Rose is the queen of all garden flowers. A graceful, lush and elegant rose will decorate any garden, adding a touch of romance and aristocracy to it. It cannot be called an unpretentious plant. You have to fight for beauty in the garden. Caring for rose bushes is a responsible task that requires certain knowledge, skills and time. Spring pruning proper watering, pruning roses after flowering and covering them for the winter are the main stages of flower care.
Flower growers advise pruning roses several times a year: in spring, summer and autumn. In addition to the three main procedures, sanitary pruning should be carried out, which consists of removing old unnecessary shoots, faded buds and diseased leaves. Properly performed regular pruning guarantees the bush:
- Rejuvenation of the bush, which leads to faster growth and vegetation.
- Resistance to winter frosts and immunity to most garden diseases.
- Abundance of young buds and bright flowering in summer.
- Decorativeness and aesthetics of the bush.
- Strengthening the root system.
- Distribution of the resulting nutrients evenly throughout the bush.
Basic rules for pruning roses
Regardless of the season of the event, there are a number of basic requirements for pruning rose bushes. First of all, take care of the choice of tools. Have sharp, clean pruning shears and loppers on hand. You need to store gardening tools in a dry and clean place: unsanitary conditions lead to the spread of diseases throughout the garden. Don't forget that the bushes are covered with thorns, so protect your hands by wearing thick gloves.
The cuts should not be made straight; maintain a 45-degree slope. Always remove dried branches and faded buds, which take away the strength of the bush, shade it and disrupt the aesthetic beauty of the flower garden. Keep your tools sharp. The cut should be clear, without torn edges or breaks. After circumcision, the “wounds” are treated antiseptic(for example, alcohol).
Pruning after flowering
Summer pruning – important stage in the development of a rose bush. After the first flowering, it is important to carry out the right measures that will add strength to the plant. First of all, in summer the rose should be pruned to form an even beautiful bush. An overgrown rose may send out too many shoots to bloom. Flowers in excess lead to a neglected appearance of the rose garden. In addition, shading the bush leads to excessive moisture content and provokes the development of fungi. Weak and too late shoots should be removed immediately.
The second important stage is pruning after flowering. Dry buds shade the plant, take away its vitality and prevent young shoots from growing. You need to cut off not only the faded buds, but the entire shoot at the root, leaving one bud above the ground. It will grow into a strong young shoot that will produce flowers the following year. The cut part can be cut and planted in the ground or potatoes, and used as a cutting. By mid-August, as a rule, 2/3 of the bush is removed.
Pruning climbing roses
Climbing roses bloom in their second year, so do not prune them during the first year. Blooming buds medium size - up to 10 cm. The climbing rose blooms along the formed horizontal vines, and buds also bloom on the side shoots.
It is recommended to start pruning climbing roses after flowering in late August or early September. First of all, all diseased shoots are removed. Leave 15 cm from the base. Those shoots on which there was flowering are shortened by 3 buds. To stimulate the formation of root shoots, select 2 old branches and shorten them, leaving 30 cm from the base.
During flowering, sanitary pruning is acceptable. Removing the dried inflorescences of climbing roses prolongs the period of summer riot of flowers. Remember, you only need to remove the inflorescence, without touching the shoot. Remember that a properly carried out event guarantees almost continuous flowering.
Rose survives well at home if she is provided with decent care. There are certain care rules for indoor plants: timely watering, fertilizing, appropriate air humidity, temperature and pruning. To ensure high-quality and abundant flowering in winter, the plant must rest. During rest, watering is significantly reduced, fertilizing is not done, the plant is taken out to a warm place. sunny room.
The main pruning is done during the plant's winter rest. On strong main shoots, 5 buds are left, and on small ones, 2 or 3 (or not left at all). It depends on the desired size of the bush. The more shoots there are, the smaller the flowers will be. In summer, home roses are pruned regularly. It is necessary to immediately remove the faded bud. It takes away the plant’s strength, shades it and provokes the development of fungal diseases, to which roses are very susceptible. Don’t forget about dried leaves, which need to be removed in a timely manner.
Rose care - difficult work which requires experience and knowledge. But the beauty of this flower compensates for all the effort spent on its development. This is a real decoration for your home and garden.
The magnificent flowering of the rose has its time, after which the shoots are crowned with fruits in the spirit of a rose hip. If you don’t interfere with the natural course of things, rose bushes will remain there until autumn. But as soon as you shorten the flower shoots, lo and behold, after some time they grow back. A little later they reappear luxurious flowers, taking us back to the beginning of summer.
Why prune roses after flowering?
After the rose blooms, it is necessary to trim, or rather, shorten the shoot on which there was a flower or a flower cluster. As a result, the plant will switch from the fruit formation program to the regeneration program. “Spent” inflorescences left on the bush look ugly, so they are cut off before mid-July-early August.
Rose fruits are left for the winter, but in the summer it is better to cut them off - they look too sloppy
From a dormant bud located at the base of the leaf, a new flowering shoot will begin to grow. A second, but artificially induced, wave of flowering will begin. The cut is made above the outer bud. Sometimes they talk about a cut above a leaf - this is the same thing as above a bud, because it is located at the base of the leaf. The cut location should be approximately 5 mm above the bud (or leaf petiole).
A cut above the lateral outer bud prevents thickening of the bush
This technique improves ventilation of the bush and prevents fungal diseases. The bush becomes more luxuriant, the shoots do not get tangled, the flowers do not rub against each other and the petals do not fly off prematurely.
