ROSE PRUNING

Here are some basic tips to prune your roses.

The right time

• The main pruning should be done after winter, in April or May when the strong frosts are over; 
• Avoid days of frost; 
• Non-remontant roses are pruned right after flowering during August.

Helpful tips 

• Regardless of the blade you use, work with your pruning shears so the blade is on the side of the remaining wood. The counter blade crushes the falling branch. The cut will be cleaner and heal better;
• Make sure to disinfect your pruning tools before use to avoid spreading diseases;
• Use other cutting tools for thicker branches, such as two-handed pruning shears, also known as loppers. Especially useful for climbing roses whose frame becomes woody, this tool allows increased force with minimal effort.

Stems and bushes 

• Keep a few main branches, from 3 to 7;
• Pruning should favour young shoots and reduce woody growth;
• Cut 3 to 5 eyes at an average distance of 15 to 20 cm from the graft point;
• Clear it against the bush to facilitate light and air passage to ensure good health and beautiful flowers.

Remontant climbing roses

• These are the roses that bloom several times a year and are trained against a wall;
• Keep 5 to 6 main branches without pruning, which will form the structural branches;
• Cut back the lateral shoots to 5 to 6 eyes, or 30 to 40 cm;
• Cut back the roots by 20 to 25 cm and remove any damaged parts.

Non-remontant climbing roses

• These are the roses that bloom only once a year;
• Keep 6 to 7 branches and cut back all lateral branches to 2 eyes to promote flowering;
• Prune immediately after the end of their flowering during August.

Other types of roses

• Miniature roses are pruned like bushes;
• Groundcover roses are pruned only a few years after planting and only every 2 to 3 years depending on the invasion;
• Old roses should not be pruned systematically.