The reason to keep your rose tree garden pruned is to help promote new growth especially new blooms. By pruning, you also get rid of the dead growth which also makes your plant healthier. Pruning also helps you to alter the shape of your busy and control the size that it can become. Rose bushes need air circulation which can be improved through pruning also. By opening up the plant through pruning, you will allow more light to penetrate it which also makes it stronger. If you prune the bush wrong, it will not kill the plant, but knowing when and how to prune it will make it stronger.
It is important to have very clean and sharp tools when pruning your rose tree. The most popular pruning tools are the bypass pruner and the long handled lopper. It is important to keep your pruning tools clean because if one of your trees should have a disease, you can pass the disease on to the next tree or bush that you prune. If you have an unhealthy rose tree or bush and you know that your tools have been exposed to it, you can use rubbing alcohol to clean the tools. If your trees are healthy, you can just use water to clean them and wipe them dry before pruning your next bush or tree. Sharp tools are needed to keep your cuts straight. A dull cut can damage the cut and that will not be healthy for it. You can use heavy duty gloves to prune which will protect your hands from the thorns.
The hardest part about pruning is to know exactly when to prune. This will vary by the type of rose bush you have. It is not recommended to prune roses in the fall unless they are in an area that is exposed to strong winter winds. For most rose types, you will need to prune in the early spring to a height of about ten to twelve inches. You will always want to prune toward a bud facing outward so that the new growth will not crowd around the center of the plant. All of the roses that bloom on their old growth should be pruned immediately the day right after they bloom. The roses that bloom on new growth can wait to be pruned in the early part of spring. The climbing roses have a long life cane that produces a lateral growth. The flowers arise from this growth. The climbing roses bloom mostly from their old growth. If you prune these too much you could reduce its flowering.
It is important to know where to cut when pruning roses. Removing the dead wood is easy but you have to know where to start cutting the healthy part. You cannot really harm rose bushes by pruning them. At worst, you will have a time of year with few blooms as a result from pruning hard at the wrong time of year for the particular rose plant. Most roses can be pruned as much as ½ to 2/3 of their height every spring. You will be rewarded with a strong growth and beautiful roses!
Nicola Fairmount is a rose gardening expert. For more great tips on planting a rose tree garden, visit http://www.roseplantingsecret.com.
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