How & When to Prune Roses?

Your rose bush was once bursting with vibrant blooms, but now it looks overgrown, untidy, and barely flowers. Should you dig it up and start again? Absolutely not! The secret to reviving your roses is simple yet powerful—pruning.

Knowing when to prune roses is essential for encouraging new growth, improving plant health, and ensuring an abundance of beautiful blooms. While it may seem counterintuitive, sometimes being a little ruthless with pruning is the best way to rejuvenate your rose bush. However, the right timing and technique depend on the type of rose you have.

In this guide, you’ll discover exactly when and how to prune roses to keep them thriving season after season.

Key Takeaways: When to Prune Roses for Healthier, Stronger Blooms

• Know Your Rose Type – Some roses bloom on new growth (prune in early spring), while others flower on old wood (prune after blooming).
• Prune at the Right Time – Timing depends on variety. Pruning too early or too late can reduce flowering.
• Encourage Healthy Growth – Remove dead, diseased, or weak wood to prevent overcrowding and improve air circulation.
• Shape for Strength – Cut just above outward-facing buds to encourage an open, balanced structure.
• Deadhead for Continuous Blooms – Regular deadheading directs energy into producing new flowers.
• Hard Pruning is Best When Dormant – Heavy pruning should be done in winter, but light summer trimming can boost late-season blooms.

By following these expert tips, you’ll keep your roses healthy, thriving, and full of vibrant flowers all season long!

What Kind of Rose Do I Have?

Understanding when to prune roses starts with identifying the type of rose you have. Different varieties have unique growth habits, and pruning at the wrong time can reduce flowering or weaken the plant.

Roses that bloom on new growth, such as hybrid teas and floribundas, should be pruned in early spring before they start producing new leaves. Since these varieties flower on the current season’s growth, pruning at this time encourages strong, healthy stems and abundant blooms.

In contrast, roses that bloom on old wood, including many old-fashioned and once-blooming shrub roses, should be pruned after flowering. These varieties develop buds on the previous season’s growth, so pruning too early can remove the very stems that would have produced flowers.

By knowing when to prune roses based on their growth cycle, you can maximize flowering, improve plant health, and enjoy a stunning display throughout the season.

When to Prune Roses That Bloom on New Growth

Knowing when to prune roses is crucial for encouraging vigorous growth and beautiful blooms. Roses that produce flowers on the current season’s new growth should be pruned in early spring, just before the leaf buds begin to open. Pruning at this time stimulates healthy new shoots that will yield abundant flowers in the upcoming months.

Pruning too early, while frost is still a concern, can damage delicate new growth, while pruning too late may limit the plant’s blooming potential.

To prune effectively, begin by removing any dead, damaged, or weak stems. Then, shape the plant by cutting back healthy canes to an outward-facing bud. This promotes an open, airy structure that improves air circulation and reduces the risk of disease. Using clean, sharp pruning shears ensures a smooth cut, preventing unnecessary stress on the plant.

By knowing when to prune roses and following these steps, you’ll help your roses thrive, leading to a season full of strong growth and vibrant blooms.

When to Prune Roses That Bloom on Old Growth

When to prune roses depends on their flowering habits. Roses that flower on last year’s woody growth should be pruned after they have finished blooming. These varieties, which include many old-fashioned, rambling, and climbing roses, set their flower buds on stems that developed during the previous growing season. Pruning too early in spring could remove these buds, reducing or even eliminating the year’s blooms.

To maintain health and shape while preserving flowers for the next season, wait until flowering has finished before pruning. When to prune roses of this type is crucial – the optimal time is post-flowering. At this stage, remove any dead or weak wood, shape the plant as needed, and trim back spent flowering stems. This allows the plant to focus its energy on producing strong new shoots that will bear next year’s blooms.

By understanding when to prune roses and doing so at the right time, you’ll encourage a well-structured, vigorous rose that continues to flower beautifully year after year.