Thickening shoots will grow from the lateral internal buds, directed into the bush
Blind shoots that for some reason do not have a growth bud at the end are also shortened.
In this blind shoot, the growth bud is damaged by the pest, so this shoot has no growth prospects
They grow to a certain length and stop developing. Such branches are shortened above the first outer lateral bud located below.
The blind shoot is cut off above the first developed lateral bud
To identify blind shoots, the bush is carefully sorted branch by branch. On some types of roses, the terminal buds are large, and on others they are small, so they may not be immediately noticeable.
These shoots have apical buds
There are several types of roses, differing in the type of flowering. Depending on this, the shoot is shortened to different heights.
Hybrid tea roses
This species is characterized by long stems, usually ending in one flower (although there are varieties with racemes). There are no side branches on the shoots.
Tea roses and floribunda roses are pruned above the 3rd or 4th leaf from the bottom.
The location of the cut is determined by moving upward from the base of the shoot - the cut is made above the 3rd or 4th leaf.
Although hybrid tea roses and floribundas are pruned low, new shoots have time to grow and bloom
Floribundas bloom like hybrid teas, but not with one flower, but with a brush. Both types are cut according to the same pattern.
The floribunda rose is also pruned low.
Video: pruning hybrid tea roses
Features of pruning climbing roses
The order of climbing roses consists of two main types - ramblers and climbing roses, or climbers. Without getting into the jungle of classification of both, let’s look at typical pruning for each species.
Roses Rambler
In climbing rambler roses, the first flowers open on last year's side shoots, after which the current year's shoots take over the baton. Thus, flowering is continuous.
Ramblers are great for decorating walls at home
Pruning is done only on last year's shoots: the cut is made above 5–6 leaves below the dry inflorescence. The shoots of the current year are left to bloom, form fruits, in a word, ripen. To enhance the formation of lateral flower-bearing branches, the top of the young shoot can be pinched 5–7 cm.
Video: pruning a climbing rose rambler
Climbers
Climber roses have shoots 3 m or more long, covered with large single flowers or flower racemes along the entire length.
Excellent climbers - neither a word nor a pen can describe them
Summer pruning involves shortening the main shoot by 1/3 of its length, which promotes branching and re-flowering. Dry inflorescences are removed from the remaining shoot.
Climbing rose shoots are shortened and freed from dried flowers
Proper completion of pruning - fertilizing
After pruning, the rose needs to be fed. To do this, use the following options:
- special fertilizer in accordance with the instructions;
- herbal infusion - 1–2 liters of infusion per 10 liters of water;
- fermented chicken manure or cow, horse manure - 1 liter per 10 liters of water.
Timing for pruning
Most roses bloom in June. Flower growers have enough time for pruning with all the ensuing circumstances. But if the first flowering due to some circumstances - weather, pests, diseases - has moved to the second half of summer, it is not advisable to carry out summer pruning. Because the plant does not have enough time for new flower shoots to mature.
The first snow did not harm the roses, but the frost would have killed both the flowers and the unripe shoots
If the region experiences early first frosts, young shoots will be the first to be affected. Therefore, roses that bloom at the wrong time are not pruned. Fruits form on them and in this form the bush overwinters.
My mistakes and achievements
I have been growing eight varieties of roses for a long time, seven of which are multi-colored and one climbing. The names of the varieties have been forgotten, and I confess that I only recently learned what climbers or floribundas are. For a long time I carried out pruning on a whim; it’s surprising that all my “girls” are still alive and blooming beautifully. Main mistake consisted of plucking off spent flowers. After this, I was tormented by the question, why do the remains of the pedicels turn black, turning into something gangrenous?
Leaving the pedicels was a big mistake
I didn’t always pay attention to where the shoot was cut - above the bud or where it was convenient to reach. New shoots, of course, grew, but the protruding stump looked sad.
The shoot was cut at a random location between the buds, but not above the bud
Incorrect pruning (not pinching) is not so disastrous; new flowering shoots will grow. But it’s still sweeter to the heart when the pruning is done correctly. It seems that rose bush filled with gratitude, and the twig, crowned with a sharp cone, is in a hurry to grow and express gratitude with a fragrant flower.
Either she guessed right, or she became smarter, but the pruning was done correctly
Summer pruning of a rose after flowering will be the highest manifestation of your love for it. The response will not take long, and the charming flowers will bloom again in your garden.
In any garden - spacious, small, tiny - roses create an enveloping atmosphere of fairy tales, romance, aristocracy and discreet luxury. Roses look harmonious and solemn both in a flowerbed and in individual plantings. They feel comfortable among other plants, which, being a retinue for the queen of flowers, further emphasize her beauty.
But in order for roses to bloom magnificently and delight us, it is necessary to take care of them. One of the important aspects of caring for roses is their correct pruning, which should be carried out not only regularly, but also, if possible, professionally.
By regularly pruning roses, we determine the number of young shoots and, accordingly, create conditions for the formation large quantity strong young shoots, which is very important for maintaining the high viability of roses. In addition, we direct the power of the plant to its active development, give the bush its shape, influence the abundance of flowering and extend its lifespan. Therefore, correct and competent pruning is very important for roses. Pruning roses itself is not a complicated procedure, but different groups and varieties require an individual approach.
Timing for pruning roses
The most the right time It's spring for pruning roses. The flowering of forsythia will tell you when to take up the pruning shears. Once the forsythia is covered golden flowers, and the buds have begun to swell in the lower part of the rose bushes, you can safely begin pruning the roses. This is approximately the end of April - beginning of May. If you prune roses earlier, then at night spring frosts cut shoots may freeze. Then flowering will come much later. If you are late with pruning, the plant will spend all its energy growing new shoots and leaves. As a result, the plant will be weak and the flowering will not be as abundant.
