Time to prune roses: All the tips needed to take care of garden queens in winter

Year-round care of roses requires attention and targeted interventions. To get full blooms and healthy plants, it's essential to know the three key pruning times: winter pruning, which is the most important intervention, as well as summer and fall pruning. Each of these prunings has a specific purpose and must be carried out at the right time in order to ensure that the plant develops to its full potential.

The winter pruning is undoubtedly the most important and is done in the middle of winter, before the plant produces new buds. The ideal period is between the end of January and February, when the roses are still dormant. That's the time to take care of the 'queens' of our garden, so that in the following spring they can bloom richly and fill our green spaces with color and the intoxicating scent of their petals.

An important warning for those just starting out

If your rose bush is still very young, keep one crucial detail in mind: it's generally recommended not to prune roses during their first two years of life. This initial phase is very important as it gives the plants a chance to develop properly, building a solid structure that they can build on in subsequent years. Only after this initial phase can you begin regular pruning.

When to prune roses?

Winter pruning is designed to remove dead and frost-damaged branches, while summer pruning, as well as fall pruning, involves removing dry flowers to encourage new roses to grow and clearing fallen or withered leaves.

Autumn and winter pruning of roses

When it comes to pruning roses during the dormant period, we're talking about autumn and/or winter pruning. You intervene when the plants have completed their flowering cycle. In autumn you remove dried and fallen leaves and dry flowers. In winter, you prune dead and languishing branches with clean, straight cuts, just above a bud.

Summer pruning of roses

During the year, those who want to can do a second pruning. This is the summer pruning, which takes place while the plants are still in bloom, usually in late August or September. The goal is to remove dry roses so that the plant can treat us to another bloom. Summer pruning is not mandatory, but is especially recommended for large-flowered roses and rose bushes.

Pruning according to the species

Not all roses are pruned in the same way. In fact, the method differs depending on the species we grow.

Shrub roses require a somewhat firmer pruning: each branch is shortened so that only two or three buds remain, and the cut is made above buds facing the outside of the bush. This allows the plant to develop harmoniously and attain an open shape.

Climbing roses follow different rules. With this species, you keep the branches longer, and keep five to six buds on healthy and strong branches. As with other pruning seasons, you also remove the parts of the branches damaged by the cold. An important aspect to promote the optimal development of climbing roses is the use of a climbing aid or racks that provides sufficient support, allowing the branches to grow in the desired direction and spread evenly over the available space.

How to prune roses?

The actual pruning of roses is done in winter. The pruning method can vary depending on the type of roses we care for. In all cases, however, it's necessary to remove dead, withered branches, or branches that simply create disorder or excessive density in the plant.

This is how you improve air circulation and light penetration between the branches of the roses, including in the interior of the bush. Pruning is done above a healthy bud on the selected branch.

The cut should be made at an angle and directed away from the bud.

(MP/©GreenMe.It/translation and adaptation: The Global Nature/Illustration: Unsplash)