Tips
Rose pruning guidelines
Can you hear the sounds of secateurs being sharpened and saw teeth being set? These tools are about to be put into action because July’s the most popular month for rose pruning.
Not in every garden, of course. Gardeners in cooler areas will wait for another month or so until it’s getting closer to the end of wintry conditions. And those with roses that bloom only once a year – ramblers like ‘Dorothy Perkins’, caney Banksias and some of the heritage roses – will leave pruning until after the spring flower display.
But for most gardeners, July is the time to get stuck into the rose bed. This sometimes requires strength of character because, with many modern roses flowering well into winter, it can be hard to sacrifice the intrepid blooms that are still braving the cold.
Before you start you’ll need to make sure you have the right equipment. You’ll require good, sharp secateurs, a pair of sturdy gloves and a saw – with a narrow blade that fits into tight spots – for the thicker wood. Plus some Yates Lime Sulfur for the post-pruning, cleanup spray.
Tips for rose pruning
- Start by using the saw to remove old, unproductive canes completely at the base.
- Then cut out any dead shoots and crossing-over branches.
- Next, snip off any twigs that are too thin to carry flowers.
- Finally, shorten back the remaining branches by at least one third. You can be more heavy-handed with the tall-growing roses. Cut back just above an outward-facing bud.
- Check the base of the plant for unwanted suckers coming from below the ground or the graft point. The graft point is usually evident as a slightly crooked or doglegged bump a few centimetres above the ground level. Shoots emerging from below this point should be uncovered and traced down to the root, then pulled off with a firm tug.
- Remove all remaining leaves from the plant. The easiest way to do this is with a pair of scissors. Pick up any fallen leaves from the soil. Put the leaves into a plastic bag and then bin (don’t compost) them. This helps prevent diseases from carrying over from one season to the next.
- While the roses are still completely bare, spray all over with Yates Lime Sulfur. This will kill off over-wintering mites, fungal spores and rose scale. Rose scale clings tightly to the main stems and will gradually build up until it covers the framework of the bush. You can hasten its removal by scrubbing severe infestations with an old toothbrush immediately after the Lime Sulfur application.
- When the rose shows signs of new growth, feed with Dynamic Lifter Advanced for Roses. This combination of organic and inorganic fertilisers will encourage healthy soil and promote strong growth.
Comments (44)
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This area is for general comments from the Yates Garden Club community. Questions posted here will not receive a reply from Yates. For specific gardening advice visit Ask an Expert
Sean
Yates site member
14:28, 06 July 2010
Wow! Never knew it was that easy! Thanks!
beverley
Yates site member
09:07, 07 July 2010
since I have been spraying my roses after pruning with lime sulpher at your advise I have had disease free roses.
Kathy
Yates site member
09:11, 07 July 2010
I'm up for the challenge.
Teresa
Yates site member
09:16, 07 July 2010
Yates have been a great help.
Brian
Yates site member
09:18, 07 July 2010
thanks, I look forward to your emails, they are so informative, now its time to get out and follow your instructions on pruning my roses.
malcolm
Yates site member
09:18, 07 July 2010
when mulching around roses should the mulch be kept away from the base of the plant
Lyn
Yates site member
17:09, 15 July 2010
If by base you mean the trunk, yes. And put the fertiliser around the plant at the 'drip line'.
kathleen
Yates site member
09:19, 07 July 2010
Roses are my favourite...and I look forward to the first new buds appearing
Kylie
Yates site member
09:22, 07 July 2010
I'll be out there today. I didn't realise you had to remove all the leaves. thank you.
marina
Yates site member
09:26, 07 July 2010
Thanks for the tips!
Nan
Yates site member
09:26, 07 July 2010
Kan you spray Lime Sulphur on Azaleas too?
Patricia
Yates site member
10:30, 07 July 2010
What a great site - so good to get tips for all those gardening questions we need answers for.
David
Yates site member
09:59, 07 July 2010
There are a couple of tips here I wasn't aware of, the lime sulphur spray and removing all leaves. I have several plants, but two of them suffer badly from black spot, so I can't wait to see if this helps.
Yvette
Yates site member
10:10, 07 July 2010
I will try the Lime Sulphur spray on my roses this year to combat the black spot I have on a couple of roses, nothing has helped so far so this may be my answer!!!
Sylvia
Yates site member
10:18, 07 July 2010
I am about to prune my roses and before I start I will go and buy the Yates Lime Sulphur, If my Beautiful 'Blue Moon' is anything like last year it will be a joy. It grew Higher than my house and was prolific with the beautiful blooms. I think because of Yates suggestion that I use the Seaweed over a period of weeks.
Lyn
Yates site member
17:11, 15 July 2010
Oh, I agree Sylvia, the 'Blue Moon' is wonderful and the perfume is divine!
David
Yates site member
10:21, 07 July 2010
I grow garlic with my roses which has kept the aphis away for some years. Will remove all leaves this year as you suggest. thanks
jacquie
Yates site member
10:25, 07 July 2010
Will the lime of sulphur change the ph of the soil by much. I live in coastal Perth and our soil is very poor it start with.
Anna
Yates site member
10:28, 07 July 2010
I am going to show my husband your tips as he doesn't believe me. Thanks now I can get him in the garden hassle free. Love the updates thanks
John
Yates site member
10:56, 07 July 2010
It is my opinion that most plant fatalities in the garden are the result of too much love and attention. The time spent procrastinating of what branch to take off could be better spent pruning another rose.
