HelpfulGardener.com

Posted: **Wed Jul 06, 2011 2:36 pm**

I thought that you cut roses back after they've finished flowering but now ive read in some places that youre supposed to do it in the spring, is this right or does this not really matter as long as the flowers have died off already, I have alot of different types of roses in my garden

and whats the worst thatll happen if I start chopping them back now around july, will I be likely to kill it or lose next years flowers or something?

thankyou

Posted: **Wed Jul 06, 2011 4:48 pm**

Marlingardener wrote:Deadheading after flowering is different from pruning. We deadhead roses whenever the blooms have finished.
Pruning, however, stimulates new growth, so pruning in August or September, with the anticipation of frosts and cold weather within 6-8 weeks, could lead to die back on the new growth. This won't kill your rose bush, but it will sap its strength (effort put into new growth that manufactures no food for the bush) and is unsightly, which leads to more pruning, and so on.
We generally prune in late winter, February here in Texas, late March or early April when we lived in upstate New York.

thank you for the reply, I just have a couple ore questions
when you dead head how far do you cut it back?do you just cut off the stem that was holding the flower head or do you go abit further

I live in the north of england if I do cut it back now and sap it of strength will it still grow back fine next year?

thanks

HelpfulGardener.com

Does it really matter if I cut back roses in july or august?

Does it really matter if I cut back roses in july or august?