In March, prune your roses!

How to prune rose trees in winter and why

March, near the end of winter, is the ideal month to prune your climbing, bush, and repeat-blooming rose trees

Let us tell you why.

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Why prune rose trees in March?

You might have the habit of not pruning your rose trees… Careful! If you keep it up, you’ll be overloaded with growth of twigs and small branches. These will end up suffocating the plant, cutting out the light. Also, wilted flowers that aren’t removed drain the rose tree’s resources, since as they transform into fruit and seeds, they uselessly consume all the sap that would otherwise go to young shoots. So seize the day come March, as day hours lengthen and temperatures rise, to spend a little time in your garden and give your complete attention to your rose trees.

That’s right! The end of winter is when the most important pruning must be performed on rose trees, in February or March depending on the climate, once the last heavy frost spells are past. Of course, you can still wait a bit longer, until April, but always be wary of freezing days. One exception is the once-blooming rose tree: it is pruned as soon as its only blooming is over, in August.

Why prune roses

Structured rose trees

Pruning roses in winterRose trees need their branches to be structured, so that light can reach all the way to the center of the shrub, and air can circulate freely. Take care, though, not to cut off any budding eyes, or you will reduce the coming blooming. However, nothing should stop you from cutting the plant back by two-thirds of its height, to concentrate spring sap into the new shoots.

Beforehand, make sure you have disinfected your pruning utensils, since they can turn out to be spread factors and transfer diseases. Also, remember to burn the trimmings in order to eliminate diseases and parasites that may have gone dormant or taken up shop during the winter.

What is certain is that the more you pay attention to your rose trees, the more their blooming will reflect that care… So now you know what you must do if you wish to see your garden beautifully invaded with roses!


Image credits (edits Gaspard Lorthiois):
CC BY 2.0: Larry Jacobsen
CC BY-SA 2.0: Bill Abbott