When to Prune Continuous Flowering Shrub Roses

When to prune roses varies by variety. Shrub roses that bloom continuously throughout the season require minimal pruning to maintain their natural shape and encourage healthy growth. Unlike other types of roses that need yearly pruning, these roses benefit from a more relaxed approach—determining when to prune roses of this type is simpler, as they only need attention once every couple of years.

When to prune roses of the continuous-flowering shrub variety is less critical than with other types. When pruning, reduce the plant’s size by about one-third, focusing on removing the oldest, woodiest stems. This rejuvenates the rose by stimulating fresh, vigorous growth while preserving its ability to flower consistently. Additionally, thinning out crowded branches improves air circulation, reducing the risk of disease.

By understanding when to prune roses and doing so sparingly and selectively, continuous flowering shrub roses will remain strong, producing beautiful blooms from spring to autumn with minimal maintenance.

So, how do you prune roses and when?

I will always suggest you cut just above a leaf node and check to see if there are any bugs on that node. It would be good to leave buds that are pointing outward and remove ones that are pointing inward. This will help prevent your rose from becoming too crowded and at higher risk of infections.

• Hybrid Tea roses – Flowers from new growth. Prune early Spring down to 18-24 inches from the base.
• Rambling roses – Flowers from old growth. Prune after flowering to 2-4 inches from the base.
• Climbing roses – Flowers from old growth. Prune after flowering to required shape.
• Modern ever-blooming roses – Flowers from new growth. Prune early Spring down to 18-24 inches from the base.
• Grandiflora roses – Flowers from new growth. Prune early Spring down to 18-24 inches from the base.
• Floribunda roses – Flowers from new growth. Prune early Spring down to 18-24 inches from the base.

Hard pruning Roses in Summer

Heavy pruning of roses should ideally be done when they are dormant, as this promotes strong growth for the following season. However, knowing when to prune roses for different purposes is important—light trimming during summer can help encourage a late-season bloom.

After your rose has finished the first flush of flowers, trim back but not too hard:

• Water during the morning before you prune. Continue to water afterwards on a weekly basis.
• Remove the top third of your bush.
• Remove any dead or thin wood.
• Remove any stems that appear below the graft line at the base of your rose.

How to deadhead a rose bush

Another key step in achieving the best display from your roses is deadheading, also known as light pruning. Knowing when to prune roses for maintenance is essential—removing spent blooms encourages healthier growth and allows the plant to direct more energy into producing new flowers.

First, let’s clear up a few common misconceptions. The following advice is often recommended for pruning roses. While these techniques may help slightly in preventing disease and promoting growth, they are not strictly necessary:

• You don’t have to cut at a 45-degree angle.
• You don’t have to count 5 leaves down to find the precise place to cut.

Roses are very tough plants. Here’s how to deadhead a rose bush to guarantee more blooms:

• Firstly, wear some thick gloves and cover your arms.
• Ensure that your secateurs are sharp. A blunt blade may crush stems and increase the cases of fungal infection.
• Cut just above a leaf node.
• Burn or bin all deadheads to minimise the risk of fungal infection or insects.

Caring for Your Rose: When to Prune Roses for Health and Growth

Proper care after winter ensures your roses stay healthy and produce abundant blooms. The first step is to prune away any dead, dying, or diseased wood, as these weaken the plant and invite disease. Avoid overcrowding by removing weaker canes, allowing stronger stems to thrive.

It’s also important to eliminate any crossing canes, as friction between them can create open wounds where disease can take hold. Keeping the center of the plant open promotes good air circulation, reducing the risk of fungal infections and encouraging vigorous growth.

By knowing when to prune roses and following these simple steps, you’ll help your roses stay strong, healthy, and full of blooms throughout the growing season.

The RHS website has more information on how and when to prune roses. You can read the article by visiting the advice page: Rose pruning: general tips. If it is scent you are after, then I have written this article on the topic of “Heavily scented flower“.