planted in a field, if they are of the shrub type, hardly any additional measures are necessary. Rose bushes of this type simply need to be cleaned from dry or bad branches, so you only need to focus on pruning only what is not in good condition.
How to prune potted rose bushes
If you are going to prune potted rose bushes, follow these steps:
- Eliminate dead or weak shoots as with bush-type rose bushes.
- Prune the other shoots as well, leaving 4-7 buds.
- You can choose two or three main shoots and leave them somewhat longer.
It may seem like a bit aggressive pruning, but it will help keep your rose bush strong and young.
How to prune climbing roses
Pruning climbing roses is also easy:
- Focus first on removing any sprouts that are unhealthy or seem too weak.
- Once this is done, leave space between the different shoots so that the new ones can grow, and prune any shoots that are more than 5 years old at the base.
- Keep in mind that if your climbing rose is a variety with several blooms, the usual thing is to leave the pruning for the summer.
In addition, as a tip to improve pruning, in all types of rose bushes make sure to always eliminate suckers, which rob a large amount of vitality from the plant.
How to prune old rose bushes
Old rose bushes need particularly careful pruning, especially if we want the plant to stay young and with abundant flowering. Therefore, it will be necessary to practice a fairly severe pruning , which leaves the plant with a height of no more than 30 cm or 40 cm , and applying all the aforementioned measures.
It is especially important that the cuts are clean and made with a very sharp tool, as well as that they are diagonal, so that irrigation water or rain does not accumulate on the cut section, which could end up promoting the formation of fungi.
Take advantage of this severe pruning to reorganize the base structure of the plant if it had branches too close together that could disturb each other and, also, make sure to apply organic fertilizer during the months after pruning to give the plant nutrients that help it grow in new with the necessary force. Vermicompost is always a very good option.