Wild shoots, which often grow below the grafting site, are not pruned, but torn off. To do this, you should expose the root collar to the place where the shoot grows and with a quick downward movement of your hand, tear it off at the base.
Summer pruning of roses usually comes down to removing faded flowers, thus ensuring re-blooming in repeat-blooming varieties. In autumn, overgrown rose bushes are trimmed and branches and leaves affected by fungi are removed. But the main pruning of rose bushes is carried out, as we have already said, in the spring, when it is clearly visible which branches have not overwintered well, are frozen, and which have swollen buds.
How to prune roses correctly
When pruning, you should first of all take into account which shoots the rose produces flowers on: on shoots from last year or this year. Next, you need to clearly know what you want to achieve by pruning: abundant and early flowering, extending the life of a plant or a certain bush shape.
Despite the fact that each group of roses has its own pruning rules, no matter what goal you pursue, there are some general rules that need to be carried out.
- The cut should have a slight slope. Its upper part should be above the selected kidney at a level of 0.5 cm.
Species and once-blooming bush roses
Roses of this group do not require annual pruning. They form flowers on the shoots of previous years, so they need last year's branches for abundant flowering. Every 2-3 years, the oldest unnecessary, bare and dry shoots are removed in order to rejuvenate and thin out the bush, without disturbing the growth form of the bush. They need to be cut close to the ground to stimulate young flowering growth. Trimming old branches at the top will expose the bush. If the roses of this group are not pruned at all, their bushes will age prematurely.
This group includes the most popular roses, for which spring pruning is vital. As a result of spring pruning, plants develop flower shoots that bloom the same year. The intensity of pruning depends on the growth vigor of individual varieties. If low-growing varieties have 3-4 buds on the main shoot, then vigorous varieties have 6-7 buds. At first, this advice is confusing, but the explanation is very simple: the more radical the pruning of roses of a given group, the larger and more powerful the new flowering growth will be. Therefore, shoots of low-growing varieties of roses are shortened greatly so that new shoots grow more actively. For miniature roses, you can trim the shoot to 10-15 cm from the soil level, if possible leaving the top bud located on the outside.
Before pruning, remove the mound of earth that protected the grafting site in winter. At ground level, also remove old and diseased branches, and trim frozen shoots to the green part
By pruning roses of this group, you can keep their growth at a height of 50-120 cm. Especially with hybrid tea roses, you should ensure that only strong shoots remain, and weak ones are removed at the base. Thanks to this, new strong shoots and long straight stems with large individual flowers appear.
Pruning bush roses
Repeat-blooming and long-blooming English roses cut to one third of their length. This does not mean “ruining them to the ground”, this is an absolutely thoughtful step that gives the plant health and stability! In the same way as with roses of other groups, remove all weak and too old shoots. U spray roses There should always be a balanced combination of annual, biennial and perennial shoots.
Ground cover roses are not pruned. It will be enough to remove frozen, broken, interfering shoots. If you want to give the bush a compact shape, then pruning should be done annually. In this case, ground cover roses are pruned in the same way as ridge roses.
Vigorous varieties must be pruned lightly, otherwise the new shoots will be too long. To rejuvenate the ground cover rose bush, radical pruning is carried out every 5 years.
Reblooming climbing roses
Fabulously beautiful repeat-blooming climbing roses require annual pruning. At the same time, all shoots growing in the wrong direction are removed. To stimulate abundant flowering, the side shoots are shortened, leaving 3-5 buds, and densely seated side shoots are also removed. For rejuvenation and complete foliation, shoots older than 6 years are completely removed from old specimens. It is optimal for the bush to have approximately equal numbers of young (one- and two-year-old) and old (perennial) shoots.
How to prune once-blooming climbing roses
The once-blooming climbing roses mainly include ramblers. They grow so quickly that their shoots reach from 6 to 12 m! With such dimensions, of course, it is difficult to trim. To some extent, roses of this group do not need pruning. This is at the request of the gardener. If he wants to entwine some tall place with wonderful flowers conifer, from pruning it may appear. If he wants to decorate the wall of the house with roses, it is necessary to prune the bush annually to give it a compact shape, control growth, and also avoid exposing the trunks at the bottom.
From correct pruning roses depends not only on the beauty of their flowering, but also on the health of the bush, as well as its life expectancy. Of course, in old parks no one has been pruning these plants for decades, and they are doing well, but such tangled thickets look completely unaesthetic. And in most private gardens there is not much space, so it is impossible to do without pruning roses.
Experienced gardeners know that pruning small ones is relatively easy, but working with larger specimens is not a pleasant task. The thorns catch and scratch, the long shoots are intertwined in such a way that it is very difficult to pull them out individually, and some of them do not give in at all, no matter how hard you pull them. It is known that there are garden roses that have never been touched by a knife or pruning shears.
But also in natural conditions The rose undergoes “natural” pruning: caterpillars eat leaves and tops of shoots, roe deer feast on soft stems, depriving the rose bush of the opportunity to bloom. Various animals eat and damage the shoots, and sometimes the plant dies as a result forest fire. However, a garden is a creation of man, and it must correspond to his ideas, regardless of what they are in each special case. For a rose, this means that it will not have to grow, making its way through the impenetrable jungle of rotten bushes, infected and infested with pests.
