subject: Pruning Rose Trees Is Exciting [print this page] Pruning rose trees can cause you considerable anxiety. The honest truth about pruning is that it takes time to become good at it. If there is one thing you can keep in mind that may help you make that first snip, it is that, believe it or not, it is actually quite difficult to kill a rose by pruning.
Now, while it is hard to kill a rose tree simply by pruning it, it may not be nearly as difficult to damage it and leave it in a less than desirable condition. The whole idea behind roses and gardens is to beautify the area they occupy, so you want to take care to prune in such a way as to encourage and coax the maximum potential from your roses.
It is always easier when learning something new to start with the basics and work your way up from there, and learning to prune is certainly no different. Getting a solid grasps of the basics will make things easier and give you more enjoyment and help you become more confident. Some of these basics regarding pruning include cutting away the weak or dead branches, working your way from the bottom up, and recognizing that quality tools make all the difference. Your tools should always be sharp where needed and should be kept clean and dry when not in use.
Now that you have some of the basics you need to know when to prune. The answer is relative to the type of plant and where it is growing. Typically you will prune in the spring, however regardless of the type of plant you should always prune while the plant is in a dormant state, and this may take a while of watching if you are not sure.
While some types require regular seasonal pruning, others are not nearly as high maintenance. Groups such as the Damasks and Gallica, among others, will rarely require any pruning and in fact may not require any at all.
Of course, even with plants that otherwise require little attention or guidance from you, it is often a good plan to maintain these plants at the very least. They may never need any official pruning, however you will always want to monitor them for diseased or dead branches.
Remember that even if you are cutting to harvest, meaning you are planning a nice table arrangement or some other use, you are still pruning. These cuts, just as with regular pruning, can greatly affect the size and shape of the bush so you should always be judicious whether you are cutting in the name of pruning or otherwise.
So you now have a solid foundation from which to get started, at least in a very basic way. You know the essentials, and you know enough to know the extend of damage that can be done as well as some of the benefits achieved by pruning, or not pruning, when appropriate. It is a skill to be sure, and in fact many consider it to be quite artful. As you learn and grow you may begin to feel the same way about pruning.
