Pruning is essential for the overall health, vitality and appearance of roses. Winter is the best time to cut back most varieties, except rambling roses and more old-fashioned varieties, which are pruned in summer immediately after flowering.
The best time to prune most roses is in late winter or early spring, around the time new growth begins.
According to our friends over at Garden News, depending on the weather, March is a good time to cut back your roses - the key is that you want the worst of the frost behind you.
Roses are responsive to renewal pruning, cutting away old wood.
A healthy rosebush is full of young stems so there’s no need for old, grey, gnarled stems.
Use sharp secateurs and loppers or a pruning saw for the thick, old stems.
Then prune to open up the centre and get rid of thin, damaged and dead stems.
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These rose pruning gloves are thorn and scratch resistant, perfect for protecting yourself when dealing with a particularly wild rosebush. Available in XS to XL.
With a name like Kew behind them, you can't go far wrong with these secateurs. Developed in conjunction with Kew's horticultural team, this officially licensed tool is used and recommended by Kew gardens. Both secateurs have a choice of two cutting widths with the smaller setting ideal for those with smaller hands. The Bypass secateurs use a scissor like cutting action best suited to living stems, whereas the Anvil secateurs are ideal for use on thicker/dead material.
A pruning saw is ideal for cutting living green branches - this blade can manage up to 90mm in diameter. The blade folds into the handle for safe storage and locks in both the open and closed position.
Designed in a beautifully stylish, flowered fabric with a clear nitrile coating on the palms for extra grip, leverage and protection, these multi-task gloves are perfect for tasks around both the garden and home. The set includes lightweight and durable bypass secateurs and trimmer pruners with SK-5 Japanese steel blades, soft touch grip handles and safety catch. They're a lovely set to gift to a gardening-lover, or as a treat to yourself!
How to trim rose bushes
- Dead ends of shoots will die back into healthy growth so remove them back to a healthy bud.
- Cut out any thin shoots, which won’t produce flowers, back to the base, especially in the centre of the bush.
- Cut back the main shoots with a sloping cut, just above a bud. These should face away from the centre of the bush.
- Cut back strong shoots to three or four buds. Reduce weak shoots to one or two buds to ensure strong regrowth.