On the contrary, in the garden these plants are expected to flower intensively and meet certain beauty standards. Therefore, you simply must take care of the crops. In addition, garden roses in a flower garden have little in common with wild related species.
You will get information about when is the best time and how to prune roses in the garden correctly. detailed information in this material.
Should roses be pruned and when is the best time to do it?
Naturally, excessively diligent pruning will not lead to anything good. It is necessary to prune roses, but this should not become an end in itself. No one needs pruning in itself. It makes sense only in conjunction with a specific purpose. For this reason, roses must be pruned different times and in various ways.
So, when should roses be pruned in order to meet all the conditions? When to use a pruner or hacksaw:
- At . Remove damaged shoots and roots to make it easier for the plant to take root in its new location.
- Stimulating the growth of new shoots in order to produce the maximum possible number of new flowers. Old and dead woody stems should not interfere with the growth of new, fresh shoots.
- Prevention or prevention of diseases, pests.
- If you want to influence the flowering period or achieve a certain form of growth.
- If the rose grows unevenly or if the plant is damaged: fracture or frost damage. Regulatory pruning will help you shape your plant and ensure its health.
- Formation of root shoots on a grafted rootstock during the growing season. Root shoots must be removed.
- If you need roses for .
- If there is not enough space in the garden.
- If you have purchased a garden that you have not looked after for a long time. Perhaps there are roses growing there that have not been pruned for many years, and you want to return them to their former aristocracy.
So, no one has any doubts about whether roses need to be pruned. Optimal time Rose pruning cannot be determined by a calendar. On the one hand, it is necessary to trim strictly certain time, on the other hand, the ideal moment can be suggested external factors. Luckily, nature offers many options.
Solving in individually The question of when to prune roses, you should remember that this is done not at the final stage of the plant’s life, but at its beginning. Pruning stimulates further planned development of the plant. You can prune roses in spring in early March or even mid-April. In any case, before pruning a garden rose, the moment should be chosen so as to protect the plant from possible severe frosts. It is because of them that roses often die, especially if they were pruned too late last fall.
If the weather after pruning is warm, this will provoke active growth fresh shoots. And if frost hits, then active fresh shoots, like the plant itself, may die.
But the reason for the death or damage of the plant is not its poor frost resistance, but untimely pruning.
To prune roses correctly, as I advise experienced gardeners, you will have to continuously remove old inflorescences and root shoots. Timely removal of old inflorescences provokes the rapid appearance of new ones.
If wild shoots are plucked or trimmed in a timely manner, the plant will not suffer much and will not spend extra energy on restoring health.
How to properly prune garden roses of once-blooming varieties? In this case, it is recommended to wait until the flowering period ends. This way you can create conditions for fresh main shoots to develop in next year in the best possible way. A plant that is densely covered with foliage is more difficult to prune, so such specimens are rarely pruned.
When pruning cut flowers, you will have to be observant and wait for the moment when the rose in the vase reaches its peak of development and resort to some tips so that it lasts as long as possible, maintaining its freshness.
Rules for pruning roses for beginners: stimulating growth (with video)
The plant always reacts in a certain way to pruning with pruning shears or a hacksaw. Therefore, as practice shows, pruning rose bushes must be done consciously and purposefully. Pruning disrupts the balance of the plant's water and nutrient supply system. After pruning, the balance between the volume of roots and the number of above-ground shoots changes. The plant needs time to adjust to the change. After pruning, the buds that were previously in the center or at the base of the shoot - the so-called axillary buds - appear at its top.
When studying the rules for pruning roses, novice gardeners should remember that stimulating the growth of shoot tips primarily accelerates the development of axillary buds. And the development of the kidneys located below is inhibited. They can also be at rest.
This state is supported by inhibitors that form at the top and go down.
As you can see in the photo, after pruning the shoots of roses, the buds that are at the top begin to develop:
In most cases, this impulse concerns not only the buds at the very top, but also those located below. In nurseries, specialists regularly remove the tops of shoots in order to grow strong plants with maximum possible number shoots. Without such treatment, many varieties would produce only one flowering shoot that grew at the grafting site. The younger the pruned shoot, the sooner the buds that were previously located below will germinate and thereby compensate for the losses of the plant.
However, inhibitors may further inhibit the growth of fresh shoots from the upper buds. In addition, these substances are formed in the leaves, in the axils of which the buds are located. This problem can be solved: remove such leaves immediately after pruning. This will speed up the growth of fresh shoots.
Please note that the growth rate of fresh shoots depends on the location of the bud: The further the dormant buds are from the top, the slower the fresh shoots grow.
Watch the video of rose pruning for beginners to better imagine how this agricultural technique is performed:
In the next section of the article you can see photos and read a description of pruning roses depending on the place where these plants are planted.
How to properly prune roses depending on where they grow
Rules for pruning roses also depend on the place of growth. For example, they play an important role climatic conditions. Maritime climate affects plant development differently than continental. Growing conditions in the surrounding area Lake Constance completely different from, for example, at the foot of the Ore Mountains. In an area where severe frosts are common, one must constantly take care to ensure that the plants do not freeze. Methods for pruning roses in areas where the last severe frost occurs in February differ from those where the arrival of cold weather in April does not surprise anyone.
Conditions can vary even within the same garden. Some plants receive the optimal amount sunlight, others are forced to survive in the shade of the house or neighboring plants. Naturally, the latter will produce fewer thin shoots, which must be cut shorter to achieve more intensive growth. The structure and type of soil also greatly influence the development of Rosaceae: the soil can contain a high concentration of humus, be too wet or rich in nutrients, or be poor, such as sandy soil.
