Pruning rose bushes can be overwhelming and confusing to many gardeners, Proper Pruning and training is the best way to keep your Rose bushes healthy blooming and looking their best.General pruning principles apply to all roses, but there are differences between classes. Hybrid teas require the most severe pruning for optimum bloom and plant health. We have included several different species below. The main cutting tool is a good pair of bypass pruning shears, because they make a cleaner cut. A pair of long handled bypass loppers or a pruning saw may be necessary for large canes.



Proper pruning will help keep your Rose bushes healthy, blooming, and looking their best. The best time to prune is early spring. If you prune in the fall new shoots may be killed by the first frost.

Why Prune?

Pruning helps provide good shape and growth. Cut off old or diseased canes to help your rose maintain an attractive, full shape. It also helps promote growth of new shoots, and buds, this will produce more blooms. Pruning opens the form helping air circulation. This helps to prevent fungal diseases.

How to Prune!

Choose an outward-facing bud to make the Rose grow outward this will allow more light and air into the center. Cutting above an inward facing bud causes the Rose to grow straggly shoots into the center. Cut about a ¼ in. above the bud on an angle. A cut to close to the bud will prevent it from growing. If you cut to far away the remaining cane length will die. Use a sharp pruning shears to make clean cut. A frayed cut will leave the Rose open to attack from frost, bugs, and fungus.

New Roses

If you are planting new Rose Bushes, prune further than normal to help the shoots grow stronger. Cut the canes down to 8-10 in.

How to care for a Climbing Rose Bush

Get the Best Growth and Blooms from your Climbing Roses with Basic Training. Climbing roses are not true climbers. Help your Climbing Rose to an erect form. For maximum blooms you need to bend the canes of the rose to make side shoots grow. The more shoots you help the rose produce, the more blooms it will yield. Training also includes thinning old unproductive canes, enabling stronger, younger canes to produce more flowers. As the canes of a climbing rose grow, bend them in arcs and tie them in place so they grow horizontally or downward. Canes that grow straight up produce flowers at the tips only. The more you bend the cane the more side shoots it will produce. Climbing roses must grow for 2 or 3 years before they bloom. In the spring is the best time to bend and tie the canes because they are most flexible. After the rose blooms is best time to prune. The climbing Roses that bloom once a season should be pruned as soon as new growth appears in the spring. The repeat bloomers can be pruned after they finish blooming.

Plant Climbing Rose about 12 inches from the support with roots facing away from support. As the canes grow, tie to the support. Tie loose enough to allow growth. Slowly flex the cane tip to a horizontal position when they are long enough to bend into an arc. Remove the flowers before they fade in the first season.

Begin tying the canes to support.

Mid Summer

Remove faded Flowers. Cut blooming side shoots back so that three or four leaf groups are left on branch. Continue bending and tying canes with new tip growth.

Late Summer

Prepare climbers for winter. Leave late blooming flowers on plants to help the roses adjust to winter.

Late Fall

Mound Soil around base to prepare for winter.