How to prune your roses

Who doesn’t want a garden full of colourful and fragrant roses? But for your roses to be as dreamy as they are, you need to prune the rose bushes correctly. Roses are generally very hardy and can handle the occasional wrong cut. So don’t be afraid to prune your rose bushes. Rose bushes benefit from being thinned out and pruned back because they become airier, sunlight can reach the bush better, and you reduce the risk of disease.

When should I prune my roses?

There are many different types of roses that you can have in your garden or on the patio. In this guide, we have chosen to focus on two common types of roses: shrub roses and flowerbed roses. You should prune your roses in the spring, when the frost has disappeared.

How to prune your roses

The dormant buds, or dormant eyes, on the roses develop into shoots when spring and summer come. When pruning your roses, make a diagonal cut just above the eyes. This will make your bush airy and reduce the risk of the branches growing into each other.

Shrub roses

Shrub roses are divided into once-flowering shrubs and repeat-flowering shrubs.

Once-flowering shrub roses

These roses often bloom on older shoots and the previous year’s shoots. That’s why it’s important that these shrub roses aren’t pruned too heavily, otherwise you may accidentally cut off the shoots.

Start by cutting away all dead, damaged, and weak branches.
The oldest branches that no longer produce any flowers can be pruned down to the ground.
If your rose bush is very dense, you may need to thin it out further.

Repeat-flowering roses

Since this type of rose bush blooms several times during the season, it is necessary to cut off the over-flowering shoots even during the summer for the rose to have a chance to flower again.

Start by cutting away all dead, damaged, and weak branches.
Also cut off branches that grow in the wrong direction and too densely.
The thickest new wood on the rose bush can be pruned by a third, and the weaker shoots can be cut so that 3-4 eyes remain.

Flowerbed roses

The flowerbed roses bloom on the new wood and you should prune the roses every year, but fairly heavily depending on how you want your roses to look. With heavier pruning, you will of course get shorter bushes, but they are usually richer when flowering. Flowerbed roses are also divided into cluster-flowering roses and big bloom roses.

Cluster-flowering roses

Cluster-flowering roses (Floribunda and Polyanta roses) are, as the name suggests, roses that bloom in clusters.

These roses can withstand heavy pruning. Depending on the strength of the shrub branches, the strongest branches can be pruned to about 25 centimetres above the ground. The heavy pruning may seem a little scary, but don’t worry. Heavier pruning will give you dense and nicely blooming roses.

Big bloom roses

Big bloom roses (Tea Hybrid Roses) flower on new wood, but are less hardy than cluster-flowering roses, and you need to be absolutely sure that the frost and cold are gone for good before you prune these roses.

Start by cutting off old, withered, and weak branches.
Leave 4-5 of the strongest shoots.
If the roses are growing strongly, prune them and leave about 20-30 centimetres. On the other hand, if the roses are growing weakly, you can prune them so that about 10-20 centimetres remain.
Shorten any side shoots so that you leave 1-2 eyes on the branches.

Tools for pruning roses

For smaller rose bushes, a sharp pair of secateurs may be sufficient. If you have larger rose bushes, loppers can come in handy as they allow you to access branches further in the bush. If you have lower and compact rose bushes, these can be pruned and shaped with a hedge trimmer. It can also be a good idea to use a pair of rose gloves or gardening gloves when pruning.

All pruning tools and accessories