- Author: Help Desk Team
The answer is YES! And it is easy!
If you prune, your rose flower bushes will
• Be larger
• Have more flowers
• Will be more balanced and fuller
• And the health of your plant improved!
Most roses need to be pruned only once a year. All types of rose bushes benefit from pruning and if roses are not pruned regularly, they deteriorate in appearance and flowers will become smaller.
When to Prune?
Most roses should be pruned when they are dormant. In this area of California, roses are generally dormant between December and February and anytime in that time frame is fine.
Objective
The pruning objective is to work toward an open, airy, well-shaped and balanced V-shape cane structure.
What you will need
• A pair of sharp, clean pruning shears
• A pair of clean long-handled lopping shears
• Thick gauntlet gloves to protect your hands from the thorns
• A small hand saw for larger cuts
• Alcohol and a cloth for cleaning your tools
How to approach the task
These pruning practices pertain to all garden roses regardless of type:
• Use your loppers to cut off the top one third to one half of the plant to better see its structure.
• Clear the area underneath the plant from all leaf and other organic debris to expose the crown/canes and sucker origins.
• Make your pruning cuts with your shears at a 45 degree angle about 1⁄4” above an outward facing bud. The angle should slope away from the bud. A cut made at this point will heal rapidly and water will drain away from the bud.
• Remove all dead, broken or damaged canes down to the crown.
• Undesirable canes have discolored pith or hollow centers indicating disease, insect or weather damage.
• Remove any crossing canes keeping the best looking ones.
• Remove spindly canes (smaller in diameter than the size of a pencil).
• Remove any suckers. These are extra vigorous shoots arising from rootstock below the bud union.
• Suckers should be removed completely, not just clipped off where they emerge from the soil. This can be done by moving the soil away from the trunk until you can see where the sucker is connected to the trunk. Grab ahold of the sucker close to the trunk and pull downward to break it off.
• Choose 3–6 strong, healthy, outside canes per plant to keep and leave 3–5 buds on each cane.
• Remove EVERY leaf from the newly pruned bush as diseases and insects tend to over winter in old leaves.
• Consider applying an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil after pruning and while roses are dormant. Soaps and oils smother overwintering scales and insect eggs and are least harmful to beneficial insects. A good time to apply is when no rain or fog is expected within a day.
• Shape your rose bushes as they grow. Keep the branches balanced and the centers open for airflow.
General pruning techniques for various types of roses
Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora, and Floribundas Roses
• Cut back between one third and one half of the previous year's growth on all the canes you plan to keep (4 to 7 canes). The average pruning height for Floribundas and Hybrid Teas is between 12 and 18 inches, but taller growing Hybrids and most Grandifloras may be left at 2 feet. For most hybrids this means leaving between 5 to 10 buds per cane.
Miniatures Roses
• Miniature roses are 6 to 12 inches high, with tiny blooms and foliage. Miniature roses do not need special pruning. Just cut out dead growth and remove the hips.
Rambler Roses
• Old-fashioned Rambler roses have clusters of flowers, each usually less than 2 inches across. They often produce canes 10 to 15 feet long in one season. Rambler roses produce best on one-year-old wood, so this year's choice blooms will come on last year's growth. Prune immediately after flowering. Remove some of the large old canes. Tie new canes to a support for the next year.
Climbing Roses
• Large-flowering climbing roses have flowers more than 2 inches across, borne on wood that is 2 or more years old. Canes are larger and sturdier than those of Ramblers. Many flower just once in June, but some, called ever-blooming climbers, flower more or less continuously. Often this group is pruned in the autumn, any time before cold weather sets in. First cut out dead and diseased canes. After this, remove 1 or 2 of the oldest canes each season to make room for the new canes. The laterals, or side shoots, are shortened 3 to 6 inches after flowering. If the plant is strong, keep 5 to 8 main canes, which should be tied to the trellis, fence, wall, or other support. If it is not strong, leave fewer canes.
Link for rose pruning video: https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=16947
See this UCIPM site for more information on rose care:
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/rose.html
Help Desk of UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (PDS)
Advice for Home Gardeners from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Client's Request: We live in the south County currently and are moving 10 miles north into the center of the County in April 2020. We currently have tree roses that we planted 4years back and lots of fruits trees that we planted 10 years back. How can we move roses and fruit trees to our new home. Fruit trees that we are mainly looking to move are pluots, plums, pears, grapes, persimmon, pomegranates, apple and a few citrus plants. Would appreciate all your information on if and how to make the move for my favorite plants without giving them a shock.
Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk for information about moving several trees to your new home. Unfortunately, you can't move trees without causing them stress and while it is possible to successfully move a plant from one location to another, moving established fruit trees like yours, is very difficult and usually not advised. Unless the tree is uniquely special, buying new trees for the new location makes a lot more sense.
Here's a link to an article by Clemson University Cooperative Extension giving detailed instructions about moving established trees. I think you will find it helpful if you decide to try to move your trees despite the difficulty. They recommend pruning the tree roots in the fall and then moving the tree before bud break next year. The most important thing is to get as much of the root ball as possible and go at least a foot deep. The new hole should be 50 percent wider than the root ball and about the same depth. You do not need to amend the soil.
