| Proper rose bush care is essential to a healthier, | | | | adding symmetry to the garden. If there are any |
| more attractive rose garden. Pruning your roses | | | | crossing branches, they will need to be removed. |
| promote new growth and blooms as well as | | | | A secret to pruning is to seal the cuts you make. |
| remove dead wood. You also clear the pathway | | | | You can use a regular Elmer's glue which is less |
| for air to circulate through your rose garden by | | | | expensive than commercial sealer. Sealing the cuts |
| pruning. Pruning allows you to shape your bush as | | | | you make keeps out disease. Commercial grade |
| well. When pruning your roses, it is important that | | | | "Prune and Seal" has an additive in it that will |
| your tools are clean and sharp, not dirty and dull. | | | | protect your rose bush against fungus and |
| Pruning with dull tools can damage the stem while | | | | disease. You do not want to do hard pruning to a |
| pruning with tools you have not cleaned will | | | | well established bush just in case it may not |
| promote or spread any disease on to the next | | | | recycle. The only time you need to do this is if |
| bush. You always want to prune starting at the | | | | you are removing canes that are frost damaged |
| base of the plant. Make your pruning cuts at a | | | | or sick. |
| forty five degree angle and ¼ inch above a bud | | | | When doing moderate pruning you only need to |
| facing outward. All broken, dead and diseased | | | | cut the strong stems back to about half of their |
| wood needs to be removed. Branches that are | | | | length. The stems that are weak need to be |
| black, shriveled or appear to be dry need to be | | | | removed altogether. For a light pruning, you will |
| removed. You may have thin twig like branches, | | | | cut the canes back about 2/3 of their length. Light |
| they need to be removed as well. | | | | pruning is good during the rose's active growing |
| The best pruning time is in the early spring or in | | | | season to encourage more blooms and shape the |
| the fall while the plant is dormant or just coming | | | | bush. When a rose bush has over grown bad or |
| out of its dormant state. You will need to watch | | | | shaped poorly, light pruning is sufficient. It is good |
| your plants to see when the leaf buds start to | | | | to know what you are doing when it comes to |
| swell. When you retain healthier wood through | | | | pruning your rose bush. However, pruning your |
| pruning, you will produce a bigger plant. This in turn | | | | bush wrong will not kill it. Once you learn the basic |
| will produce more flowers. The wood part of the | | | | steps to pruning and understand them, it will come |
| rose bush stores the most nutrients so the bigger | | | | second nature to you. You will be able to improve |
| the plant is, the stronger it will be. Pruning allows | | | | the health and the landscape effect of your bush. |
| you to shape your bushes as they grow, thus | | | | |