A single rose bush offers color, shape and form in our landscape from spring until frost.

It will bloom for many years providing beauty for our outdoor areas as well as an abundance of fresh cut flowers for our interiors. Why not consider adding one or several roses to your landscape?

If you already experience the joy of rose growing, now is the time to prune.

Established hybrid tea and floribunda roses may be pruned from mid-February through March. These types of roses require heavy pruning annually in order to produce desirable blooms throughout the growing season.

Pruning shears, preferably the bypass type, lopping shears and a saw may be necessary depending on the size of the canes. Make clean cuts; do not crush or split the canes.

When pruning, first remove all dead, damaged and diseased canes.

Look at the plant’s overall shape. Remove all but three to five healthy canes which are well spaced and form a bowl shape with the bowl’s base in the center of the plant.

The canes should be severely cut to fifteen to eighteen inches from the ground. Remove canes that cross or touch each other and are smaller than a pencil in diameter.

Prune each cane to an outside bud to continue the outward growth as the new shoots emerge. The pruning cut should be made about a quarter of an inch above the bud and angled toward the bud.

The goal is to have the plant more open thereby reducing the thick, inner growth that encourages disease problems.

After pruning, remove all debris including mulch that may contain fallen leaves. Diseases overwinter in the mulch and removing it will help reduce the spread of disease.

Miniature roses that are ever-blooming may be pruned several times a year as they continuously bloom on new growth.

Knockout roses are extremely low maintenance and may even be pruned with hedge shears. Cut off one-third of the shrub and then shape by removing stray canes. Make sure to remove any dead, damaged, and diseased canes. Newly planted Knockout roses should not be pruned the first year unless to remove problem canes.

This type of rose does not require deadheading but pruning after the first flower flush will encourage new growth and an abundance of new flowers

Roses that bloom only once a year such as the old fashioned roses and climbers (one-time spring blooming) should be pruned after blooming since they bloom on the growth from the previous year. After flowering, prune leaving five to seven canes, which will grow throughout the season for the following year’s blooms.

Climbers that bloom on the current year’s growth may be pruned now and more severely than the old fashioned roses. When long canes need to be removed, prune them in sections to reduce damage to healthy canes.

Old garden roses generally bloom once and should be pruned after bloom. They do not respond well to heavy pruning, which ruins their shape and reduces the number of flowers. The oldest stems which are not productive should be removed. Do not remove more than one-third of the bush to maintain the graceful shape of these old roses.

Roses need well-drained fertile soil, at least six hours of direct sunlight, and space to grow. Plant the rose by digging the planting hole as deep as the container and at least three times the diameter of the pot.

The graft union should be planted at least one inch above the soil surface. The least destructive method of removing the rose from the pot is to cut the bottom off and slit the sides of the pot. Gently lower the pot into the hole and remove the pot. If the rose is root bound, slit the roots with a sharp knife from the top to the bottom.

Fill the hole with soil and water. Keep the roots moist during the first few weeks by watering deeply and often.

With proper pruning and planting, roses provide beauty and grace in our landscapes and homes throughout the growing season.