Small black insects, such as ladybugs and aphids, can cause damage to rose plants. These wedge-shaped insects, which come in colors of green, yellow, and brown, cluster on new growth, including leaves, stems, and buds. They feed on roses by piercing the plant and sucking its sugary juices.
Rose sawfly caterpillars are another type of insect larvae that can cause damage to rose bushes. Rose slugs, which resemble caterpillars but have nothing to do with slugs, can also cause damage when fully mature. Inviting ladybugs, lacewings, and birds to your garden can help control populations of insects that snack on roses and other garden plants.
Aphids are small, pear-shaped insects that cluster around the soft new growth on roses, feeding by piercing and sucking its sugary juices. They can be sprayed with pesticide, smushed off with fingers, or applied a mist of water mixed with dish soap. Scales are insects that pierce and suck plant juices, reducing plant vigor but usually not enough to kill the plant. Spider mites are so small that they require a magnifying glass to see, and if not removed, they can damage your plants.
Roses can support several species of aphid in the spring and summer, with Macrosiphum rosae being the most common. As they age, galls darken and become woody, disrupting the flow of the plant. Fungus gnats are small, flying insects hovering around the soil surface, with their larvae resembling tiny worms. Mealybugs are a type of cottony, mobile scale that often can be seen in clumps on houseplants.
| Article | Description | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Little green bugs on my roses!? What are these? : r/flowers | Those are aphids. You can spray for them with pesticide, smush them off with your fingers or apply a mist of water mixed with dish soap. | reddit.com |
| A Visual Guide: Rose Problems | Scale. Scale are insects that pierce and suck plant juices, reducing plant vigor but usually not enough to kill the plant. The main problem with scales is … | missouribotanicalgarden.org |
| My indoor rose plant suddenly had tiny spiderwebs and … | Spider mites are so little that they require a magnifying glass to see. If you don’t get rid of spider mites, they can damage your plants. | quora.com |
📹 7 Rules for Pruning Roses
Rose pruning can be intimidating for beginners. Garden advice on the topic is often presented as a set of “rules” to follow for …
Does Soapy Water Get Rid Of Scale Insects?
To combat scale infestations on plants, homemade treatments using dish soap and water can be effective, particularly against younger scales. Mix 1 tablespoon of dish soap with a quart of water. Use a sponge or cloth to wipe both sides of the leaves and stems, as the soapy water breaks down the protective coating of scale insects. After a couple of hours, rinse the plant with a damp cloth to avoid soap damage.
In addition to sponges, a soft-bristled toothbrush can be used gently to dislodge adult scales and larvae, enhancing removal efficacy. For sensitive plants, consider using a cotton swab dipped in the soapy solution to target individual scales without causing harm.
Insecticidal soaps can effectively target scale larvae but may not work well against established scales anchored beneath their shells. Spraying the affected areas with a solution of soap—approximately 5 tablespoons per gallon of water—is effective for broader applications. Manual removal is suitable for less severe infestations, utilizing a soft brush or cloth to scrub the scales gently. Regular treatments, every few days, will help keep infestations under control.
For a more thorough treatment, some gardeners advocate soaking the entire plant in unscented liquid castile soap solution. Consistency is key, monitoring plants for signs of scale, and adjusting treatments as necessary. Finally, regularly wiping down the leaves with alcohol, water, or natural oils can prevent future infestations and help maintain plant health.
What Does A Rose Thrip Look Like?
Thrips are slender, winged insects, usually less than 1/16 inch long, appearing in various colors such as yellow, brown, and black. These pests tend to favor lighter colored rose blooms, causing significant damage. Infestations often lead to visible signs on petals, including red spots, brown streaks, and mottled effects. Roses affected by thrips typically exhibit streaky or silvery speckling, along with small white patches. Early signs of infestation may manifest as transparent areas or discolored petals dotted with black fecal secretions.
One primary area of concern is the flower buds, which become deformed and may fail to open entirely due to the thrips’ feeding. As they puncture cell walls to extract sap, the roses develop brown spots and distorted leaves. The tiny thrips often appear as tiny dark slivers or brown bruising, making them difficult to identify without a magnifying glass. To improve visibility, it is advisable to shake the buds onto a white surface.
Thrips are especially active during warm, sunny days and can be carried into gardens by the wind. Their bite-and-suck feeding mechanism results in visible damage such as curling leaves and non-opening flower buds. For effective management, recognizing the specific types of thrips and their damages is crucial, given that heavy infestations can severely impact rose blooms and overall plant health.
In understanding how to combat thrips, it’s essential to monitor the roses closely, particularly for distorted rose buds and unusual markings on petals. This guide aims to equip rose gardeners with information to identify and address thrips infestations effectively.
What Are The Tiny Pests On My Rose Bush?
