When Should Roses Be Pruned?

Roses are forgiving, which is why so much bad rose pruning goes unpunished. But the difference between a correctly pruned rose and a hacked one shows by midsummer.

Bush and shrub roses

Prune in late winter, usually February in this part of the country, as the buds begin to swell. Take out dead, damaged and crossing wood first, then reduce the remaining stems to an outward-facing bud.

Climbing roses

Prune after flowering or in winter. Tie in the main framework as horizontally as possible — flowering shoots break along a horizontal stem, not a vertical one — and shorten side shoots to two or three buds.

Rambling roses

Ramblers flower on last year's wood, so prune them straight after flowering in summer. Winter pruning removes the very growth that would have flowered.