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When to prune young roses

7 years ago

I planted four bands last fall: Ebb Tide, Peace, Endless Rainbow and Peach Drift. Between them all, I have 84 buds right now. They are each about a foot or so high, and Peace is about 2 feet high. Should I prune them after they bloom, or leave them for now, since they are still young? Wait until next spring? I don't want to do the wrong thing, as they are my first roses. And if I do prune, how much should I take off? Thank you!

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Comments (5)

Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
7 years ago
You could just remove the faded blooms when they finish and wait till next year to prune, I think. Then you could shape the bushes a bit, or cut them back a third or so in early Spring.
Randi Holbrook thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I too would deadhead faded blooms. Beyond that, because they are still babies, I would kind of let them be unless you get gangly growth and a trim is in order. I am in a desert 9a, elevation of 2800'. I usually prune my roses in January, but not prior to late December or later than President's Day. Generally, we cut back established modern roses by a third in August. I would contact the local rose society regarding the pruning time for your area. I would think that even a good local nursery will be able to provide appropriate pruning times etc. for your area.
Randi Holbrook thanked Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country
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They are one or two years old. Were they own-root plants or bare-root grafted plants. If grafted, the roots are actually now going to be about four years old and you can prune them down. If own-root, the roots are small and can't support larger canes yet. I don't prune own-root roses at all for a few years because I want them to develop as plants first. Leaves are little engines that convert sunlight into plant. So let them grow. You're colder than we are but you should be able to tell what is dead at this point. If in doubt, leave it alone for another week or two. Wherever you see little red "measles" on the canes, that's likely to be a new cane. And be sure your plants have enough sun and water. If the soil is tough and poor, that could be another reason your plants aren't growing well. If so, I'd amend the soil rather than simply dump fertilzer on it.
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User
7 years ago
Just dead-head. Roses store a lot of energy in their canes; these are just babies, they need all the cane they have!
rifis (zone 6b-7a NJ)
7 years ago
The discussion on January 19 offers a nice counterpoint to ^^^. Especially for your Peace.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/4391431/any-updates-on-madame-anisette?n=75
Randi Holbrook
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks all! I will go ahead and deadhead, and not trim until next year. And thank you for the link, riis!

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