Aesthetic Pruning

Merritt College has Saturday classes, open to anyone, about pruning different kinds of plants. You will learn about proper cuts, pruning for focal point or background, time of year for different plants, and much more. Check out the schedule here. One of our volunteers has taken all of the classes. We have many plants to practice on with guidance: roses, pines, maples, pomegranates, persimmons, conifers.

Rose Pruning

Many of the old roses are pruned in August. That's because the next year's roses will form on branches that grow in the fall.

If you hard prune them in the winter (like a hybrid tea), then you are pruning off the next season's flowers.

So it's ok to do some pruning of branches that are growing in the path and are a danger to visitors, but the major work is done in August. Then not all old roses are this particular and that's why we need to give them a name. Here are some helpful instructions from Tom Liggett who provided many of the roses in our garden in the 1990's. Interspersed are Kate Lipman's photos of the original roses which we may or may not have any longer. That's why we are identifying them.

Many of our roses came from Tom Liggett via Kate Lipman. These instructions are by Tom Liggett from a two-sheet undated handout "Pruning Old Garden Roses".

ONCE-BLOOMING ROSES, INCLUDING GALLICAS, DAMASKS, CENTIFOLIA, MOSS, ALBAS, AND MOST SPECIES ROSES

Prune after bloom in the spring.

Prune according to growth;

• if the rose is very large and vigorous, remove more older canes completely

• if less vigorous, remove far less.

Prune remaining canes as you would prune Climbers; cut lateral shoots to two buds.

Even though once-bloomers are not pruned in winter, garden hygiene is still critical. All leaves must be removed from the plants from the plants, and the area around the plants must be raked clean. Also, the winter is a good time to remove spreading shoots. European-types, especially, have a tendency to be invasive.

CHINAS

Again, prune according to specific plant vigor. Prune less vigorous types the same as Floribundas, but leave more canes and slightly shorten top branches -- removing 1/4 to 1/3 their length. Prune more vigorous Chinas as you would prune Shrubs, described later.

TEAS

Many Teas strongly resent hard pruning, so beware. With mature, overgrown plants, it is better to prune plants lightly over three years in order to attempt to reduce size and produce new basal breaks (new canes from the base of the plant).

Generally, prune Teas high, removing no more than 1/4-1/3 of last year's growth, and remove old canes sparingly IF there are abundant new canes to replace them. Again, prune Teas as you do very vigorous Floribundas or Hybrid Teas, except leave more canes, and prune them higher with more top branches. Many Teas will bloom through our mild winter (Susan Louise), so you may wish to prune them every other year or have two plants of a known winter bloomer, in order to have this rare blessing. Many of the roses will bloom much earlier than other types if they are not pruned.

HYBRID PERPETUALS

This can be a very confusing group, since it encompasses many different types of plants. Generally, prune the more Hybrid Tea-like blooming plants as very vigorous Hybrid Teas (leave many tall canes, and prune laterals to two buds). Shrubbier types should be pruned as Shrubs (see later in the article).

BOURBONS

Again, this is a large and varied group of roses. Prune the less vigorous types, such as the bush form of Souvenir de la Malmaison, as Floribundas, except that you leave more canes and top branching. More vigorous-types are pruned as Shrubs.

SHRUBS, INCLUDING RUGOSA, HYBRID RUGOSAS, AND RAMBLERS

These plants tend to make large, tangle masses. This may be fine for the first few years after planting, but there is a price to be paid if they are not periodically "cleaned out". To maintain good vigor, good growth, and bloom habit, they must be pruned at least every other year. Yearly pruning for these roses is only necessary if you really want a neat, "perfect" garden.

Prune these plants according to their recent growth habit; if you have many new basal breaks, then you will remove many older canes. If the plant has lost vigor, or has not produced many new canes in the past year or two, then remove few, if any. Trim lateral shoots to two eyes.

"CLIMBING" TYPE ROSES, INCLUDING CLIMBING TEAS, HYBRID TEAS, FLORIBUNDAS, POLYANTHAS, HYBRID MUSKS, AND VIGOROUS NOISETTES

Extreme care must be taken in pruning these plants. A huge plant may have taken a human lifetime to get that large. Many of these types resent hard pruning. As with pruning Teas, it is better to take several years to get an overgrown plant in shape, rather than risk shock to an old plant by pruning it too hard at one time.

Remove old canes sparingly, and only if you have new ones to replace them. Also, as with shrubs, prune laterals to two buds. Remember, the vast majority of these plants bloom on old wood, so even if you have plenty of new canes, do not cut out nearly all of your old ones, or you will not have any bloom this year. Also remember that many climbing sports of know, excellent bush roses are essentially once-bloomers, so don't be too disappointed if you have these plants, and they give little repeat bloom.

GENERAL TIPS ON PRUNING AND WINTER CARE

Pruning, next to variety selection, is perhaps the most confusing aspect of growing roses. There are countless ideas and methods on this subject. Remember, we live in a unique climate. Roses here do not need to be pruned for winter protection, even in what we would consider a "harsh winter." Do not, under any circumstances, prune your roses very hard. Roses in our climate should always be pruned above secondary branches. Many plants, particularly Old Garden and Species types, strongly resent cutting into their new basal breaks below the first branch. Canes cut too severely may die back, or do poorly. If the size of an individual plant dictates that you must prune below the secondary branches, you may have the plant in the wrong place. It is far better to prune too little than too much.

In pruning all roses, the main object is to remove old canes, in order to give new ones a reason and a place to grow. In this vein, it is important to know something about the specific variety that you are growing. Only remove canes from those varieties that are known to produce plenty of new canes. Remember, first remove any dead canes, then diseased canes, then ones that cross back through the center, then, if you have plenty of new canes, you may remove older ones that are crowding the plant, particularly in the center. A primary object of pruning is to clean out the center so that sunlight can stimulate the production of new canes.

Winter is your big chance to not only clean up your garden, but to reduce disease in your roses as well. It is critical that you remove all leaves from your rose plants, whether you prune them or not. Old leaves left on the plant or ground will harbor diseases and pests that will readily attack the tender new growth of spring.