Pruning bush roses: in spring or autumn?

In order for bush roses to keep their shape, they have to be pruned each year. The right pruning at the optimal time promotes lush flowering, which in the case of bush roses can last into autumn.

Cut in spring

The best time to cut is early spring. You should cut the bush roses around March to April. Pay attention to a period when no frost is announced. It should be frost-free a few days before cutting and not freeze for a few days after cutting.

If freshly cut plant tissue is exposed to frost, it can be permanently damaged. Branches then die over a great length and must be removed.

Tip: When cutting, orientate yourself towards the forsythia flowering. As a rule, the flowers only open when it remains frost-free for a long time.

Don't cut the bush roses too late. Once the flow of sap has started, you should no longer cut the roses, as they can bleed heavily, especially over larger cut areas, which weakens the plants.

Cutting instructions

tool

Use bypass scissors to cut. It has the advantage that the shoots are not squashed too much and the tissue is not damaged over a large area. This reduces the risk that the shoots will die far unplanned. Before you start cutting, clean up and sharpen The blade to prevent the transmission of pathogens. To do this, simply wipe the blade with a cloth that you have soaked in high-percentage alcohol beforehand and, in the best case, also have a small whetstone in the house.

Note: If you are moving to a new shrub, disinfect the blade beforehand to avoid the direct transmission of pathogens from plant to plant.

instructions for spring pruning

• Completely remove dead shoots
• Cut weakly growing varieties back to 15-20 cm
• Cut back vigorous varieties to 30 - 40 cm
• Apply the cut at an angle
• Cut back to an outside bud
• leave at least three eyes
• remove weaker ones from crossed shoots
• Completely remove weak shoots
• Cut back damaged shoots to below the damaged area

With bush roses it is also important that you always pay attention to the shape when cutting. The roses should be bushy to hemispherical in shape after cutting.

You can easily compost the clippings of healthy plants. However, the bush rose has one illness or pests, dispose of the clippings in the residual waste.

Taper cut

If the bush roses have not been cut for several years, a top cut is usually necessary to restore the vitality of the plants. This is how he succeeds:

• Shorten shoots by at least 50 cm
• Apply the cut at an angle
• Remove overaged shoots close to the ground
• close larger injuries with tree wax

In the case of a strong cut in unkempt roses, it is generally recommended to close the interfaces afterwards. This prevents fungi or bacteria from entering through the interface.

Cut in autumn

You can also cut the bush roses again in autumn. However, this is not a heavy pruning like in spring, but simply a care cut so that the plants can get through the winter well.

• Carry out a maintenance cut at the beginning of October at the latest
• at least two weeks before the first frost
• allows tissue to regenerate around interfaces

instructions for autumn pruning

1. First remove any bloomed inflorescences.
2. If the fruit clusters have already formed, cut them off as well. Make the cut just above the first leaf below the inflorescence or fruit cluster.
3. If shoots are damaged, cut them back just below the damaged area above one eye.
4. Have the shoots dried up over the summer? dead, cut it back just before the healthy area.

Note: Avoid cutting into healthy tissue.

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