MG Peggy's spring rose pruning tips
Rose Tips by MG Peggy
Late March and early April is the time to think about spring Rose pruning, although I prune my Knockout and Home Run shrub roses as early as February.
· The first step is to remove all dead and diseased canes.
· Next remove all spindly growth and any canes crossing through the middle.
· When pruning, cut the rose cane down until you see a white or light cream center in the cane. This past winter (2022), because of the hard freeze in December, many canes turned black. Don’t assume the canes are dead. Start pruning until you see the light cream center.
· If the cane has a black hole in the center, prune back until there is no evidence of the hole. This is from an insect called the rose cane borer.
· After pruning the canes I seal them with an all-purpose or wood glue to discourage cane-boring insect activity.
· Remember, do not prune your climbers as most climbers bloom on old canes.
· Shrub roses are only pruned back to keep them manageable in the area grown.
· I prune the Knockout and Home Run shrub roses back to about three feet in February.
· I usually spray the rose canes and the ground with a fungicide after I have finished pruning.
· After pruning the roses, I apply a fertilizer. Rake the mulch away and apply the fertilizer about 24 inches from the center of the bush. I lightly scratch the fertilizer into the top inch or two of the soil.
· It’s important to keep your roses watered about one inch a week.
· When the roses leaf out, you should begin your spray program to help prevent black spot and other fungus problems. I only spray with a fungicide that does not contain insecticides. I like a fungicide that you only spray every two weeks.
ID 118 from the University of Kentucky is a wealth of info on roses.
Difference between good and bad canes