Gardening : Roses : How to Prune Roses : Home & = Garden Television

Figure A=20

Figure B=20

Figure C=20

Figure D=20

Figure E=20

Figure F=20

Figure G=20

Figure H=20 =

Before the beautiful, scented = flowers of=20 a rose bush appear in spring, there is a dormant = shrub=20 needing some tender loving care. Yet many = gardeners are=20 anxious about the process of pruning their = roses, afraid=20 they'll prune too much and kill the plant.

However, roses are actually one of the most = forgiving=20 plants when it comes to pruning, advises master = rosarian=20 Michael Cevola. So don't be afraid to cut away. = Here's=20 his methodical approach to rose=20 pruning:

Pruning tools
First, = gather=20 good pruning tools (figure A). For = general=20 pruning, Cevola recommends hand pruners with a = sharp,=20 rounded blade. Avoid using pruners with a = straight edge=20 because they crush the stem and don't make a = clean cut.=20 Use hand pruners to cut canes no thicker than = your=20 thumb. For thick canes, use loppers. For = larger-sized=20 canes that loppers can't cut, use a bow saw.=20

Pruning hybrid teas and tree = roses
Before=20 you start pruning, step back and take a look at = the=20 entire plant. Visualize what canes need to be = removed=20 before actually cutting them out. This helps to = envision=20 what shape to train the plant.=20

Cevola prunes out dead branches, downward = growth=20 (figure B) and rubbing branches = (figure C)=20 first. This helps him to get a better sense of = what is=20 left afterwards. Then he removes some crossing = branches=20 in the central part of the shrub. The goal is to = open up=20 the middle part of the shrub and have the new = growth=20 pointing outward.=20

"If you get a lot of canes that point inward, = once=20 they start blooming, prune them off so the = center=20 doesn't get cluttered up again," he says.

Pruning not only makes the plant look less = cluttered,=20 but it also promotes air circulation in the = interior and=20 minimizes fungal disease. Cevola prunes the = canes at a=20 45-degree angle (figure D). This allows = water to=20 drip right off the stem so the moisture doesn't = collect=20 on the wound, causing the tissue to rot. If the = cut is=20 made too close to the buds themselves (figure = E),=20 the plant's energy may not be pushed to that bud = to=20 grow. Eventually the bud and surrounding plant = tissue=20 will die, and the dead tissue will have to be = pruned=20 down to a lower bud.=20

Pruning isn't an exact science but more like = trial=20 and error, so be prepared to visit the same = plant=20 repeatedly. If you've made one round of pruning = cuts one=20 week, you may find that you'll need to make = additional=20 cuts the next week. Later in the season, the = buds will=20 begin to swell. Once they start leafing out, you = can see=20 the direction that those buds are growing = towards and=20 then make your cuts accordingly.

"You're not going to hurt them. There are a = lot of=20 canes there, so you can shape the rose how you = want it=20 to fit into a particular area," says Cevola.

Cleaning Up
Cevola uses a wire = brush to=20 remove the dead bark along the woody canes of = the rose=20 bush, lightly brushing around the swollen nodes=20 (figure F).=20

"The theory is that it helps prevent any = disease or=20 insects from hiding in between the bark. It also = encourages new basal breaks where new canes are=20 encouraged to start growing from new bud eyes," = he says.=20

Always pick up any leaf litter or cut canes = from=20 around the base of the plants. Since this litter = may=20 carry fungal disease and other pests, throw it = into the=20 trash, not the compost pile.=20

Pruning floribunda and miniature = roses
To=20 maintain the weeping habit of his floribunda = rose,=20 Cevola prunes out deadwood and crossing branches = while=20 keeping the overall umbrella shape of the plant=20 (figure G). Every so often, he steps back = from=20 the plant to take a look at the shape. This way = he makes=20 sure he doesn't go overboard with his pruning = while also=20 taking note as to where to make additional cuts.

Prune miniature roses the same way that you = prune=20 their larger cousins.=20

Ideal time to prune roses
When is = the=20 perfect time to prune roses? The answer depends = on which=20 hardiness zone you live in, but a general rule = of thumb=20 is to wait until you see a little bit of bud = break=20 (figure H).=20

Note: If you're going to spend any = time=20 pruning roses, chances are you're going to get = cut by=20 unforgiving thorns. Keep a pair of gloves on = hand.=20 Rubber-tipped gloves are helpful to avoid = pricking,=20 while cotton ones are great for pruning = miniatures. It=20 also doesn't hurt to have antiseptic spray and = bandages=20 nearby. Check with your doctor to be sure you're = up to=20 date on your tetanus shot since thorns can carry = bacteria and fungus.

Guests
Michael = Cevola
Master rosarian
740 54th = St.
Sacramento,=20 CA
Phone: 916-736-1679
Also in=20 this Episode

Gardening=20 by the Yard : Episode = GBY-1603
=95	Water=20 Feature for a Narrow Space
=95	How = to Prune=20 Roses
=95	Staging=20 a = House

Gard= ening

How to Prune Roses

Tips that will remove the worry of pruning = these=20 beauties while maximizing their bloom.

Tools

MORE....

MOST POPULAR