The place of growth determines the purpose of use of the plant and dictates how to prune roses correctly. A climbing rose on the wall of a house needs more careful care than one that climbs along a tree trunk. And not only because caring for a rose on a tree is more difficult.
In the end, the plant’s resistance to diseases and pests depends on the place of growth.
If any misfortune occurs, the victim can be helped. To do this, you should take measures and correctly, promptly prune the affected parts of the plant, thereby preventing the spread of the infection.
This photo shows how to prune roses depending on where the bushes grow:
The relationship between pruning and feeding roses
“What is the connection between fertilizing and pruning?” you ask. And the answer lies on the surface.
Never forget that nature is not content simple principle"Not really". Many factors act together, complementing each other. One of these factors is fertilizing, or supplying the plant with a sufficient amount of nutrients. After pruning, we expect healthy, fresh shoots to form quickly. For this, the plant needs a whole complex of appropriate nutrients. A novice amateur gardener expects rapid growth immediately after landing, which is very reckless.
First, roots must form that can ensure intensive shoot growth. If the soil is well prepared, fertilizing is not necessary. Rather, it will hinder growth, since fertilizing increases the concentration of salt in the soil.
And this negatively affects the plant’s water supply. In addition, a young rose is unlikely to need a rich complex of nutrients, since at this moment its above-ground part is not yet so developed as to require enhanced nutrition.
And here is the feeding own root roses nutrients after spring pruning is very useful, but the degree of fertilizing must strictly correspond to the size of the plant.
An overdose of nutrients, in particular an overdose of nitrogen, entails the risk of the formation of too large shoots. It is possible that such shoots will grow underdeveloped and become vulnerable to certain diseases. To overcome them, the plant will have to be pruned additionally.
The effect of nutrient deficiency is the formation of a small number of thin shoots with small flowers. Grow strong and healthy plants on a weak “foundation” is impossible. You will have to trim the shoots of rose bushes not in the correct way, but in such a way that at least some healthy fresh growth appears on them, that is, shorter and shorter.
How to prune roses correctly: height, direction and length of the shoot
The next point that you need to understand before pruning roses correctly is optimal height, cutting direction and shoot length.
Roses are pruned differently than others. woody plants: shoots are not cut directly above the bud. Parts of the shoot about 2-3 mm long dry out after pruning. If you cut the shoot directly at the bud, the sprouts will not appear at all or will not be viable. There is no point in waiting for something strong and healthy to grow here.
The cutting point should be no higher than 5 mm from the kidney. A greater distance is unprofitable, since the shoot will dry out greatly, spoil the appearance of the plant and weaken its immune system.
It is necessary to cut in the direction from the bud and at an angle.
Sometimes it can be difficult to find buds on woody tissue. They are almost impossible to see. Sometimes it makes sense to look on the stem for the place where the base of the leaf was once located - it looks like an oblique dark scar. The kidney is located directly above this place. If necessary, roses are pruned additionally after the buds have sprouted.
The next relationship concerns the intensity of pruning and the length of the shoot after it. If you cut short and leave few buds on the shoot, they will produce fewer fresh long shoots. If you prune smaller, you will end up with a lot of short, fresh shoots. Using knowledge consciously, it is possible to balance the development of varieties with different growth rates. But achieving a complete balance here will not be possible.
You can grow a small number of roses on long stems or many flowers on short stems. Pruning also allows you to balance the growth of shoots that develop at different rates, meaning you can stimulate or slow down their growth. Moreover, pruning helps to maintain or limit the development of a particular variety.
Tool for pruning roses in the garden
A quality tool is important for both the plant and the gardener. Those who have had to trim vigorous stems before know how difficult it can be and understand the value of a good tool.
The force applied, the comfort of the tool and the load on the tendons are the main criteria for choosing a tool. The first calluses on your hands will make you wonder if the expensive pruning shears are the best option in the long term.
Young woody shoots with a soft core are sensitive to stress, and their woody shell is initially relatively thin.
Later, the volume of the core decreases, and the shoots themselves become more massive, especially in roses. Such woody shoots are much harder and can be trimmed without extra effort it won't work.
In any case, it is important to use a sharp and well-adjusted tool. A dull pruner cuts inaccurately and injures the plant.
In extreme cases, it tears the bark. The gap between the blades of the pruning shears leads to the fact that the tool can jam and the cut will be of poor quality. It turns out that forces are wasted ineffectively, and, moreover, under such conditions, the cutting part of the tool may simply break, unable to withstand the load. Naturally, this primarily concerns cheap instruments.
High-quality sharpening of the tool is very important for flawless pruning of plants. When re-sharpening, the blade should be sharpened on one side only, which is how most tools on the market today are sharpened. A good pruning shears can always be recognized by the quality of its sharpening. Its blades remain sharp over a long period of use.
Ordinary pruning shears are not suitable for trimming massive perennial shoots. Here it is better to use pruning shears or a hacksaw. However, a regular hacksaw is also hardly suitable for cutting closely spaced shoots. A small folding saw will help here. It fits comfortably in the hand and cuts perfectly.
Spring pruning of roses of different groups
In spring, roses produce their strongest shoots. The gardener's task is to create conditions for lush flowering. Trim off any shoots that look suspicious, that is, those that can cause disease or attract pests. The bushes should not look too massive, but slender and elegant. In other words, their appearance should bring joy. That's why you grow them.
