Pruning roses

Pruning your roses

It is time to get those sharp pruners and disinfectant wipes! It’s time to prune your roses. Make sure you have some tough gloves and long sleeved shirt on. It would be a good idea to wear some eye protection to. As the rose buds start to swell looks at the rose for a while, in your mind get a mental image of how you want it to look. There are many cultivars of roses and understanding which one you have is important. If I were to prune a floribunda or hybrid tea rose I look to have 3 0r 4 good strong canes, about 8 to 12 inches above graft. When pruning make sure the canes are well spaced and the buds you prune to are out facing. Strip all the leaves off, making sure you get all things clean underneath. Make sure all dead canes are out to as well as anything coming below the graft. The graft is that swollen were the rose was grafted.

Shrub roses are easier to prune. I first prune out all dead canes, the ones that are bridle and non-productive. I then look at any major cross branches and prune it to the ground. Then at waist level deadhead the old blooms.

Climbing and rambling roses get all dead canes out. Do you have it trained on a structure? I like to have a cane or two spaced along the structure. If you like you can take the old cane out and train a new one. The key is to prune to make way for good are flow.

After pruning it is time to cleanup all debris and weeds out of the bed. I like to mulch with some good aged compost. If you like you can sprinkle some rabbit food before the compost. Remember feeding the soil will help the plant better battle the insects and disease problems that occur.

Well it is planting time and many places will start selling bare root roses and other trees and shrubs. Before buying make sure you have the right location and amend the planting area. Before you plant, take the plant out and examine the roots. Cut broke and unhealthy ones. Soak the plant in a bucket of water for 24 hours. That way it can get hydrated. When planting I like to dig a big enough hole to accommodate the roots. Build a little cone in the middle to bring the plant flare at ground level. The flare is the part between the roots and bark of the plant. It looks like a ramp. In roses plant the graft above ground. Water well to get air pockets out. Remember to call locators to locate any underground utilities. Safety should first.

In my next blog I will go over mowing.

Q. Can I use newspaper as a weed block?

A. Yes, Many newspapers now use soy based ink. I like to use cardboard. Weed the area lay the newspaper or cardboard then your mulch. A nice organic way to fight the battle of weeds.

Happy Gardening to you and yours,

Gardener Joe

Joe Machcinski, LIC

Owner/Operator

Pangea Gardenscapes, LLC