How to Prune Overgrown Roses Like a Pro (4 Easy Steps)
Last winter I made two mistakes when pruning roses: mistaking shrub roses for vine roses and using the wrong pruning method, which led to poor results.
One of the pots germinated excessively in the spring, but was full of blind branches (branches that did not bloom), so I pruned it back in early spring, with the result that the plant remains stagnant to this day, with little growth. Although the other two pots grow well and bloom profusely, but the plants are unusually tall, like stilts, seriously affecting the aesthetic.
I believe that many florists have encountered similar problems – mistaken shrub roses as vine roses, or in the winter pruning do not dare to put a hard hand, resulting in the plant grows higher and higher, and finally want to see the flowers have to move the ladder.
So what can be done to remedy this situation? Can you still re-cut? Today, I will share practical methods on how to control the height of rose plants.
What to do when roses grow taller and taller?
To solve the problem of rose plants getting too tall, prevention is more important than remedy. You can’t hesitate when pruning, otherwise the growth trend of roses won’t develop according to our expectation. To control plant height, you can start from the following 4 key points.
1. Preventive pruning in place in winter
First of all, it is important to identify your rose variety. Even if you don’t know the exact name, you should at least distinguish whether it is a vine or a shrub. If you can not look up the information of the variety, you can observe the growth characteristics of the plant:
- Branches are long and vigorous, with new branches stretching long → Probably a vine rose.
- Branches upright, medium growth → probably shrub roses, should be pruned in winter to control the height, adjust the shape and promote plant recovery.
2. Prune back in time after flowering
In addition to winter pruning, post-flowering pruning is also critical. If the post-flowering pruning is not in place, the rose will still grow taller and taller. The principles of pruning are as follows:
- Vigorous varieties → cut more (can be cut to 1/3 or lower).
- Slower-growing varieties → Prune lightly (only cut off flower remnants and a few branches).
(For more detailed pruning methods, please refer to my new book “How to Grow Roses from Scratch”.)
3. Promote New Shoots and Renew Plants
If a shrub rose has grown too tall and the bottom is bare, it should never be pruned heavily during the growing season, or the plant may die.
Solution: Promote new shoots and gradually replace old branches
Varieties with soft branches → Use the compression method
Press the branches to a horizontal position and fix them, and at the same time, strengthen the fertilizer management to encourage the roots to sprout strong new shoots. When the new shoots grow to the desired height, top the shoots in time (centering) to avoid the new shoots from “flying into the sky”.
Note: Do not cut off the old branches immediately, and then gradually prune the new shoots after the leaves have matured.
Varieties with hard branches → Use the method of whisking branches or put down the pot.
If the branches are not easy to press down, try whisking (twisting them slightly to make them droop), or just put the pot down to force the branches to grow downward. After the new shoots have sprouted, then right the pot to avoid crooked new shoots.
This method is not only suitable for adjusting the over-height strain, but also suitable for weak seedlings to re-strengthen, flower friends can be flexible to use.
4. Re-pruning in winter to reshape plants
If you find the method of promoting shoots troublesome, you can wait until the winter dormant period and then prune. But the two Guangzhou and other frost-free areas of the flower friends need to pay attention to, winter can not be re-cut, so the best choice to promote shoots.
