"Pruning Rose Bushes"

Pruning rose bushes is one of the more contraversial topics of gardening!

Every rose grower will have his or her own method and it's a good idea to chat with local growers and pick their brains a little!

Deadheading roses is a simple process of cutting off dead blooms as you see them. Deadheading encourages new flowers on any flowering plant, especially roses.

General hints for pruning rose bushes:

*Use a sharp pair of pruning shears. Ordinary shears or secateurs can damage the wood.

Gardeners Supply ( US deliveries )have a great range of secateurs and pruning tools...

Pruners at Gardeners Supply US This link will tke you to their homepage. Click on 'Gardening Tools' then 'Pruners'

And in the UK, Crocus have a number of different styles, including left-handed versions!

pruning rose bushes - Crocus UK - Type secateurs into the search box on their homepage.

* Wear sturdy gardening gloves - bionic if possible! Roses can have nasty thorns and should be handled with care to your hands. Read my gardening gloves page for more ideas.

*Cut back all dead wood on your bushes or climbing roses. Remove all brown and withered branches. Cut back to the green wood. Branches over a quarter inch in diameter should be sealed after cutting to prevent bugs eating the wood away.

Ask local growers what product they recommend. Nail varnish is often used to seal rose wood - However, there are very probably toxic chemicals in nail varnish. I wouldn't be happy to try this method, unless I could see it worked well, with no damage elsewhere in the garden.

Non-toxic glues can also be used. Ask your local nursery or garden centre about any new organic products on the market, specially related to pruning rose bushes.

You do not need to seal branches less than one quarter inch in diameter.

Pruning rose bushes can be a work of art!

*Cut back any crossing branches and try to get a vase shape to your rose bushes. This will enable the light to get into the centre of the plant and reduce the risk of mildew etc;

*Depending on the age and size of your rose bushes, try to leave about 6-12 good branches around the centre. For fewer but larger blooms, prune more heavily. Prune lightly if you want lots of smaller flowers.

*Methods for pruning rose bushes differ for each variety. Tea roses flower on only new wood so all branches should be cut back fairly dramatically - to about 6 inches high- every year.

Other varieties will bloom on 2nd year wood, so pruning right back every year will prevent the plant from flowering at all.

*Pruning should be done just as the rose bush starts to bud, but before leaf growth. Early spring is usual.

*When you buy your roses, keep individual pruning instructions until you absolutely can't forget them!

Happy Gardening!

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