Rose bushes can be susceptible to a variety of insect pests, categorized into sap-sucking and chewing pests. Sap-sucking pests include Aphids, Thrips, Mites, Whiteflies, and Scales. Chewing pests encompass Caterpillars, Earwigs, Garden Weevils, Sawfly Larvae (commonly known as Rose Slugs), Snails, and Slugs. These pests can cause visible damage, such as white spots on leaves or deformed buds. Aphids, small pear-shaped insects, are particularly problematic, often clustering on new growth and causing curled leaves and sooty mold through their feeding behavior.
Thrips, another notable pest, are slender and can damage flower buds, while Sawfly larvae resemble small green caterpillars. Effective pest management includes inviting natural predators like ladybugs and lacewings into the garden, which can help control pest populations. Garden cleanliness is also critical; removing debris can reduce overwintering pest numbers. Soft-bodied pests like aphids can be manually removed or mitigated with a strong stream of water. In summary, maintaining healthy rose bushes involves monitoring for these pests and taking appropriate action to manage their populations.
Can You Spray Vinegar On Roses For Aphids?
A solution of one part white vinegar to three parts water is often recommended as a natural remedy for treating aphids on rose bushes. While vinegar effectively kills aphids on contact due to its acidity, it can potentially cause foliage burn on sensitive plants. Therefore, it is advisable to test a small area of the plant first before widespread application. To use this solution, mix one part vinegar with three parts water in a spray bottle, then spray directly onto the aphids.
An alternative method is to use a strong water spray to dislodge the pests without harming the plants. Additionally, a homemade aphid spray can be prepared by mixing one pint of water with one teaspoon of dish detergent, a few drops of vegetable oil, and a splash of vinegar. However, care must be taken to avoid soaking the plant, particularly the flowers, as vinegar can discolor their petals.
For an effective mixture in larger quantities, consider using two or three tablespoons of vinegar per gallon of water and targeting the undersides of leaves and stems. Other recipes suggest combining vinegar with baking soda for added efficacy. While vinegar is a popular choice for organic gardening, there may be more effective aphid control options available for rose bushes.
How Do I Get Rid Of Aphids Asap?
To effectively combat aphid infestations on your plants, begin by mixing 2 parts water with 1 part dish detergent, then spray directly onto the aphids, specifically targeting those under the leaves. This method essentially drowns the pests. Allow the soapy solution to sit for around two hours before rinsing it off with a hose. For an immediate removal, carefully hand-pick aphids while wearing waterproof gloves; gently rub leaves and stems to dislodge or crush them.
Since aphids reproduce quickly, timely intervention is crucial. Fortunately, there are many natural and effective ways to manage aphids without aggressive chemicals. A simple homemade soap spray can be made by combining 1-2 teaspoons of liquid dish soap or Castile soap with 1 quart of lukewarm water in a spray bottle. When applied generously to the plant, this targets aphids where they reside. Alternatively, aim a strong water jet from a garden hose at the plants to dislodge them, as aphids are vulnerable to water pressure.
Other home remedies include vinegar sprays and various organic repellents. To prevent infestations, avoid over-fertilizing and ensure plants are well-watered. Maintaining a balanced ecosystem can deter aphids, while strategic removal of them by hand or using natural sprays can help in achieving long-term control of these pests. Regular monitoring and care for plants will further enhance their resilience against aphid damage.
How Do I Get Rid Of Little Bugs On My Roses?
To manage little black bugs on roses, you can use a homemade soap spray by mixing 1/2 teaspoon of mild dish soap and 1 teaspoon of cooking oil in a quart of water and spraying it on the plants. Another option is to release ladybugs, which will remain if there's food and shelter. A strong stream of water can also help dislodge pests such as rose slugs, which may not harm the plant directly but can create unsightly holes in the foliage.
Effective homemade insecticides can help control aphid infestations and prevent damage to leaves and blooms. Organic options like neem oil are viable alternatives, targeting pests like aphids while sparing beneficial insects.
Identifying pests is crucial; tiny white bugs may hide under leaves or in blooms, and recognizing the damage they cause can aid in control efforts. Regular examination of rose bushes for common pests, including Japanese beetles, is important, as these can lead to significant foliage damage. A simple soap solution made with mild liquid soap mixed in water can effectively combat aphids when sprayed on affected areas. Using a hose with a strong jet of water is often the easiest method for removal.
For added effectiveness, consider mixing two tablespoons of Dawn dish soap per gallon of water. For tougher pests like chafers, powdered rotenone or pyrethrum insecticides or beneficial organisms can provide additional control measures.
What Can I Spray On Roses For Mites?
Insecticidal soaps and horticultural oils are effective and nontoxic options for controlling spider mites on rose bushes, posing minimal risk to humans, wildlife, and beneficial predators. Aphids are the most common pest of rose bushes. A solution of insecticidal soap can be made by mixing 2 1⁄2 tablespoons of liquid soap with 1 gallon of water for thorough spraying on mite-infested areas. neem oil solutions, made by combining 2-4 tablespoons of neem oil with 1 gallon of water, can be effective as well.
