Pruning Roses Part 4. Shrubs.

The best time to prune roses in the U.K. is between January and March. 
Rose pruning ensures that plants grow vigorously and flower well every year.

Generally I don’t prune my roses in the first year of planting. 
In the second year I give them a very light pruning when the plant is still developing its root system and not mature enough to shape.
In the third year I prune my roses to the desired shape. Some of them I leave to grow very tall (my Scepter’d Isle is taller than me). Others are pruned to be compact.
Before pruning, choose from one of the following:
1. For a taller shrub – cut back by less than one third.
2. To maintain its current size – cut your rose back by one third.
3. To reduce its size – cut back by a half or even more. This will reduce the size of the shrub without impacting the amount of flowering.

Step by step pruning guide:
- make sure your secateurs are sharp and clean. Wear protective gloves (see Part 1 in my previous post). - Where the branches are too thick use a pruning saw instead of secateurs. I use https://www.niwaki.com/ Bakuma pruning saw and highly recommend it for climbing and shrub roses.
- Cut all the stems by as much as you need to create a nice round shape. - Remove all diseased, dead or  overcrowded branches. - Remove all the foliage from the plant and the ground surrounding it. This is where black spot disease spores can lay dormant ready for the next year.
- Don’t dispose any of the Rose cuttings in your garden compost. 

Thank you for reading!