Your questions answered by our experts

Roses are such a popular plant. But they can be a little intimidating. We often get asked questions about how to prune roses. We’ve put together the most common questions about pruning roses along with our experts replies.

Let’s start with…

Do I need to prune roses?

Pruning is essential to keep your roses healthy. Pruning not only encourages strong growth and flowering but it also helps to prevent disease including black spot, canker and rust. Pruning will also help you control the growth and appearance of the plant.

When should I prune my roses?

Most types of rose, including floribunda, patio and miniature roses, are best pruned in late winter or early spring. Certainly, by late February or early March you should begin pruning. However, rambling roses (which can be used for privacy) should be pruned after they finish flowering in late summer. If you have climbing roses these should be pruned in winter - sometime between December and February.

What happens if I don’t prune my roses?

Your rose won’t die if you don’t prune it. But it will weaken and lose its shape. Sickly or neglected roses are also prone to disease, pests and weather damage.

How do I prune my roses?

First of all, don’t be afraid to cut back hard. Hard pruning will encourage the strongest possible growth in spring. The less you cut back the less new growth you’ll get. The basics of pruning roses are:

• Make your cuts a couple of millimetres (no more than 5mm) above a bud and angle your cut downward at about 45 degrees.
• Always cut to an outward facing bud.
• Remove any small or stubby lengths which have no buds.
• Remove very thin stems.
• Cut out any dead or diseased stems.
• Ensure stems are well spaced out to allow air to circulate through the plant.
• Remove any suckers on the plant. Suckers are small growths that can appear below buds. They need to be removed.

Remember: Don’t be afraid to cut back hard - especially on bush roses.

What is the difference between hard and light pruning?

Basically, hard and light pruning refers to the severity of the cut. In other words, how much of the stems or wood you remove. As it suggests hard pruning is quite severe and takes the stems down to around 6 inches. If you’re inexperienced with pruning roses this kind of severe pruning can take some getting used to. And you will have to steel yourself to do it. But cutting the plant right back will encourage even stronger growth next season. Light pruning is more or less just thinning out the plant and removing dead wood.

What tools do I need for pruning roses?

You don’t need much equipment to prune roses but do get the very best quality your budget allows. First of all, you need a puncture proof pair of gloves. This shouldn’t be a surprise so do make sure you protect yourself against the plant’s thorns.

A pair of pruning shears is a necessity. Don’t skimp here. When pruning you need to make clean cuts or you will damage the plant. Very sharp and heavy-duty shears will make light work of any rose. Shears with special grips are available for left-handed gardeners. A pruning saw may also be required for very mature plants that have developed thick woody stems. 

Click here to see all the wonderful roses available now from Direct Plants.

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