When to Prune Roses

Q:  My roses are starting to leaf out. Is this the time to prune them, and how?

'Dainty Bess' Rose

A:  This is an ideal month for pruning roses.  I like to keep it simple. 

1. Remove all dead, diseased and broken stems as well as any thin, weak growth from last year.  Prune to an outward facing bud if possible.  Open up the center of the plant for good air circulation, removing stems growing toward the center of the plant.
   

2. With the exception of climbing and rambing roses, reduce the overall height of the plant by half. 
   

3. Climbing roses grow differently than shrub roses.  They have 2 types of canes, main and lateral. The main canes, and lateral canes that originate from the main cane and produce the flowers. Remove all dead, diseased and broken stems as well as any thin, weak growth from last year. Keep the main canes as much as possible.  Only removing those stems that have overgrown the space alotted for them.  Prune back the lateral stems to encourage flowering.
   

4. Apply your first application of a good quality, granular rose food and repeat according to label directions through the growing season.

Read our Q & As with Keith Funk answering common Colorado gardening questions here. You can also hear him on the Garden Wise Radio Show