Simple rose pruning
June is the time to start in New Zealand.
Hybrid tea, Florabunda, standard roses and similar roses
Here are some simple steps to make it easier and quicker.
1. Remove all the dead, twiggy and dying branches.
2. Remove all the crossing branches. (These grow from one side of the bush to the other.)
3. Remove oldest wood (easily identified by the gray corky bark).
4. Aim to have three to five strong young stems remaining - and shorten these back to about 40 - 50 cm.
Making the Cut
This is often the one thing that puts people off pruning roses. Too much has been written explaining the correct method of pruning and again that has put people off. You cant kill a rose by bad pruning. On the autobarns in Germany they pruning scrambling roses with a tractor mounted cutting blade!
The simple way to make the correct cut is to find the bud you want to grow next season. Cut at an angle sloping away from the bud so that the start of the cut is above the bud (about 5 mm) and the end of the cut is just above the top of the bud at the back of the stem. Make it a clean cut with sharp secateurs.
Climbing Roses
These should be trained in a fan shape against a wall or fence etc.
After Pruning
No need to use pruning paste or similar.
Pick up all the dead leaves and prunings and send to the landfill to remove the chance of pest and disease reinfection.
Apply a winter clean up spray of Copper and a separate one of All Seasons Spraying Oil a month later and if there is time a further oil spray before the buds break into growth.
Hybrid tea, Florabunda, standard roses and similar roses
Here are some simple steps to make it easier and quicker.
1. Remove all the dead, twiggy and dying branches.
2. Remove all the crossing branches. (These grow from one side of the bush to the other.)
3. Remove oldest wood (easily identified by the gray corky bark).
4. Aim to have three to five strong young stems remaining - and shorten these back to about 40 - 50 cm.
Making the Cut
This is often the one thing that puts people off pruning roses. Too much has been written explaining the correct method of pruning and again that has put people off. You cant kill a rose by bad pruning. On the autobarns in Germany they pruning scrambling roses with a tractor mounted cutting blade!
The simple way to make the correct cut is to find the bud you want to grow next season. Cut at an angle sloping away from the bud so that the start of the cut is above the bud (about 5 mm) and the end of the cut is just above the top of the bud at the back of the stem. Make it a clean cut with sharp secateurs.
Climbing Roses
These should be trained in a fan shape against a wall or fence etc.
- On each long branch remove the side branches back to about 3 - 5 buds.
- Train and tie the long branches to the structure.
- If necessary remove one of the oldest long branches and look to replace this with a new one during the growing season.
After Pruning
No need to use pruning paste or similar.
Pick up all the dead leaves and prunings and send to the landfill to remove the chance of pest and disease reinfection.
Apply a winter clean up spray of Copper and a separate one of All Seasons Spraying Oil a month later and if there is time a further oil spray before the buds break into growth.