Learn how to prune your roses effectively for healthier plants and more blooms
City: Gardening enthusiasts everywhere are excited about pruning roses. It might seem tough, but it’s worth it. Healthy, well-pruned roses bloom more and live longer.
Start by removing dead or sick branches. This helps air and sunlight reach the healthy parts. It also keeps diseases away and encourages more flowers.
Michael Griffiths, known as @themeditteraneangardener on TikTok, shared a helpful video. He shows how to prune roses in winter. He says, “If you want more blooms this year, prune now.”
He outlined five key steps for effective pruning. Let’s break them down.
1. Prune the Dead Wood
First, cut away the brown or black stems. These are dead. Keep the green stems, which are alive. Cut the dead stems back to the base.
2. Open Up the Centre
Next, remove any branches that cross each other. They can rub and cause damage, leading to diseases.
3. Remove Thin or Weak Growth
Michael suggests cutting any canes thinner than a pencil. These weak canes produce fewer flowers.
4. Prune the Remaining Canes
For healthy canes, cut them down by one-third. Make the cut just above an outward-facing bud at a 45-degree angle. This encourages new growth to spread out.
5. Fertilize and Mulch Roses After Pruning
After pruning, it’s important to nourish your roses. They need good fertilizer and mulch in spring. Wait until new growth is about half an inch before fertilizing.
