Roses
Pruning bush roses in late winter, the difference between climbing and rambling roses, and deadheading.
Key points
Summary
| Rose type | When | How |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid tea, floribunda | Late winter | 1–2 old stems at the base; rest by a third to a half |
| Climbing | Winter | Flowered sideshoots by about two-thirds; tie in new stems |
| Rambling | After flowering, late summer | 1 in 3 of the oldest stems out; sideshoots by about two-thirds |
| All repeat-flowerers | Summer | Deadhead to keep flowers coming |
Quick check
When are most bush roses pruned?
- In autumn, after flowering
- In midsummer, in full flower
- In late winter, as growth begins
- In early winter, before the frosts
How much are hybrid tea stems shortened?
- By about a third to a half
- Down to ground level
- By just the top few centimetres
- By three-quarters or more
When is a once-flowering rambling rose pruned?
- In late winter, like bush roses
- After it flowers in summer
- In spring, before it flowers
- It is never pruned
In your garden
- Work out which type each of your roses is.
- Diary February or March for bush roses and climbers.
- Diary late summer for any ramblers.
Video transcript
Roses are pruned differently depending on their type. This lesson covers bush roses, climbers and ramblers, and summer deadheading.
Prune most roses in late winter, as growth starts: around mid-February in the south, and March in colder areas. Start with the three Ds, then remove thin, spindly and crossing stems. On hybrid tea and floribunda bush roses, take out one or two of the oldest stems near the base. Shorten the rest by a third to a half, cutting just above an outward-facing bud.
Climbers and ramblers are pruned differently. Climbing roses flower on sideshoots from a permanent framework, often repeating all summer. In winter, shorten the sideshoots that flowered by about two-thirds, and tie in new stems. Rambling roses flower once, in early summer, on stems made the year before. Prune them after flowering, in late summer: take out one in three of the oldest stems entirely, and shorten sideshoots by about two-thirds.
In summer, deadhead repeat-flowering roses to keep new flowers coming. Don't deadhead roses grown for their autumn hips, such as Rosa rugosa. And in spring, after pruning, feed and mulch.
This is one of 10 lessons in Pruning made simple
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