Easy Guide to Rose Pruning

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Basics:

• Remove dead wood to healthy tissue, or cut off at the graft union if completely dead.
• Prune out weak and diseased wood.
• Cut out 'twiggy' growth (less than a pencil width, spindly twigs).
• Cut lateral stems growing in wards.
• Disinfect your shears before you start, and disinfect again before moving on to the next bush.

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Image from lowes.com

Other Tips:

• Look closely at where you make your cut. It should be above a healthy lateral bud (eye) that is facing the direction it will grow come spring.
• Cuts should be at an angle, about 1/4" above the swelling bud.
• In mild climates, one may choose either:
  
• Severe pruning (cut to leave 3-4 canes, 6 to 10 inches high) = Produces fewer but bigger blooms.
  
• Moderate pruning (fuller bush), which is leaving 5-12 canes, cut to 18 to 24 inches. 
  
• Light pruning (less than one-third of the plant is thinned out) increases the number of short-stemmed flowers that will be produced.

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