Prune Your Roses Right

Since we typically only prune our roses once a year, it can be tough remembering how and when to do it. If you need a refresher, here's our guide.

Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora, and Floribunda Roses

Cut back your hybrid tea, grandiflora, and floribunda roses to about 18 inches tall in early spring, just before they start to grow. One guide to help you know when to prune is to watch for forsythia to bloom. In the coldest climates, prune these roses back to live growth. It may be as low as 8 inches, depending on how severe the winter was.

Because many of these types of roses are grafted, watch for any shoots that seem to be coming from the roots and not the rose stem. These are usually unwanted suckers from the root system and should be removed at ground level.

Though it may seem like butchering, pruning this way will give you plants that produce lots of lush blooms on sturdy stems.