By Martha Wright, Conservation Manager of AMI Initiatives for SAWS. A little tough love right around Valentine’s Day is exactly what our roses need for healthier growth. Roses can be the stars of your garden all spring and summer with just a little care this time of year. Late winter is the perfect time for a good pruning to encourage healthy new growth resulting in bigger, better blooms.
If you are hesitant to cut this precious plant, don’t worry — you aren’t alone! I was shocked to learn you should cut off a third of the rose bush right around Valentine’s day. It sounds ridiculous, I know. But as I’ve learned, tough love is exactly what our roses need for healthier growth.
When to prune
In San Antonio, a good pruning in late February or early March gives your roses a fresh start for the year ahead. Some believe Valentine’s Day is best, but I recommend watching weather warnings for a possible late February freeze before grabbing your clippers.
Prune like a pro
Get your tools ready. Make sure you have clean, sharp pruners and gloves.
Start with the 3 Ds. Remove dead, damaged and diseased branches first.
Make a good cut. Identify the overall height you want. Most roses can benefit from a good trim with one-third of the plant’s height removed. I find it easiest to chop to the preferred height, then work from there.
Get in shape. After the extra height has been removed, look for branches that are crossing or growing inward and remove those. This helps open up the center of the plant allowing airflow and discouraging fungal disease.
Find your buds. Identify outward facing buds and prune just above them, ideally cutting outward at a 45-degree angle. This will encourage new growth to spread outward.
Post pruning
After you’re done, clean up the debris including fallen leaves. Some mulch and a good watering will help the rose bush retain moisture and a little rose food will help give them a boost as they start their spring growth.
Different rules for different roses
Whether you have hybrid teas or climbing roses, floribundas or knockouts, all can use a good pruning! An online search can help you find tips specific for your variety. Knockout roses, while low maintenance, can handle a good pruning which can help keep them from being too large or leggy. Climbing roses should be lightly pruned with some shaping and removing of older growth. The one “rose” you probably don’t need to prune? Rock roses aren’t actually in the rose family, but they too can benefit from trimming off any dead stems and shaping as desired.
Think of pruning as getting a head start on your spring cleaning — but for your garden! A little effort now will leave your roses refreshed and revitalized, leaving you with beautiful flowers come spring.
Martha Wright, a Southern California native, Martha grew up understanding the importance of water conservation. She is the conservation manager of AMI Initiatives for SAWS. Using her love of data, Martha helps improve water conservation programs for customers and the utility. In her free time, she enjoys tending to one of her favorite plants — rock roses — or traveling to botanical gardens when Dale Chihuly has an exhibit.
