One thing that people do not realize is that the thorns contribute to the plant's ability to absorb water so it is vital to the health and longevity of the rose that you harm them as little as possible, therefore you must not get in a hurry and you need to learn how to remove the thorns properly.

If you get in a hurry and are not careful when de-thorning your roses you will end up with a damaged plant that will be unhealthy and die prematurely. As I mentioned above improper techniques that end up with the skin of the stalk torn and peeled away will affect the ability of the plant to absorb water to the petals and it will die quickly.

One decision to be made is whether to remove the thorns on the plant while it is still in the ground or waiting until you cut the stem. The optimum method is to dethorn the plant before it matures and produces rose petals if you are growing the roses to be harvested at a later date. The best way to take the thorns off is to just squeeze the thorns on each side which will make them come off.

If you have rose plants that are exceptionally thorny you may find the method above impossible to do without injuring yourself. If this is the case then you may want to invest in a tool that is made specifically for removing thorns. You can usually pick these up at a local gardening center or possible a hardware store.

The key to successful use of a dethorning tool is to apply the correct pressure that it takes to remove the thorns and not so much that you damage the stem itself. If you do it right the thorns should just fall right off without damaging the stem in any way.

One thing that you may want to consider is not removing the thorns or at least minimal removal. Obviously if one is using the roses to give as a bouquet then you will want to remove the thorns so that the person doesn't get stuck by them. If they are only going to be placed in a vase you can leave the thorns alone that are above the water line and only remove the thorns below.