How to prune rose trees: follow these tips for proper pruning

The rose is the queen of flowers and undoubtedly every lover of floral beauty has at least one species in their garden. To fully enjoy the enchanting beauty of this plant, you need to know its preferences and properly apply the necessary care. One of the most important points in the cultivation of roses is their pruning. You can find out how to prune rose trees in this article.

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Why you have to cut rose trees

Pruning is an important step for most shrubs because it is the key to the flowers' splendor. The main purpose of pruning is to form a beautiful, round crown. In this case, spring pruning of the crown is carried out depending on the belonging of the variety to one or another garden group. Do not cut the shoots of rose trees too short (as is possible with shrub roses) - leave more than 5-6 buds.

Pruning allows the rose to concentrate on forming flower buds and therefore profuse flowering, rather than developing and lengthening the stems. In addition, removing old and wilted shoots helps improve air circulation within the plant itself and protects it from the development of diseases. Pruning rejuvenates and strengthens the plant.

Severe pruning (leaving only 2-4 buds) favors the formation of too strong shoots that disrupt the shape of the crown.

Also read:Propagating roses with a plastic bottle and cuttings: When the trick is useful and how to proceed

What tools do you need for pruning?

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The cut is made with sharp secateurs 0.5 cm above a well-developed bud. The cut should be even. Thick shoots are cut out with pruning shears or a saw. All cuts over 1 cm should be coated with garden varnish.

Pre-cut the crown according to the variety's belonging to the garden group, completely removing all unripe shoots.

When should you prune rose trees?

Rose bushes are best pruned at the end of winter, in February or March, when they are still dormant. Avoid cutting roses in winter when there are low temperatures and snow. Periods of frost that could hinder the proper development of your rose bush.

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A rose bush can grow up to 1.5 meters high and annual pruning is not absolutely necessary. But if you want to achieve a good shape for your roses, then you need to prune your plants regularly.

  • It is important to select the trunks to be pruned, the right time to cut and the length of the scaffold branches. Keep the strongest branches. This way your rose tree will thrive and produce magnificent flowers.
  • Cut or tear off any runners that appear below the top grafting point as soon as you see them. As shoots emerge from the ground, cut or pull out each shoot at the base.
  • It is important that there are no crossed and thickened branches in the middle of the bush. The exact spot to cut is a few millimeters (about 6mm) from the leaf node at a 45 degree angle - that is, the trunk is cut above where the new branches will grow, making the cut at an angle ( diagonal) and not horizontally.
  • Always cut back damaged branches to a healthy point. Older shoots should also be removed.

Also read:When to cut roses that bloom more often? Recognize the right time and use the best technique