David
Yates site member
11:02, 07 July 2010
Thanks alot for the tips. About to get to it.
Noel
Yates site member
11:34, 07 July 2010
Thanks a lot, I have never heard about using lime of sulphur on my roses. I am not sure if the lime will damage the acidity of my soil as I live by the sea. I also did not know that you needed to remove all leaves when pruning.Maybe that is why my roses have not been doing as well lately. I will try it this year and see what happens . Thanks
Valerie
Yates site member
12:05, 07 July 2010
I didn't know about the lime sulphur, thanks. I have been told not to use dynamic lifter on my gardens. (I live 700m from the coast). Is this correct? I have been using sheep manure.
dorothy
Yates site member
12:19, 07 July 2010
I enjoy this time of year, pruning, the fruit trees ,and roses, cleaning up , and taking a fresh look at what I can plant and how I can make the garden better ,as I am nearly 70 years old ,I am forever looking for tools that make things easier
johnny
Yates site member
12:31, 07 July 2010
Nice tips. Never tried the Lime Sulphur before. Hope it works. Thanks.
Scotty
Yates site member
12:47, 07 July 2010
I usually just jump in and hack everything off my rose bushes. This year I will try the pruning tips instead including the lime sulphur after pruning and the dynamic lifter for roses when they start growing again. Thanks Yates.
Lesley
Yates site member
13:22, 07 July 2010
Yesterday I took advantage of the fine day and finished off my pruning started last week! I'm afraid I used the 'chain saw' approach and also sprayed them with lime sulphur so we hope to see disease free roses in the spring. Thanks for the tip re dynamic lifter for roses, I will certainly use that - I use dynamic lifter all over the garden!
Anne
Yates site member
15:54, 07 July 2010
My Husband and I also did not know about using Lime Sulfur and the Dynamic Lifter, we will be trying both this year. Some of our roses are quite old and are not looking the best. We would love to see them looking really healthy this year
Kerrie
Yates site member
16:07, 07 July 2010
Thank you, that is the most clear and comprehensive set of instructions I have read on rose pruning. We moved house this year so I am about to embark on my virgin rose-pruning session! I feel well-armed and well-equipped now, ready to make a beautiful display for next summer.
George
Yates site member
16:24, 07 July 2010
Thanks for the tips Perth has been experiencing exceptionally cold nights and mornings so will probaly leave the pruning for another few weeks.
hazel
Yates site member
16:51, 07 July 2010
Thanks muchly just goes to show never too old to learn a new trick or two, at 83 Ithought I KNEW EVERY THING BUT YOU TAUGHT ME A THING OR TWO
hazel
Yates site member
16:52, 07 July 2010
THATS ALL FOR NOW
Carol
Yates site member
18:01, 07 July 2010
Will the lime sulphur kill my lady bugs? As I have hundreds of them in the spring. I have noticed lots of slaters at the base of my roses, so hopefuly the lime sulpher will get rid of them.
Lois
Yates site member
19:36, 07 July 2010
I pruned my roses 2 weeks ago and sprayed with Triphorine. Should I use lime sulphur as well. I have a gardenia next to rose tree and white iris and azalias around them as well.
Ann
Yates site member
13:11, 08 July 2010
Thank you for the pruning tips. I do have a question - I have planted some new roses this year to replace some old bushes. I read somewhere, quite a while ago, that you should not prune new roses the first year you put them in. I thought that maybe that is where I had gone wrong with my old ones, as some of them never did very well. Is this correct please?
BEVERLY
Yates site member
14:19, 08 July 2010
thanks for the tips on roses ,will be trying this when i prune them this year. do you have to remove all the leaves off the ground as well? thanks.
Melanie
Yates site member
18:23, 08 July 2010
Wow thanks for the easy tips! I didn't know what I was doing last year.
Marjorie
Yates site member
06:20, 09 July 2010
Thankyou, you are a big help. Please tell me if the same applies to pruning a very long Climbing Rose.
Sal
Yates site member
06:57, 09 July 2010
I have been lucky with my rose bush the last year, as I have never fed it nothing and done nothing to it except cut a few roses off. I have had heaps of roses off it too. I want those beautiful roses again next season, so now that I have read this, I feel a little more knowledgeable and think I'd better go pull some leaves off and take care of it. Thanks.
Kathleen
Yates site member
07:38, 09 July 2010
The Lime Sulfur sounds good, I am going to try some for my roses.
Alan
Yates site member
07:31, 10 July 2010
this has been a very good choice to join this site thank you so much for all your tips
patrick
Yates site member
15:35, 11 July 2010
great tips on pruning and yes i will be using lime sulphur as allways cheers.
Ahmed
Yates site member
21:49, 11 July 2010
I've never used Dynamic lifter or sulphur on my roses, no wonder why they always look down. I will surely use them this year. Anything to give them that extra boost would be great. Thanx for the tips!
Joyce
Yates site member
21:21, 20 July 2010
I have 2 worm farms that have been in constant use for the last 18 months which has given me so much free food & liquid for my rose garden which has certainly shown an wonderful improvement in quality of plants & colour depth and size. Is there any need for additional fertilizers. Thank you for the information on pruning.
jillian
Yates site member
21:18, 07 August 2011
thank you so much for that info, i wish that i'd known about the lime sulphur. earlier
Sutha
Yates site member
11:10, 21 November 2011
Dynamic Lifter Advanced for Roses is a good one, Ideal balanced formula for promoting growth and flowering, easy to get from burnnings,
Sutha
Yates site member
11:12, 03 January 2012
Happy New year 2011,
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