Cutting roses: when and how?

When and how to cut roses We show how to proceed correctly when pruning roses and what you have to pay particular attention to when cutting.

Cutting all kinds of roses (pink) is not as difficult as is often assumed. Even as a hobby gardener, with a little practice you can succeed in cutting the roses optimally. For this you only have to observe the plants well enough or inform yourself about the different growth of the different rose types and get to know their flowering behavior. In this article we will explain in more detail how to properly cut your roses. We will show what needs to be considered when pruning roses and when to do so, so that your roses grow luxuriantly and produce numerous flowers year after year.

When should you prune roses?

The pruning of roses takes place in the spring and only in mild weather. In unprotected locations endangered by late frost, the first cut can be postponed until May. Because frost can damage the fresh cuts and the new shoots.

When to cut roses:

• plant cutting: It is carried out in spring (March to May) regardless of whether the rose is planted in autumn or spring.
• Annual spring pruning: This can be done for all types of roses and also takes place between March and May. How it is carried out depends on the growth and flowering behavior of the rose. In the following paragraphs we explain in detail what this means.
• Annual summer cut: Summer pruning is limited to removing wild shoots and withered flowers. With the latter, however, there are some differences between the rose types to be discovered.

Tip: Adequate supply of potassium to your roses will make them more resilient to cold winter frosts. For example, the beauties can be given a dose of our potassium-rich Plantura organic rose fertilizer be strengthened. However, it is better to cover the young, sensitive shoots with winter protection, especially during lukewarm winters and sudden cold snaps in spring.

The right way to cut roses

The following basic rules should be observed when pruning roses:

1. Use sharp scissors for a smooth cut
2. Always cut above an outward pointing bud or eye
3. Cut about 5 mm above the bud or eye so that it it will not be hurt
4. Lay the cut surface at an angle so that water can drain off

Tip from the pro: So-called eyes are hidden, undeveloped buds. A side shoot can develop here. They are easy to recognize in roses: they form a kind of inverted "V" or even the spherical base of a bud.

Pruning of roses

The pruning of roses should ensure good rooting and create a balance between roots and shoots. If the planting is carried out in autumn, the pruning is postponed until spring. If planted in spring, you can cut immediately. You only have to follow a few small and simple rules:

• Root pruning: Shorten the roots to a length of about 20-30 cm below the grafting point. This wound irritation stimulates the branching of the roots and the rose will grow faster
• With bush and wild roses, all shoots are cut in half so that they are about 40 cm high
• Climbing roses are cut back to 10 buds above the ground
• All other roses should be pruned to 3-5 eyes off the ground
• Of course, the above rules for the correct procedure when pruning roses also apply to plant pruning

Cut roses in spring

All roses can be pruned in spring. For all types of roses the following three basic rules apply, according to which the basic cut is carried out:

1. Remove deadwood: Dry, frozen wood is removed near the transition to healthy wood, or at the base if necessary.
2. Remove thin and diseased shoots: These rob the healthy and stronger shoots of the power to bloom. They are completely removed at the base of the plant or at their origin on a stronger shoot.
3. Thin out shoots that are too dense: If the shoots are too close together, the one with the weaker growth or the less favorable direction of growth is removed. In this way, the air circulation in the rose bush can be improved, so that rose diseases are prevented.

Based on this basic cut, an individual cut is then carried out for different groups of roses, which promotes good growth and rich flowering.

tip: An exception is the group of ground cover roses. These are not cut with this basic pattern.

We have summarized the right pruning technique for each rose group for you:

rose group	cut in spring
bed roses	Cut back to 3-5 eyes above the ground. Weakly developed shoots are shortened more than strongly developed ones. Extremely fast-growing varieties (such as 'Gloria Dei') are not cut back quite as low (6 - 9 buds above the ground), miniature roses much deeper (2 - 3 buds above the ground).
Hybrid Tea Roses	Hybrid teas are also cut back to 3 - 5 buds above the ground. Weakly developed shoots are shortened more than strongly developed ones
Once blooming shrub roses (flowering in July and July, then decreasing)	For shrub roses that have bloomed once, only the basic pruning described above is carried out. If necessary, dense or lazy shoots can be removed at the base
Shrub roses that bloom more often (flowering June – September)	Shrub roses that bloom more often are lightly thinned out if necessary by removing entire shoots. Older shoots should be removed just above the ground every 4-5 years
Once flowering climbing roses and ramblers (flowering in June and July, then declining)	For climbing roses that have bloomed once, only the basic pruning described above is carried out. If necessary, dense or lazy shoots can be removed at the base
Climbing roses that bloom more often (flowering June – September)	After the first flowering in spring, the side shoots growing on the long shoots are shortened to 3 - 5 buds. Only old, lazy shoots are removed at the base. How one Prune climbing roses correctly, we would be happy to explain it to you in detail
groundcover roses	Ground cover roses do not receive a basic pruning every year. Every 3 - 4 years they are shortened to a height of about 30 cm without regard to the eyes, whereby hedge trimmers should be used
wild roses	In the case of wild roses, only the basic pruning described above is carried out. If necessary, dense or lazy shoots can be removed at the base
Old and historical roses	With old and historical roses, only the basic pruning described above is carried out. If necessary, dense or lazy shoots are removed at the base
English roses	Depending on whether the English roses bloom once or more often, they are treated in the same way as shrub roses that bloom once or more
tree roses	The crowns of the rose stems are cut back to 3 - 5 buds above the grafting point, like bedding and hybrid tea roses
Cascade Roses/Weeping Roses	Depending on their flowering behavior, small stems with hanging shoots are treated like climbing roses that flower once or more often

Cutting roses in summer: Should you cut off faded roses?

No major pruning measures are carried out in summer. Only the removal of wilted bud sites is done during this period and again, each cut should be above an outward-facing eye. This summer cut promotes growth and flowering.

Tip: If you want to keep rose hips as a bright splash of color in the garden or as food for the birds, you may Once the roses have bloomed, do not cut off faded inflorescences - there will be no more flowers educated. And even with roses that bloom more often, you should refrain from cutting off the blossoms in late summer.

Identify and remove wild shoots on roses

In spring and summer, grafted roses - i.e. almost all garden roses - can have a wild shoot growing out of the rootstock. Wild shoots are easily recognized by their smaller, lighter leaves. They also have at least seven or more leaflets on a leaflet, while grafted varieties usually have five leaflets on the leaflet.

Pruning roses in autumn and winter?

In autumn and winter there is not much to do in the care of roses. There is no pruning, mainly because a cut could now stimulate the formation of new shoots. These young shoots would then be defenseless against the early or late frosts. However, many roses benefit greatly from winter protection. The grafting area is covered with a pile of earth, mulch or fir branches to protect it from frost. Of course, the right fertilization is particularly important for winter-hardy roses. For this reason you can still use our in autumn Plantura organic rose fertilizer fertilize. Its extra high potassium content ensures frost-proof plant cells and stable cell walls that are less affected by cold temperatures.

For all enthusiastic rose fans, we have a lot more expert knowledge about roses rose care, the Rose care in the pot and everything you about the right rose fertilizer should know, prepared.