As the dormant winter months give way to warmer temperatures, roses start their active growth phase. Proper preparation helps your roses recover from winter stress, encourages strong new growth, and sets the stage for vibrant blossoms throughout the season. According to gardening expert Madison Moulton at Epic Gardening, there is one “vital” task that needs doing now for roses to “prolifically bloom” in spring and summer – and that’s pruning.
Madison admitted: “Rose pruning is not a task I usually look forward to, but for many rose types, it is vital to a healthy and prolifically blooming plant.
“This is best done in late winter. While light pruning is done throughout the year, now is the time for a heavier prune.”
Gardeners need to hold off until the threat of frost has passed to avoid damaging the tender new shoots, aiming to catch their roses just as they start to develop new growth.
Start your pruning session by cutting away any dead or damaged wood. These sections of the plant won’t aid in robust growth and will only hinder the rose’s health, consuming energy that could be directed towards new growth.
Also, use this chance to thin out the centre of the bush. Eliminate any crossing branches or those that grow inward towards the centre.
This encourages proper airflow and forms an outward-facing vase shape that enhances the overall appearance and flowering potential.
Next, concentrate on the leftover canes, trimming them down by roughly one-third. Make sure your shears are sharp and sanitised, and make precise cuts just above a bud. This promotes the rose to produce new stems from the nodes.
Madison instructed gardeners not to be afraid of bold cuts because, as long as you’re pruning at the right time, a substantial trim “will not harm your roses”.
Actually, it encourages them to kick off the new growing season well, leading to “stronger stems and an abundance of blooms in the months to come”.
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