Of course, roses bloom without spring pruning. True, they look like rose hips, which no one really cares for. If roses are not pruned, then many varieties of roses grow taller, but they do not have dense foliage below, and this looks rather sparse. Without pruning, you will also have to forget about the health of the plant, since fresh shoots will not appear from underground.
Tips for pruning can be found in every rose care manual, sometimes they are so varied and complex. It would be good to remember that nature does not ask our opinion about which rose should survive winter frosts, and which not, which should be frozen more strongly, and which should not be touched at all. It is clear that there are too many benefits detailed instructions A little. Much more tangible benefits come from understanding cause-and-effect relationships and accumulating your own experience.
The next section of the article provides tips for pruning roses in spring for beginning gardeners.
Pruning roses in spring for beginners (with video)
Winter is over, frosts are no longer expected. It's time to work in the garden. When you first look at rose bushes that need pruning, there is something akin to bewilderment. After all, how can you calmly look at this terrible web of many intertwined shoots, studded with thorns? This is absolute chaos in which it is impossible to restore order. However, a systematic approach to tidying up will help you cope with a task that at first glance seems insurmountable.
This means that you need to cut to healthy tissue. Dead tissue is sometimes difficult to recognize immediately. Therefore, first the shoot must be cut to green bark. But in most cases this is not enough.
The next step is to inspect the core. If it is greenish-white, the cut location is correct. If it is brownish, you will have to trim more.
After a harsh winter with late frosts and warm periods in between, it is difficult to detect all the plant's problems with a quick inspection. Later, during pruning, the damaged shoots may seem quite healthy, but in fact they are not - these shoots will soon die. After some time, they will need to be trimmed again.
You may find remnants of shoots that were pruned last year. Such shoots either do not have buds at all, or they are located on them so poorly that the plant simply does not have enough strength to sprout healthy shoots. Dried remains of shoots not only spoil the appearance of the rose, but also attract diseases and pests. They need to be cut back to the next closest branch point.
You cannot do without pruning shears in case of illness or pest infestation. If you find stems without a pith, then know: this is the work of the roseate descending burner.
Only trimming the shoot to healthy tissue can help here. The same goes for bark cancer. If you do not trim on time, the disease will “circle” the shoot, and all living things on it will die.
Already in February, bright yellow rust spores can often be seen on the stems of roses, with certain varieties suffering from it more than others. Don't waste time and immediately trim off any diseased shoots to prevent the spread of spores. The result is healthy roses and much less plant protection work in the summer.
The next step is to remove all shoots that grow inside the bush, intersect and interfere with each other. Finally, you need to trim off weak shoots on which fresh growth will not appear.
Old shoots that will no longer bloom luxuriantly should be cut back to the ground or to fresh, healthy shoots below that grow outward. As soon as the shoot grows and becomes thicker, the surface of the wound will need to be treated with a special agent.
Shoots at the grafting site growing from the rootstock that were not pruned last year must be completely removed.
That's it. Trimming is complete. The rose bush looks slender and neat again.
Now watch the video of proper pruning of roses in spring:
How to prune roses in spring for rejuvenation (with photo)
You often see roses behind which for many years no one cared. They look like impenetrable wild bushes. The first reaction upon seeing such “beauty” is the desire to dig up the plant and remove it out of sight. Many people believe that old plants are hopeless, and behind them, that is, healthy pruning, is a waste of time. If the gardener believes that such a rose has a chance to bloom and delight others with its beauty, he decides to improve the health of the plant. In addition, it may be a rare variety that costs a lot of money or is no longer sold at all.
There are no rules that say roses should be dug up and replaced with others after they reach a certain age. If roses grow in optimal location, they maintain beauty and health for many years. Thus, trying to bring an unkempt rose into bloom makes sense.
How to properly prune old roses in spring to rejuvenate the bushes? You need to start with the same steps as when spring pruning. First, remove dead, diseased, damaged branches. If you find fresh shoots near the ground, use them to re-form the plant.
Other shoots that may be frequently sick should be trimmed short or removed completely using a hacksaw. Since all varieties are different, you need to prune them in the spring as much as your experience suggests. Ideally, shoots are shortened to 20 cm; shoots of climbing and bush roses are left longer.
It is very difficult to look for axillary buds on old branches. Simply cutting by eye will not work here. In any case, there are dormant buds on old branches. They wake up after pruning and sprout. Of course, compared to young branches, sprouts on old ones appear much later.
These photos show how to prune roses in spring:
How to properly prune roses in the summer after the first flowering (with video)
After the first main flowering, roses either do not bloom at all, or bloom rather poorly. Most varieties re-bloom around late August to mid-September, but only after new growth has grown for the second time in a year. Repeat blooms are usually luxurious. Depending on the variety, some roses lose their petals at the end of this period, while for others, on the contrary, the old flowers remain on the bush for a long time.
The petals of some double roses tend to stick together, especially in rainy, humid weather, which looks very unimportant, especially in comparison with their former beauty.
Before properly pruning roses after the first flowering in the summer, make sure exactly which variety grows on your site. There are varieties whose flowers or stems quickly dry out and break off, and there are also those on which many fruits grow. They are also called “false fruits.” They can be a wonderful decoration autumn garden, if their color becomes brighter by this time. They also look wonderful in a vase.
First of all, this applies to many varieties of bush roses. Depending on taste, one person prefers a garden decorated with fruits, while another wants to see a lot of flowers. Science says that the fruits should be removed for stronger flowering, as they cost the plant considerable energy.