Natural methods like blasting plants with water, pruning infested parts, and spraying rose bushes with cold water every morning can help mitigate spider mite infestations, particularly on the undersides of leaves. Additionally, a homemade remedy involves blending larkspur or delphinium leaves with water for spraying. Handpicking beetles and using insecticides like permethrin can manage Japanese beetle populations.
Two-Spotted Mites, often causing yellow or brown speckled leaves, can be treated using Yates Lime Sulfur or Yates Nature's Way Citrus and Ornamental Spray. It is advised to avoid using oil sprays during extremely hot temperatures to prevent damage. Alternatives such as Eco-neem or Eco-oil offer organic solutions without harming beneficial insects.
What Do Scale Bugs Look Like?
Soft scales, like aphids, produce honeydew, attracting nuisance ants. They often appear as small, circular bumps on plants. Depending on the species, scale insects can be brown or cottony white and measure up to 1/4 inch long. They are usually oval, flat insects, varying from tiny dots to larger lumps, with a protective tan to brown shell-like covering known as scale. These pests primarily feed on plant sap from stems and leaf tissue, commonly found on the undersides of leaves and around leaf joints.
Adult females are immobile, while the nymphs, or crawlers, remain close to their initial locations. Scales infest various plant parts, including stems, trunks, and leaves. There are two main types of scale insects: armored and soft, characterized by their hard and soft coverings, respectively. Both types can cause damage to a wide range of plants, from lawn grasses to ornamental shrubs. Scale insects can go unnoticed due to their immobility and resemblance to plant blemishes.
Typically just a few millimeters long, scale insects are sap-sucking pests protected by their waxy coverings, which help them evade organic pesticides and predators. Identification is often based on their appearance; they resemble small, dome-shaped bumps. Scale nymphs, or crawlers, share a similar look, typically brown, and dome-shaped, with sizes ranging from 1/8 to ½ inch across. After laying eggs, female scales die, leaving behind their small brown spots that can be scraped away easily, highlighting their often-overlooked presence on host plants.
What Does A Scale Crawler Look Like?
Crawlers represent the juvenile stage of scale insects, which are unique and visually distinct from other insects. These small, mobile six-legged juveniles lack any protective cover and are referred to as "crawlers" due to their ability to walk away from the maternal scale to find new feeding sites. Once they begin feeding, they flatten out and become covered with a clear wax shell. Infestations spread as crawlers walk or are carried by the wind to nearby plants, primarily affecting species like ash, dogwood, lilac, maple, and willow.
They usually hatch in early spring and change from white to glossy as they mature. Crawlers can vary significantly in color—from brown to cottony white—and can measure up to 1/4 inch long. The males, typically smaller and turning white, emerge as tiny, pink to yellow gnat-like crawlers. Scale covers can take on various shapes, including round and oyster shell-like forms, with sizes often less than a third of an inch.
What Do Rose Mites Look Like?
Spider mites, tiny arachnids measuring barely visible to the naked eye, are typically yellowish to brown. They typically inflict damage on plants, particularly roses, by piercing leaves to feed on sap, resulting in stippling—small specks or dots—that can escalate to severe yellowing or even leaf drop. Infestations can generate fine webs, commonly found on the undersides of leaves. Identifying spider mites involves observing key symptoms: yellow or bronze discoloration of leaves, stippling, and fine silk-like webbing.
A significant indication of a spider mite problem is webs covering the flowers, which can cause significant plant health decline. The notorious two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, is recognized by its orange, green, or yellow coloration along with dark spots on its body. Treatments such as Alatar and Fitoverm can help manage these pests. When a rose shows signs of cobwebs and drying, immediate action is essential to curtail the infestation.
Inspect the undersides of leaves closely for visual indicators like speckled foliage, which signals feeding damage. In severe cases, the presence of waxy coverings may appear, making mites look white and cottony. Overall, these pests pose a serious threat to rose plants, requiring diligent monitoring and prompt intervention when detected.
📹 How To Grow, Prune & Care For A Rose Bush
TV Presenter Katie Rushworth shares useful tips that will help you grow roses that produces flowers for the whole season.
A question/ comment about sealing freshly pruned canes: Cane borers have been a huge problem in my garden for years. I have been sealing the pruning cuts with woodworking glue and it doesn’t work, they bore right through the glue. How can we prevent/ control cane borers in freshly spring- pruned canes?
Very well explained. I live in England and I always prune my roses between the last week of February and the first week of March. I deadhead regularly and feed twice a year with a granular rose food. I’ve had my roses for many years and they are beautiful every year. Many people think roses are hard work but I always tell people that’s not true.
