There are no flowers and very few leaves on rose bushes now, and that’s all the more reason why winter is the best time to hard prune roses!
The term ‘hard pruning’ encompasses a wide range of plant material removal. It can refer to cutting a plant back by one-third of its current size or to taking it all the way down to the ground, where only 12-18″ remain above ground, and everything in between. With my Knock Out roses, I cut them back every year around this time (usually Valentine’s Day is my reminder), and I leave only 10-12″ of the sturdiest stems. Roses bloom on new growth each year, so this gives the bush a chance to rejuvenate and push out all new, healthy growth in spring.
If being more selective with pruning, like with climbing roses, start by cutting out dead or diseased canes/stems. Then remove smaller ones and those that are crossing or growing towards the center of the plant. As with any plant, air needs to be able to flow through the center to prevent disease from occurring.
Another thing to do, especially with roses, is to follow good sanitary practices, again to prevent disease and potential insect issues. This includes removing any fallen leaves from last season from the center of the plant and from the ground around the bush. Leaf spot is common on roses, and the fungal spores from that linger on leaf litter. Follow up this task by putting down fresh mulch.
You’ll definitely want to mulch after planting a rose bush now. This time of year is perfect because, while the plant is dormant, it can focus solely on root growth before the weather gets warmer (and stresses it). All flowering plants need sun to bloom, and roses are no different. They’ll be most abundant in a place where they receive at least 6 hours of sun a day!
And a practical reminder for the importance of mulch! Pam Keene, rose lover and keeper of Rose Lane in Flowery Branch, shares how she protects her dozens of rose bushes with colder weather certainly on the way. “With a half a bag of cypress mulch (not the colored stuff) on each bush, cover up where the graft is, from the root to the canes.” This will be enough, she says, to protect the plant from freezing temperatures. Then come warmer weather, spread that mulch out around the plant.
In addition to the aforementioned sanitary practices, Pam says she uses dormant horticultural oil spray now, to protect roses from fungal spores and overwintering pests. She says to apply it not only to the stems but all around the ground below too. Ideally, oil applications are made during a more mild day when the high is between 50-60 degrees.
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