Roses with fruits:
Climbing rose variety " Bonica 82» pale pink color.
Climbing rose variety " La Sevillana» color from orange to purple.
Climbing rose variety " Marchenland» color pink.
Climbing rose variety " Masquerade“The color is yellow, closer to autumn it is red.
Climbing rose variety " New Dawn» color pink.
Shrub rose variety " Scharlachglut"The color is crimson, with a yellow eye.
Climbing rose variety " The Queen Elisabeth Rose» color pink.
Watch the video on how to prune roses in the summer after flowering to correctly perform all the techniques:
Summer pruning of roses for re-blooming
From summer pruning roses depend on re-blooming. The eyes at the top of the shoot sprout faster than those located at the base. Thus, a plant that is cut short will bloom later than one that is not cut too short.
In addition, light pruning does not affect the density of foliage, which the rose needs for assimilation, that is, for nutrition through photosynthesis. You will also have to break off the stem that holds the flower.
If you look at it more closely, you can see that the upper buds (one or two) are very poorly developed. They are located in the axils of leaves that have not yet fully formed and have not acquired all the feathery leaves.
These undeveloped buds are not able to produce fast-growing and strong fresh shoots and thereby guarantee flowering. Therefore, along with the flower or inflorescence, part of the shoot must also be removed. The remaining top sheet should be fully formed. In hybrid tea and climbing roses, the leaf should consist of five feathery leaves. After the first flowering, the shoot must be cut off above the bud, which is located in the axil of the formed leaf.
How to properly prune a rose in the summer to see the second bloom faster? To do this, you will have to stimulate the growth of new shoots, that is, prune. We already know that foliage is needed for photosynthesis, but at the same time, the leaves produce inhibitors that inhibit the premature development of buds in the leaf axils.
Naturally, one should not expect rapid flowering under the influence of inhibitors. In order not to wait until they are neutralized naturally, you can do the following: simply tear off the entire leaf entirely at its base. Thus, the effect of the inhibitors coming from the leaf will stop, and the bud will begin to develop faster.
Most roses are grafted onto the root collar of a rootstock. Depending on the type, variety and planting location, shoots constantly appear on the rootstock. If these shoots are not noticed and removed, they grow and suppress the grafted variety. Root shoots can completely suppress the scion.
It may even happen that one fine day you go out into the garden and instead of a rose you find a rosehip bush there!
As a rule, root shoots are easy to detect. It grows more intensively than the grafted variety and differs from it in the color of foliage and shoots. In most cases, the root shoots are lighter in color. Its leaves are smaller in size than those of hybrid tea or climbing roses, and, in addition, they consist of more pinnate leaves - from seven to nine. With some bush and climbing roses, in particular those that bloom once, the difference is more difficult to detect, so you need to look more closely.
Cultivars in these groups often have leaves that are very similar in size and number of pinnate leaves to the leaves of the rootstock variety.
Shoots growing from the rootstock must be removed regularly. The sooner the better! When they are still small, they are very easy to tear off. After removal, the site of formation should be cut out clean. In most cases, root growth emerges from underground, from the root. Excavate the place where the growth has formed and completely remove the root shoot.
If you cut off the root growth only on the surface of the soil, then it will not be visible for some time, but its underground part will grow intensively, and then a fresh shoot will grow from it, with two or three additional shoots! Removing it will be much more difficult.
Please note that the scion has a crown. Everything that grows in the root zone and on the trunk belongs to the rootstock and must be removed. Small shoots on the trunk are easily removed by hand; thicker shoots are trimmed clean with a knife or pruning shears.
Typically, nurseries practice pinching roses with only one shoot at the grafting site. Pinching means shortening the tip of the shoot to 3-5 buds. While the shoots are not woody, they can be plucked with your fingers. The softer the shoot, the sooner its reaction to this intervention will follow: it may even sprout a few fresh shoots from the remaining buds. Thus, roses branch more intensively, and this reliable foundation for good plant shape.
This method of provoking branching can be used later, if after planting the sprouts on several shoots develop unevenly.
The reason for this may be that strong shoots suppress the development of weak ones. In order not to harm the morphology of the plant, you will have to shorten strong shoots and be patient, since this measure will delay the moment of the first flowering by several weeks.
The wait, however, pays off handsomely! After this, the plant will delight you with wonderful flowers for several years. Sometimes it becomes annoying because almost all roses bloom at almost the same time, and the flowering periods themselves are bright, but, alas, short.
Some varieties of rose hips and some related varieties of roses sometimes bloom several weeks before this date, and a number of other varieties a little later. After the period of “flower fireworks,” which, depending on the weather, can be longer or shorter, the splendor of flowering becomes poorer. And only at the end of summer do young shoots bloom in all their glory. Roses also bloom between these two periods, but not so brightly and en masse.
It happens that the time of some exhibition of small garden farms or amateur gardeners, a birthday or other important occasion for celebration does not coincide at all with the flowering period. At the same time, the place of the celebration should be buried in a sea of blooming roses!
In a greenhouse, roses can be grown so that they bloom at a certain time, since the “weather” here can be adjusted.
But it is impossible to control frost and heat, humidity and aridity outside the greenhouse. However, pruning can have a significant impact on plant development.
In a private garden, you can use the following trick: using pruning, you can decisively influence the flowering period of the rose.
If you prune roses in summer as described above, then you can expect lush flowering in six weeks.
Early varieties also bloom after pruning ahead of schedule. And the blossoms late varieties with a different biological rhythm you have to wait longer. If you remove the tops of soft shoots that have not yet fully formed, you can reduce the wait for flowering to four or five weeks.