You have such a lovely place. The flowers make it look so cozy and inviting. I can just imagine the joy your roses bring. I came across your website as I was looking to find someone who had the Pilgrim Climber. I have 2 that I will be planting very soon. Yours is gorgeous. I also love the color of your shutters. I have been wanting to paint my main entrance door with a similar color, but my son didn’t think it would look good on our home. After seeing your shutters, I am going to show him how pretty yours look. I grew up in the mountains of Virginia on our family farm. I have so many wonderful memories of those times of working alongside my family whether it be in the fields or our vegetable gardens, but my favorite memories are of the times spent with my mama and grandma and their roses. Many of the roses on our land had been planted by grandma as a young wife. She had planted rambling roses throughout the property. They grew wild and were huge and draped beautifully over the fencing in random areas. When the winters began to give way to spring, I always had a sense of overwhelming happiness. I knew the roses would follow and soon, masses of pink and white blooms just exploded everywhere. I remember lying in my bed and how strong and sweet their scent was and how that scent drifted through my open window. On days that there was no school, I would grab a book or my guitar and set out to one particular rose bush that grew alongside a back meadow and just beyond an old mulberry tree.
I prune my neighbour’s bush twice a year and she’s always delighted. 😉 The last week in March…quite vigorously…as it’s proven to encourage swift new growth, then again in the last week of October, more to shape it for the coming year. It’s worked for me for over five decades, regardless of species. Another reason for pruning is to ensure air circulates, keeping the plant cooler in hotter weather and to enable the gardener to spot insect infestations more easily. Incidently, cutting on a downward slant, away from the thorn, so water doesn’t pool on the cut, lessens chance of infection getting in that way or the stem splitting, as we clearly saw in one of your stems. Obviously, it’s your website, so you’re free to scoff at the experiences and opinions of professional gardeners, who understand why practices are employed, over centuries, and passed down through apprentices. Happy gardening. 🙂
What a helpful article! My husband and I moved into an old (200 years+) cottage in Wales last year. One of the main reasons for the purchase was the garden! Oh my goodness, what a beautiful place it is! But it’s been left for about 2 years because the old lady who lived here went into care. I feel very bad for allowing the state of it to worsen (apparently she lived for gardening and was chairwoman of the local horticultural society!!) but to tell you the truth… I dont know a lot about gardening! But I have been pruning back to make sure we can move around and to stop nothing from getting truly out of control (although I need to hire someone to do the HUGE weeping birch): the lawn gets cut etc. we have a Japanese quince which looks like its getting strangled and a f… the yellow one at the beginning you mentioned (see?! Not a clue!), and LOADS of roses!!!! LOADS! Unfortunately they’re mostly once-blooming but a couple go throughout the year. I haven’t touched any of them because I’m afraid of killing them, but you’re article has helped loads. I feel i know exactly what i need to do now. Thank you!
I seem to come back every year to remind myself – thanks for the clear, no-nonsense explanation. I have a special rose to care for this year onwards; it’s a Marie Louise, gifted as a memorial to my late grandmother of the same name. It’s a once flowering old rose and is going to be in a pot for the next year or so. I’m really nervous of pruning this next year so would appreciate any tips. Thankyou!
This article had a lot of good info. The house I just bought has over 100 rose bushes, and I have never cared for roses in my life. They are probably 5 – 10 years old and are beautiful. BUT, I’m concerned about the pruning. These roses have not been cut back for several years. The stems are thick and woody, some of them are 8 feet tall. Do I still cut them back to 2 feet? How do I know which branches are suckers and which I should keep?
I am an experienced gardener but have never attempted roses. I have 3 rose bushes, in pots, that I am developing. I am very excited and nervous! LOL! I am going to move them to the next largest pot today. I don’t want to plant in the ground because it is quite hot here now. (NC). I have learned SO much from your articles! The “crossing branch” theory is quite interesting to me because it the way one would prune a young youngish tree. So, on with the day. Thank you again.
Rule #6: From my experience (growing roses in Australia), the way you prune a cane depends upon several factors. a. The diameter of the cane; smaller canes can be pruned perpendicularly without any sterilising. Just look how the rose naturally does it for proof. b. The angle you cut larger canes can range from about 10 – 40 degrees. Use your rose as a guide to what angle it likes best. Too steep an angle (like 45 degrees in some instances) can cause dieback to occur. c. Sterilising the ends large diameter canes is advised. A bitumen based pruning paint works well. It certainly prevents dieback. The amount of and type of pruning depends on what you want to accomplish, whether you want high quality single stem roses or just lots of roses. Generally the harder you prune, the less flowers are produced.
I have ordered a David Austin climber that I plan to train on an obelisk. I have always believed my coastal NC climate was not rose friendly. That may still be true but I plan to go in it with as much knowledge as possible. Thank you for good clear instructions. You make me believe I can be a rose grower.
I’ve found your website for the first time today and I am now not so scared to prune the roses! It does feel a little shocking to see the before and after of how you pruned the Fellowship rose but after seeing you do it, I feel more confident. Thank you for your straightforward explanations and I will follow your guidelines next year as it may be too late to do this pruning at the end of May here in Kent, England.
