Happy Valentine’s Day from J. Peterson Garden Design! I love it when there is a very specific time in the garden to do a particular garden chore–like pruning roses on Valentine’s Day! Now, I know you have a lot to do on Valentine’s Day, so just promise yourself you’ll prune your roses this week. I have an awesome dinner to make for my two favorite men in Austin (Hunky Foreman and #2 Son), but I don’t have any roses on my balcony anyway, so I’m going to be content today to write about it just for you. Here are the steps to take:
- Aim to reduce the overall rosebush size by 2/3. I know this sounds like a lot, and it is. But you see those roses around town, somewhere around June, and they’re all leggy and weird-looking? That’s because Mrs. Leibowitz didn’t prune her roses around Valentine’s Day. Don’t be like Mrs. Leibowitz. No offense to Mrs. Leibowitz. She makes awesome kugel.
- Use bypass hand pruners to do the chore. Bypass just means that the blades bypass one another, making a clean cut. I have Stihl pruners, but Felco and Corona make good bypass pruners, too.
- Remove any canes (that’s stems or branches) that are growing at a strange angle, or that cross over another cane.
- Remove any cane that grows inward toward the center of the rosebush. We want the center of the rosebush to be “opened up” for good air circulation.
- Remove any dead canes.
- Prune a cane or a branch down to where it grows out from the main cane. Don’t make a cut in the middle of the branch. This pic is an example of proper pruning, even though it’s on a Turk’s Cap:
Aim to have an overall reduced size, even shape, and open form.- Don’t wimp out and think you’re “killing the plant.” You’re not killing the plant. The plant wants this. The plant will grow better, healthier, and bloom better. Trust me.
- Go tell Mrs. Leibowitz that you’ll help her prune her roses this week. It’s the neighborly thing to do. And you might come away with some awesome kugel.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I noticed others in TX use V-day to prune roses…great idea.
But even better is how you motivate a guy to do a valuable horticultural favor…I am “verklempt” at just the thought of Mrs Leibowitz’ kugel or latkes…
Hi jenny, thanks for the reminder. I have been meaning to do it but the flu has kept me down. I definitely was not going to prune 2/3 of the bush but I will now. Should I fertilize after pruning or wait until spring?
Thanks for your awesome blog!