Expert warns that climbing roses and hybrid teas must be pruned before the end of March – but rambling and shrub roses should not be cut now
Simon warns that you must clean your secateurs(Image: YouTube/WalkingTalkingGardeners)
Roses stand out as one of the most beloved flowers found in gardens across Britain, yet they’re notoriously challenging to maintain properly.
“There is a lot of conflicting advice about how and when to cut your roses,” notes horticultural expert Simon from the Walking Talking Gardeners YouTube channel. However, there’s widespread agreement amongst specialists that the task should ideally be completed before the flowers emerge fully from dormancy towards the end of March.
Simon offers practical guidance on the timing and technique for trimming these cherished plants, alongside a crucial caution regarding pruning that every gardener ought to heed.
He clarifies that roses generally fall into four main categories, each requiring a somewhat different approach to pruning. These include the Rambling, Climbing and Shrub varieties, as well as the more diverse Hybrid tea and floribunda types. According to Simon, it’s vital that two of these groups receive attention this month.
However, before removing any dead, damaged or diseased growth, there’s one critical task that Simon emphasises must not be overlooked.
Cleaning your equipment
Always remember to clean your secateurs(Image: Getty)
Simon stresses there’s an essential preparatory step before any pruning begins: “We need to talk about sterilising your cutting blades before you start cutting, because there are some big problems that you can avoid simply by doing that.”
He elaborates: “Roses are an absolute magnet for fungal diseases, bacterial infections and viruses. When you cut into these infected plants with your secateurs, you get the infected sap on your blade. So, as soon as you cut into another plant, you’re making a fresh wound and then the infected sap that’s on there touches the the fresh wound and whatever bacterial viral or fungal infections are on it are going to be passed onto that other plant.”
This mistake can be prevented, he advises, either by heat-treating the secateur blades or by wiping them with rubbing alcohol and leaving them for approximately 15 minutes before wiping it off.
Climbing roses
Climbing roses are best pruned in March, Simon says(Image: Getty)
The first variety of rose requiring pruning in March are climbing roses. “Climbing roses are very different because they flower on the new season’s wood,” Simon clarifies.
There are two approaches when it comes to pruning climbing roses. Some specialists advocate for a trim in November, whilst others recommend completing the task in March.
“You get two benefits by cutting in March that you don’t get by cutting in November,” Simon suggests.
“The problem with November cuts is that the weather can still be very mild and also extremely damp. As such, there are still a lot of fungal infections floating around in the air that waiting to infect your fresh cuts with your November timing.”
According to Simon, pruning roses too early removes the opportunity to enjoy a second display of decorative rose hips. These aren’t simply an attractive feature in autumn gardens, he notes, but also provide essential sustenance for local wildlife.
“So cut them in March in my opinion,” he said. “Cut them back to your framework and they’ll flower on that new growth.”
Hybrid teas and floribundas
The ‘rule of three’ will help you with your floribundas(Image: Getty)
Simon describes these varieties as perhaps the most straightforward to manage, with March being the ideal time for pruning. “It’s difficult to make mistakes because you have the rose rule of thirds,” he explained.
“When you cut your hybrid teas and floribundas you cut in the third week of the third month – that’d be March – to the third outward facing bud.”
He advises counting three buds upwards from the base of the stem and locating the one facing outwards.
Simon adds: “When you are doing your cuts to all roses is you never make a flat cut because you can get water sitting on top of these open wounds and that can increase the risk of fungal infections making their way through. Always cut at an angle so that any rain just slides off.”
Rambling roses
Rambling and climbing roses are easy to mix up(Image: Getty)
Other varieties of roses, such as the rambling type, are best pruned at a different time of year. “The pruning times for your rounding roses is always immediately after flowering,” advises Simon.
“You’re not trying to prune it back to a framework like you would do a climbing rose – you’re just trying to tidy up, stop it being so messy. You want to encourage that rather romantic twisting climbing feature of it.”
Simon emphasises that people often confuse their rambling and climbing roses, which can lead to issues. Rambling roses bloom on the previous season’s wood: “People often confuse these with climbing roses that are pruned either at the end of the year or in the spring. And if you do that with a rambling rose, wherever you’ve cut it, you’re not going to get any flowers.”
If you’re uncertain about the type of roses you have, perhaps due to a lost garden centre label or inheriting the plant when purchasing your house, there’s a general guideline to help differentiate them. Climbing roses typically bloom repeatedly with larger flowers on rigid stems, whilst rambling roses are vigorous, flexible growers that usually produce one large display of smaller clustered blooms around June.
With rambling roses, Simon suggests removing crossing branches as well as any clearly dead or damaged stems: “Crossing branches can damage the bark, damage the cambium layer, and that can be an infection point for bacteria, fungal infections, and viruses.”
Shrub roses
Shrub roses are easier to care for than some other varieties(Image: Getty)
According to Simon, shrub roses should not be pruned during March. These varieties have grown in popularity due to their superior disease resistance and lower maintenance requirements.
“They mostly flower on the previous season’s wood,” he explained. “That flowering time tends to run out about the end of summer and that is when you would make your cuts.”
He emphasised the importance of timing, noting: “You don’t cut it as you would do a hybrid tea or floribunda in the spring, or about March time, simply because you’re going to produce load of new growth so you’re not going to get any blooms from it. So timing is absolutely paramount. You’ve only really got that one time immediately after flowering and you’re not cutting too much off it.”
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