Nice clear vid, thanks. Having grown roses for 30+ years, I would add few comments. Pruning: autumn light pruning to avoid wind rock, spring pruning for most, BUT, different species require different pruning, e.g. once flowering ramblers – prune immediately after flowering, early flow ring shrubs likewise for a second flowering. Also, get to know your plants, if they are struggling, mulch & fertilise well, and v light pruning, or none at all. I did a hard pruning two years ago, & some roses struggled to recover, this year, almost no pruning for the climbers. But with basic good care, roses are surprisingly forgiving & productive. And the scents… don’t get me started, they vary enormously.
Thank you for an easy-to-understand guide and demonstration to prune roses. I am the person you speak of, afraid to prune so I avoid most. I have a prized rose that I am desperate to learn to prune properly – Let Freedom Ring. It is a long-stemmed Hybrid Tea rose in a beautiful red that wants to grow very tall. I know I am in the ideal location for this rose because I live within 10 miles of where it was hybridized. Actually, I blew it – my great Uncle was the hybridizer. I had only met him once and my dad passed shortly after I learned of this rose, I always said I’m going to call or visit, I didn’t and he passed away. Loved your article, subscribed and will be following and looking at prior articles.
It would be nice if you make a little ” update of the pruned rose ” article once it’s in bloom or when it grows back to see how it will look =) Not sure if it’s just me but I think it would be nice to see, always awesome to see beautiful flowers ^^ oh and Also could you make a article about Why are potential reason why a rose won’t bloom/flower ?
Thanks for this, I have an old woody rose, probably a traditional old English rose, with simple white flowers, fried egg like. It has a about 4 main stems, and is probably 12ft or something. It’s near a path, so it actually pays to have it more ridgid and not blow over into your face! It can’t get too vase like for the same reason. And cutting it down low, could be problematic. I cleaned it up a little bit last year, and took out face whips, and other old and dead growth. But now am thinking I’d like to tighten it up and have it as two main stems with forks, then into flower. It’s probably a once bloomer. The wood is probably at least an inch or more, in width. Will it heal and even bud on this thicker older wood?
Thank you for your time spent making this article and sharing your knowledge. Its a great help, and I just added 6 months as I live down under in New Zealand. Loving my rose garden, and many of my guitar students have commented on our new rose gardens dressing up our front yard. So Thank you once again for your time and knowledge.
Thank you for the article! I live in the Fraser Valley, and when we purchased our house we inherited a number of roses. One of them was incredibly tall – over 8 feet – and as far as I can tell as a total beginner, it was not pruned properly for years and years. I think it must be a grandiflora (sparse foliage, big pink fragrant blooms in groups). I have cut out the obviously dead wood and removed all the small twiggy bits to try and get a better understanding of the plant, and trimmed the tops of all the canes by 1/3. Now I’m a bit stuck – the canes coming out of the crown are almost all barked over and very thick (3 cm in diameter), and the productive growth seems to come out of branchings of these huge old canes well over a foot off the ground. If I cut some of these right back near the crown will that stimulate fresh new canes from the crown itself? Should I wait till next year to do that since I have already pretty aggressively pruned this plant? Thank you!
Thought your article was great. Really appreciate it. I live in Virginia near DC. and I’ve never pruned my roses back, but intend to now (early June). Any concern about the heat or insects damaging the plants? They are dense, very tall and just need to be thinned out in general. Thanks again for all the great information.
Hi Jason, is there a rule about how thick the stems are allowed to be? I didn’t take care of my rose bushes for a couple of years (back injury) and they’ve become pretty ornary, thick at the bottom, over the diameter of a sharpie for example. Do I prune above the thick base of the rose bush now, or can I take it way down to try to bring it back to some semblance of a shapely bush?
Hello There, You speak very well indeed. I learned such a lot perusal your very beautifully filmed article. What a place, of somewhere inside-a-dream, (loving ROSES all day long) is where you make your livelihood. Most informative “class”. Thank you. Is easy to tell, you are one individual who regularly speaks the TRUTH front & center. And, you are good at it! You’ve Light about-you. & shines out just beautifully. Good job! Well done! CLS
Thanks for this article. very helpful to have the “myths” simplified and dispelled! I have been intimidated by roses in the past, (i think because of the variety and mythologies around them, and now I see that pruning them is essentially the same as any shrub. dead, damaged, diseased, crossing and shaping. Thanks again! I go forth to prune!!!