Moving the rose trees will probably be much easier as they are quite resilient and it may be possible to move them at any time if done correctly. Here's another link to an article called "Myths About Transplanting Roses" which won an award from the Northern California, Nevada and Hawaii Rose Society. You may find this helpful since it gives good instructions on how to transplant a rose during the growing season. In short, they advise to give the rose as much water as possible the day before transplanting, get as much of the root ball as possible and minimize the time out of the ground.
Good luck and please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (TDT)
Note: Contra Costa MG's Help Desk is available almost year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays (e.g., last 2 weeks December), we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 2380 Bisso Lane, Concord, CA 94520. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 608-6683, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/. MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ignore.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog
MGCC Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County. Based on the photo you provided, it is likely that your rose are infected by Powdery mildew (Podosphaera pannosa). This fairly common fungi produces mycelia and spores on leaves and shoots, and sometimes on flowers. It looks like a gray (older infections) or white (newer infections) powder on both sides of the leaves, differentiating from Downy mildew, which tends to appear only on the underside of the leaves.
Powdery mildews spread with windblown spores. They do not need water to germinate and die when wet for an extended period. They like moderate daytime temperatures (60-80 degrees F), cold nights and shady and low light conditions. UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) recommends a number of measures to control infestations but once a plant has extensive infections it is usually too late to control and prevent damage to the plant. It is hard to determine from the photo how badly infected your rose is, but the following recommended measures may be helpful in managing it.
- Prune during the dormant season to increase air circulation and light penetration. Trim or remove adjacent plants to avoid crowding.
- Remove infected plant parts to reduce spore production. This should be done when the plant is wet and the spores can't generate.
- Irrigate using an overhead sprinkler in the morning when the spores would otherwise be released.
- Some infections may require fungicides, these usually only prevent new infections and may need to be applied repeatedly when conditions favor disease development. Use less toxic pesticide products wherever possible and carefully follow instructions on proper use, storage and disposal to reduce adverse impacts to other species and the environment. Mild to moderate infections can be treated with horticultural oil or plant-based oils, such as neem oil. Do not apply in bright sunshine or when outside temperatures are 90 degrees or more as it may burn or otherwise damage the plant and some beneficial insects. Also, read instructions carefully on preventing harm to bees.
- Disease prevention can also be effective with the application of sulfur products, especially ready-to-use soap like surfactants. These are not effective once the disease has appeared.
If your plant is substantially infected, consider removing it and growing a more resistant cultivar and species. Some examples are Meidiland shrub roses, Rosa rugosa, glossy-leafed hybrid teas, grandifloras, that are trademarked as Care-free, Knock Out, and Home Run. Plant in a sunny location and provide ample adjacent open space for air circulation.
For additional information please see this link to UCANR Integrated Pest Management Program Pest Notes: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7463.html
We hope this information is useful. Feel free to contact us again if you have any further questions.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (NHP)
Note: UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available almost year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays (e.g., last 2 weeks December), we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 2380 Bisso Lane, Concord, CA 94520. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 608-6683, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/. MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Biog.
Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Gardener's Help Desk Request: What should I use to seal rose canes after pruning? Is a dot of Elmer's Glue OK, or is something else more effective?
There is no need to seal the pruning cuts of your roses with Elmer's Glue, or any other product. Rose canes will seal themselves, especially if pruned during their dormant season, roughly mid-December to mid-February at a 45 degree angle. If you have added any sealant, you would be better off re-pruning those canes.
Here is a link to a UC Master Gardener guide to rose pruning, including a chart about “Rose Care by the Month”, that you might find helpful. http://ucanr.edu/sites/mgslo/files/272360.pdf
Please do not hesitate to contact us again if you have more questions. And here's to a great rose year in Contra Costa County.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (JJM)
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Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, although we will be moving this spring. We will notify you if/when that occurs. We can also be reached via telephone: (925)646-6586,
Home Gardening Advice from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Client's Request: I have several roses in my garden that seem to bloom forever and well into late Fall/Winter. I'm confused on when to prune them compared to others that stopped blooming a month ago or so and are already going dormant. Would you provide me some guidance on when to prune these late blooming roses?
MGCC' Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the UC master Gardener Program Help Desk with your questions about pruning your roses that are acting like it is springtime in November!
As we discussed earlier today on the phone, in our mild climate, it is not unusual for some roses to bloom well into November and even December, so you should not prune those roses until later in winter. UC's article on rose care says that in most of California, pruning should be done in winter before buds swell, although it may be delayed where late spring frosts are common. So, as discussed, enjoy your roses until they go dormant within the next couple of months and then prune!
Here is the link to the full UC article on rose care:
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7465.html
Also, Sunset magazine says that repeat-blooming roses are usually pruned just before dormancy ends in late winter or early spring. Roses that bloom only once a season are traditionally pruned just after the bloom period ends; strong new growth produced after bloom will bear flowers the following spring.
If you have additional questions, please let us know!
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SLH)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/).