If the shoot has already become woody and you cut it shorter, then flowers will appear on it later.
If you have enough time, you can plant a test plant, care for it properly and learn how to influence the flowering time. Just gain experience and master the technique of “regulating” flowering well.
Pruning roses in summer to protect plants
It’s strange, but when it comes to diseases and pests, a debate immediately flares up about what means of protection to use and whether it is worth using them at all. In this case, as a rule, two aspects are not taken into account:
- Often we ourselves transfer diseases from one cut point to another, working with dirty pruners or a hacksaw.
- Many defects can be prevented without much difficulty by slightly pruning the plant. Additionally, pruning can help prevent disease.
When pruning diseased shoots, it is not always clear whether we have reached healthy tissue or not? Often you have to cut it again, several times.
Pathogens that are on the bark or in the sap stick to the tool and spread to other shoots and plants. In the worst case, the pruning shears serve not to fight the disease, but to spread it.
Disease pathogens, such as fungal spores, can be destroyed using disinfectant. This precaution is an essential part of gardening. A rule that, unfortunately, is often neglected.
Affected shoots, no matter what - rust, spotting, or - must be cut back to healthy tissue. If rust spores on shoots can only be detected in the spring (remember their striking, bright yellow color), then bark spot and rose sawfly usually affect roses during the growing season. Shoots affected by spotting must be removed in a timely manner, before the disease “rings” the shoot, and its part above the “ring” is still alive. You need to react immediately after discovering an infection.
The roseate sawfly can be defeated through the systematic use of special chemicals, but no amount of chemicals can save already “drilled” shoots. To protect the plant, only pruning the rose in summer to healthy tissue can help.
For example, this applies to powdery mildew and gray mold. When a rose is severely affected by powdery mildew, pruning the tips of the shoots is more effective than treating the infected parts with chemicals.
Flowers affected by gray mold not only look unsightly, but are also sources of infections and diseases. They also need to be removed.
Under no circumstances should you throw cut diseased shoots into the compost, much less leave them lying around in the beds. They must be destroyed to prevent the spread of infection.
What to do with blind shoots?
Remontant varieties consistently produce shoots without flowers and inflorescences. Shoots without flowers are called blind. There are many reasons for this: broken top, insect damage, shock from bad weather, late frosts, lack of sunlight in the shade big trees, lack of nutrients and much more. Sometimes a blind flower bud can be noticed in advance. First it turns yellow and then dies. Some people think that buds do not appear on such shoots at all.
But flower buds appear long before the shoot has fully grown in length. Flower buds form on fresh shoots, the length of which does not exceed a few millimeters, that is, even then it is possible to determine whether the shoot will bloom or not.
Besides, who knows what can happen before the bud opens? Anything can happen in a few weeks, causing the kidney to die.
For a long time, as a rule, before the adventitious buds sprout healthy shoots, the blind shoots remain dormant. In order not to wait too long for flowering, you need to shorten the blind shoots immediately after detection. Blind shoots should be trimmed in the same way as flowering shoots.
In the final section of the article, you will find out whether it is necessary to prune roses in the fall for the winter and whether good reasons to refuse this procedure.
Do I need to prune roses on my property in the fall for the winter?
As a matter of fact, it is better not to touch roses in the fall.
Many “proper” amateur gardeners cannot resist putting things in order in the autumn garden. Long shoots get tangled underfoot and get in the way. In the spring they will still have to be cut, so what are you waiting for?
Besides, in autumn it is damp and cold, and you want to do everything quickly. However, if in the spring it turns out that the roses are damaged, and it is not clear why, you should know: autumn pruning is to blame!
Selected roses do not know what a dormant period is, unlike, for example, deciduous trees.
B competently organized conditions roses grow and bloom all year round. Therefore, it often happens that some garden roses have to be pruned before Christmas. The growth process stops only after the onset of cold weather. By the way, the necessary resistance of the plant to frost also begins to develop only at sub-zero temperatures.
If you are still in doubt whether you should prune your roses garden plot for the winter, then the good reasons for refusing the autumn procedure are listed below.
If you prune a rose bush in the fall, the same thing will happen to the plant as after spring or summer pruning: the buds will become active, even if it is impossible to notice. In the worst case, if the autumn is warm, the buds may sprout.
It is worth remembering that roses wake up at a minimum positive temperature. And winter frosts, sometimes without snow, are dangerous for an unprepared plant that has not hardened properly. Because of this, the rose may die, even if the winter is relatively mild.
If a rose survives winter, this does not mean that there are risks autumn pruning she is no longer afraid. Rose is a plant that wakes up from winter sleep one of the first and sprouts from the buds at the tops of the shoots.
Late frosts during this period are destructive for the plant.
If a rose bush that has not been pruned in the fall starts to sprout, then late frosts pose a much lesser danger to it, since these shoots will have to be pruned in the spring one way or another. Therefore, in the fall, the bush can only be trimmed, especially if the “mess” prevents you from sleeping peacefully.
The solution to the question of whether or not to prune roses in the fall has no of great importance. In any case, only soft, immature shoots need to be removed. By the way, they can bloom. Flowers with frost look as if they were covered with sugar icing. A wonderful decoration for the autumn garden that is hard to miss.
The situation is slightly different with standard roses. Before bending standard rose to the ground, all soft unripe parts of the shoots, remaining flower buds and fruit bases must be removed from the bush in order to prevent the plant from rotting in winter.