I liked the tip about making our 1st prunings on roses & maybe other blooming shrubs, when the Forsythia are in bloom, & that Quince branch in bloom was such a beautiful sight! I’m imagining it looked lovely in a vase, & might’ve rooted for you. The real reason to cut any stem on any plant at an angle is so that rain, or water from a hose will roll off & won’t sit on the cut, possibly inviting disease or mildew. Which is why it’s best to water nearest the soil & not on the stems & leaves for the same reason.I learned the lesson the hard way with my 1st rose shrubs, many years ago. An angled cut will dry faster & therefor will also heal faster. The seemingly harshly cut shrub you showed looked beautifully done, to me. While not all roses need to be cut back to that extent, I’ve seen that cutting low on an overgrown & gangly or unbalanced shrub encourages new growth to emerge lower on the stems, so we can create new opportunities for growth emerging lower on the stems. Then we can maintain the new offshoots which will be emerging at roughly the same level, & then prune just above outer facing buds, all at similar levels to encourage a more even looking, more compact, vase-like form, to begin with. Then depending on our shrubs, we may keep them compact, or let the 1st flush of spring growth go & let it arch & spill over, or ramble over a fence, or up it’s arbor, as it was meant to do.. In Spring, when rejuvenating any shrub, like a rose or a Lilac, as you said – first remove any dead, diseased or broken branches.
Lucky me, I found your website doing a search on pruning & dead heading roses. Very helpful website, thank you, nice to know the slant cut is not here or there, btw, & you’ve such gorgeous roses, a beautiful farm,& such a lovely location love all the bird feeders too. I have one hybrid tea, a Double Delight I’ve had since 1989 and I’m very interested in preserving this rose, I love that rose.. The other is a white Iceberg floribunda 2010 or it was white. I moved both to southern NH from Bostom, strangely the floribunda white Iceberg when it bloomed the second summer, the roses turned red. It was transplaneted twice, my husband dug it in first but it was too deep I moved it to another location all together. I have done a search and find some change colour slightly, but this was shocker from white to red not pink I just did a search and I see there is a variety called Burgundy Iceberg ours was certainly white in Boston, and this is a deep red not like the Burgundy, it was white when I first transplanted it in August 2016, red in 2017. It use to be very beautiful in white and very fragrant, it’s still pretty just odd that is red. I wonder if it was grafted and I cut the wrong part off or damaged it when transplanting twice. In any case thank you for your website.
Fabulous article! Just went outside Maine, zone 5b (March 21,2022) and saw my David Austen rose bushes and my other knockout rose bushes (I only have 4 rose bushes) needed pruning, but I realized I didn’t know if it was the right time to prune. So, thank goodness I found your article’s. I do have a forsythia, so will wait for that to bloom, or at least till danger of frost is gone. Took a page of notes and really appreciate how informative this was. Thank you!
Good article. However, I was told the reason you cut at an angle is to help guide the direction of the way the rose stem will grow for shaping it in a more longer time period. I never heard of putting anything on the cuts before, either. So, those old wise tells are new to me, LoL . Learn something new everyday. Tyfs!
Thank you so much. I have a couple very stalky “rose bushes,” if I can even call them that, in my back garden which I have randomly “cut/pruned” over the years with no instruction. I’m finally perusal a couple articles on how to do it the correct way and I’m finding your article for beginners to be very informative and helpful. Thank you so much for this article.
Thanks Jason! Means alot. I am on my Mom’s retirement property and it’s been kind of overwhelming but all of you that reach out make such a difference in my confidence. I consider what you good folks do to help us is a very awesome ministry in perhaps many ways. Thanks so much bro. Have A Great Day! Yours Truly, Jay
Thank you for the article. I have knock out roses which are compact and difficult to prune at times. I appreciate you discussing crossing stems because I believe that happens with my knock out roses. They’re very compact in the middle and difficult to prune. I also have been afraid to cut off too much, now I’m not.
You are pruning roses with a lot of emergent growth. I have always believed that i must prune when there are buds and stems, and after danger of frost, but if I prune stems with leaves showing, it’s too late and I might kill the plant or set back flowering to miss the season. Your pictures show lots of leaves. Asking just to try to understand how late is too late? And by the way this is the clearest, best explanation I have ever found! Logically organized. Thank you very much!
I think the importance of precision and tool hygiene is often understated. I think of it this way- doctors used to amputate limbs in a variety of horrific ways which often became infected, sometimes killed the amputee, sometimes the person was left alive but with a brutal wound that probably made their lives much harder to adapt to- that is until we developed a better understanding of anatomy, sharper, smaller tools, and antiseptics! It’s no different with plants ☺️ Treat them like they have feelings (cause they do! 💚)
👍 I would add, that if someone is unsure where around a bud to cut or when is the exact right time, just left about an inch above the bud and clean the cut later in the season when new shoot is hardened enough. For those who want to be super precise, I found very useful using bonsai tools, like concave cutters or knob cutters.
I just purchased a home and there are several old rose bushes around the home. I am not even certain of what kind of roses they are…. maybe climbers, as they seem to be very gangly and out of control!! I would like to prune them back a bit before winter hits, but not sure what to do!! I live in Colorado…… thank you so much for any tips you might have!!
