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Pruning improves plant appearance and health by removing dead, diseased, weak and broken wood. It controls suckers from the rootstock and promotes large, beautiful flowers. Unpruned plants become overgrown with small, poor quality flowers. The type of rose dictates how and when to prune.
Prune bush roses (hybrid teas, grandifloras, and floribundas) in the spring before growth starts. Remove all dead wood. Cut at a uniform height, leaving as much good wood as possible. Make cuts 1/4" above a strong outward facing bud. Canes can be left as long as 24-30" but after most winters they are pruned to 12" because of winter damage.
After severe winter damage, it may not be possible to do more than keep the surviving wood without regards to correct plant shaping. More severe pruning is done on hybrid teas to induce longer stem length and larger blossoms. Longer canes produce more blossoms with shorter stems.
Prune hardy rambler and climbing roses after flowering. Remove dead or diseased canes and take out old, weak canes. Do not let canes grow for more than three seasons nor allow them to get too crowded. Many hybrid tea climbers and large-flowered ramblers are not vigorous and are pruned during the dormant season. Remove broken or diseased canes and those damaged by cold temperatures.
Prune climbing roses to make them fit the growing area. Training canes horizontally produces more flowers. Heading back long canes stimulates lateral growth for more blossoms and foliage.
Prune old-fashioned or species roses according to their bloom. Single season bloomers are pruned after they bloom. Cut long canes back a third and trim the lateral canes back a few inches.
Repeat bloomers are pruned to shape and are not cut back. Remove old canes as they lose vigor or become too crowded and damaged canes or unwanted, misdirected growth.
Hybrid tea, floribunda and grandiflora roses are pruned following these principles (1) prune higher for more flowers, earlier or lower for fewer, bigger flowers later; (2) prune to remove weak and crossing canes; (3) remove growth an inch below a canker (4) remove damaged, dead or broken canes back to healthy growth and (5) remove sucker growth close to the main root.
Treat large pruning cuts with pruning sealer to prevent borers from entering the stem. Use high quality tools including fine tooth saws, loppers, and hand shears.
Summer pruning improves rose quality. Remove unwanted growth including suckers, weak or spindly shoots, and damaged canes. Cutting flowers also prunes and keeps buds developing. Leave at least two or more five leaflet leaves on the remaining canes if possible.
Remove only the flowers so that the maximum leaf surface is left on newly planted roses. Don't allow seed pods or rose hips to form until time for the plants to harden for winter.
Disbudding is removing all side buds to allow the terminals to develop larger, showier blossoms.
