How late in Fall can roses be pruned?

[Sara B]

I have a fairy rose bush. It has been covered with roses all Summer and still is. How late into Fall can I prune it, or should I wait till Spring? Thank you.

[Guest]

If you get a cold winter where you garden, then it is a wisdom to wait until early spring to prune a rose. This way if the rose dies back it has enough cane length to lose. Prune the rose just before it starts to leaf out. When a rose starts to grow in the spring it is very vigorous and pruning activates it even more. The Oldrosarian.

[Sara B]

Thank you very much. It best wait till Spring as we do have cold Winters here.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Not so fast. Leaving full branches on all winter can cause damage to the plant when winter storms thrash the canes around. Northern rose growers often do two prunings; one in fall to about a foot and another in spring based on where the rose is breaking. Check the rose pages for a more detailed look...

[url]https://www.helpfulgardener.com/rose/2003/care.html[/url]

Scott

[Sara B]

OH! Thanks,Scott, how long can I wait to do the Fall pruning? It is still covered with roses and buds. But we can expect cold weather anytime now. We have already had a couple frosts. Should I mulch after the ground freezes or before?

[The Helpful Gardener]

Hi Sara,

Sure, wait until the rose goes dormant and then follow the pruning procedure from the rose page on the site pruning is dependent on which type of rose it is). For hybrid teas and garden roses, you just want to cut it back so the canes don't damage each other in the wind.

Scott

[Sara B]

Very good! Thanks!