That was great as we’re just about to run a rose pruning course and it’s something I’ve been keen to do for a long time as there’s no-one in Scotland doing it (only one rose grower now too!). I attended David Austin Roses for a couple of years on their whole day course and latterly went to Peter Beales in Norfolk, both of whom I’m sure you are very aware of. I was heartened by the fact I didn’t gain a great deal (seem to be doing it mostly right) but there was info I really wanted on the older style once flowering roses. Only been gardening for 20 years and currently only have about 500 roses (although quite a few house size!) in the 16 acres I look after. I have to admit that the commercial growers have a time constraint and their pruning methods differ somewhat from those of us who have hours to spend (or are paid to do so) for a finer tweaking. An old rose like ‘Blue Moon’ that really grows like a bunch of raspberry canes really benefits from the outward bud whereas maybe ‘Wendy Cussons’ with its very prostrate habit, well not so bothered. Mostly into HPs, Portlands and very much Bourbons which fair so much better in the cooler climate of Scotland than Southern England. I do recall the presenter at David Austin saying that he pruned his roses when he was tired of his Christmas guests and that was usually on Boxing Day! Most amusing I thought. Far too much myth around the subject and I love going to new gardens and rejuvenating roses that are often in a parlour state.
You are doing a great service to the rose lovers around the world. Thank you..When you cut a rose at an angle (R 6), your surface area of the cut is larger. If you live in a green are (rainy) you are exposing larger area to the rain. It could be good and bad – depending on what could result from that kind of cut.
I really enjoyed this. Thank you for the resource! On a quick aside. The reason I was told by my grandfather, who was a master rose gardner on the angled cut, was to keep any water from pooling in the tiny depression formed as the end dries out and getting into it and causing rot. I think it’s a very unlikely thing, but I can’t stop myself from cutting them on an angle. 😉
Thank you! One thing I do on the subject of sealing cuts, is that needing to prune a larger stem where you need to use your saw, I dab on some ground cinnamon on the fresh cut which is a natural anti-fungal. No need to repeat it after a rain, just to get it on when the cut is fresh. For me it works like a charm. I also do this on fruit trees if I have to remove a limb rather than a branch, or a sucker which may grow too close to ground level.
Thank you. Absolutely lovely to listen and watch. After too much cold and too much rain, I’m about to go out into my South Oxfordshire garden and get pruning. My forsythia hasn’t come back after moving it last year but the damson blossom has come out in the last three days and the cherry and apple blossom have been out in the orchard about a week. Feeling more empowered after hearing you.
Great article for me is says to me I’m not the problem however I now live in Texas I’m finding that my root or base area is not getting cold enough during winter and spring so by using up partial bags of ice I have to buy and putting them around my base of rose I do get larger blooms as I did in Northern California working in a packing house I learned that one tip if I want large blossoms be sure to make sure the base got cold enough in the doormat part of its life
In warmer climates ie frost free, prune lightly. Dead head, cut out dead wood. Prune lightly year round when cutting blooms for vase. I have blooms throughout the year in Cape Town. Interestly most rose gardeners here still follow British pruning traditions which are not really suited for the roses here, we are learning. Thanksfor your article.
Thank you for your article! As other’s have said, I’ve watched a lot of articles, but yours is the most instructive. I planted vine roses that grow on a trellis against my garage with clematis. They have grown beautifully. Until a month ago. The blooms stopped blooming – they die in their buds. From my research, it appears they have a fungus ( Botrytis Blight is my guess). I had let the stems criss cross and grow thick with the clematis which I am sure is what lead to the fungus (we had a wet May and first part of June). I bought some copper fungicide. I saw in your comments that it may be too late in the season for a vigorous prune. What do you recommend? Go vigorous to air it out wait or ??? Thank you!!!!
I was interested in your view of cutting at an angle. Whilst I’d never heard the reason for this as being to deflect water away from the bud, I have been told by more than one horticulturist that you should cut at an angle to ensure water does not sit on the open wound thus creating potential rot or disease situations. As a professional landscaper I always followed this rule for that reason. The next time I make cuttings, I may cut both ways and compare outcomes.
cuting at an angle makes sense. maybe not on roses and against rain, but for example on wine, where the wounds bleed for a long time after the cut: if you angle the cut towards the bud, the bud will drown in the sap and die, if you cut away from the bud, the sap runs down on the other side of the stem and the bud develops just fine.
I watched a few articles on rose care from your website, really like it so far. I have bought a climbing rose (Corinne’s Choice Ozeana pink) two years ago and aphids constantly seem to be attacking it. The location and sun exposure (from the side) wasn’t to ideal. So I moved it to a fresh extended border along the wall of our shed, with nice sun exposure. It is stressed now, but I hope it will forgive me next year, or at least in the year after that🫣🤞🏻I had to prune it back a little, because the hard wind made it tip over. I made a quick, temporarily support with bamboo canes to help it establish and root better this fall. Last year I also bought a shrub rose (Corinne’s Choice Scheenwittchen white) and again the aphids where all over the place. It looked pale green and the white flowers went floppy anytime it started to wanting to bloom. It didn’t seem happy and I still don’t know why it did that. Hopefully next year will be a better year for it. Do you have any recommendations to prevent unhappy roses like this?
