The Best Time to Cut Back Rose Bushes

The best time to prune your roses is in the early spring, after they have begun the new growth cycle. You will see small red buds on the stems of the rose bush when it is time to prune.

Time To Prune Rose Bushes

can be as tough as they are colorful and elegant. But pruning creates wounds that need time to heal. One of the safest times to prune most rose bushes is during the dormant period in winter, between December and the end of February. Though extensive shaping is relatively safe during the dormant period, light snipping is appropriate in summer – and for roses that blossom just once a year, you can skip the dormant season pruning and perform a light trim just after the summer blossoming period. As flowers begin fading in July and August, you can start deadheading them which might force the bush to rebloom instead of producing fruits. In early summer, you can safely deadhead once a week, but after July you should reduce your rose bushes by one-third if you want to spark a second round of blossoms.