Bonsai Snoopy
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Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2021 5:44 pm

Cutting back my roses

When should I cut back my rose bushes and how far up from the graft union should I cut? I live in zone 6 St. Louis Missouri.

Thank you very much!!!

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applestar
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Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Different part of the country but I’m in zone 6 too.

I kind of gave up on roses after switching to no chemical/organic gardening, but when I had them, I pruned roses for winter after they went dormant — mid November or so.

For now, they should be dead headed after blooming to just above healthy/vigorous, outward-facing 5 leaf node, and sprayed to keep the cooler weather fungal issues in check.

Pre-winter pruning will be less severe than late winter cleanup of freeze killed branches to get ready for the new spring growths.


…I only have Abraham Darby David Austin rose left which continues to grow and bloom despite near total neglect. I have two of the flowers scenting the family room and one smaller flower nodding out in the garden right now….

Vanisle_BC
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1354
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:02 pm
Location: Port Alberni, B.C. Canada, Zone 7 (+?)

To each his own, but I only have older 'own root' roses - not the modern grafted types. I'm only saying this to let anyone interested know that most of them do fine despite my failure to look after them well. I don't think I've ever used chemicals on them.

imafan26
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Posts: 13961
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I have a few roses that survive with little care, but the hybrid teas are very hard to grow organically. You have to be selective in which roses you grow and tolerate more damage if you use organic methods. It depends on where you live as well. I do have to treat roses for fungal disease because of the rain and humidity even though I select roses with glossy leaves because they have more resistance to black spot. I do use synthetic fertilizers. Elsewhere, it may be less of a problem.

I cut back the roses after each bloom period and once a year I cut it back to the main stems. After I cut the roses, I fertilize them. They bloom again six weeks later. I don't have snow, so mine never go dormant.

pepperhead212
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2851
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

I'm no rose grower, but I just watched a show today in which it was recommended not to trim roses in the fall. Here's that "question of the day":
https://www.gardensalive.com/product/yb ... -and-roses

imafan26
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Posts: 13961
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

It makes sense, if the roses are not dormant, pruning will encourage new shoots. I don't have to worry about cold and snow, so I cut back the roses usually during the rainy season because if I keep cutting them high, the branches get thinner and thinner. Since, it can rain nearly every day, black spot is a real problem so fewer branches and leaves are better. I have to do the same with the lavender which will turn black when it rains everyday all day. I do cut back my roses after the blooms fade and I feed them too, so they flush with new growth and bloom again 6 weeks later. It is actually possible to time roses to get them to bloom when I want to. My next blooms should flush around Halloween.



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