This is fantastic thank for all this detailed information. Bought a house with an immaculate yard but it’s been more work than I thought. There’re a stunning rose bush that I’ve let go crazy in the front of my house. I’m so scared about cutting it back and destroying it. I’m in zone 6b in northern Utah and it is middle/end of August. Should I cut it back now or should I wait until next spring?
What do you use for disinfectant between bushes? I want to make a spray bottle of it so I can just spray, wipe and go to the next bush. And also why would my bushes that were not suppose to be climbers, just grow long branches that droop with not much smaller branches off them? Do I keep pruning them through out the season?
Hello 😊✋🏻 my roses are still blooming but i was just wondering if its ok to leave the plant and not prune it at all to be able to take more cuttings for the next year or its not gonna be healthy and strong cuttings ? and also please tell me exact time for hard pruning and cuttings 🌸 and Thank you for your articles
Thank you so much for your pruning advice. I started my Rose garden last year and every thing seems to be doing well. My question is regarding David Austin Lady of Shallot, which is planted in the middle of the garden. It seems I received a climber not a shrub (I didn’t realise they came in both varieties). It has grown from a barefoot stick into almost taking over the entire area. I am scared of transplanting and a trellis is not an option in that area. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
I learn a lot from this article, wealth of information. Thank you for sharing Jason. We have 3 different roses we inherited with the house last yr, a previous neighbor told me shes a rose pro and that i should prune them when they’re dormant. My question, is it true? And when is that dormant stage exactly and what does it look like? Unfortunately I don’t see those blooming plants you mentioned as a rose pruning guide. Im in WA pnw zone8b. Been rainy for almost 2 months now and some snow. I did not prune our roses yet Thank you for reading my comment and I’m hoping to find some answers from the pro.
Hello, the article is very interesting and informative, thank you for that. Now I have one question, I have 5 different types of roses on my balcony, the are in pots. Most of them are growing nicely and have beautiful blooms, except for one. It has been 4 months since I potted them all, this particular rose did grow many branches and had healthy leaf growth but suddenly the growth stopped and it has not bloomed even once, and now all the new buds that are appearing are drying out and falling. It is very important to say I am in Israel, the weather here is hot and I do water them almost every day. Can you please tell me what I can do to make it grow new leafs and bloom?
EXCUSE MY CAPS PLEASE. I CAN’T SEE THE SMALL LETTERS WELL ENOUGH TO USE THEM ON THIS CHEAP PHONE. I’M REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE FOUND THIS article FOR PRUNING ROSES. IT WAS GREAT TO LEARN YOUR TIPS. A FAMILY MEMBER “CHOPPED THE ROSES UP AT THE RENTAL HOUSE I LIVE IN!!”. I’M TRYING TO LEARN HOW TO PRUNE THEM TO HOPEFULLY FIX THEM! THANK YOU SO MUCH GREAT INFO!! GOD BLESS
Great tips..I have 3 climbing roses and they’re a mess. I try to prune them but seems to be a lot of stems and not many flowers. Also I have Knock Out Roses that are supposed to bloom from spring until frost but they don’t and they don’t look full and healthy. What can I do for the KnockOut Rose shrubs to make them grow bug, healthy and bloom all summer?
Hi Jason, I have climbing roses and hybrid tea roses and as it is currently mid October in Ontario I am wondering if I prune any of these roses now or just hill them up. I did not prune my once blooming climbers yet and wonder if I should do that now. I also have ones that bloom more than once and still have blooms at this time. Thanks for some help. 0:08
Your instructional article has been great in getting my friends garden to flourish these past two years. The first year I didn’t take down as low as this past year but we both agreed the end results were wonderful. I rewatched your article in case I missed the answer to my new question. The roses( different varieties) are blooming beautifully. Do I continue pruning the center of the “vase” to allow for better air circulation and prevent crossing branches and damage? Or do I only dead head now until the next serious pruning season? And do I cut the stems that grow high to bloom or do I maintain an eye level pleasing shape? Those two questions are hard to find answers for and I want my friends roses to be extra wonderful this year. She is in her seventies and relies on me to keep her garden wonderful. I’ve learned everything from great articles like yours. Please advise. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and time in editing to help us rose newbies Cheers from California Dave
Thanks for such an informative article on roses. Very helpful for me . I stay in a area where it rains continuously for three months and my roses take a toll with over watering . I just make sure they r alive till the rain subsides and then work on them with pruning and fertilising. Am I doing this right ? Do we have to do anything on roses during monsoons ?
I have had upwards of 200 rose plants to maintain on a yearly basis in the past, I never did seal to fresh Cutz however I do wonder what might prevent boars from going down into the fresh Cutz and create damage way down into the cane, nursery shrubs are usually sealed with wax on their cuts why and what is your recommendation. Luke