When & How to Prune Roses for Bigger Blooms

In this blog, you'll get expert how-to's on growing the biggest, prettiest roses possible. This really means taking the time to carefully prune your roses each year.

And we'll give you some inspiration, too. Take a look at the hottest design trend, partnering your climbing roses with companion plants like Clematis vines. Gorgeous!

Read on to learn more.

A Quick Review of Tips to Overwinter Roses

In the Northern cold winter states, roses go completely dormant and need winter protection.

We have found the best way to overwinter Hybrid tea, Floribunda, Grandiflora, shrub roses, and climbing roses is to mound up the base of the plants with at least a foot of arborist wood chips, or mulch of any kind. Cover the bottom of canes to a depth of 12 inches to protect the plants.

Climbing roses that are not hardy in your Growing Zone should be carefully laid down and those canes should be covered with wood chips or mulch, too.

Prune Roses for the New Growing Season

In colder regions, we do not trim roses in the fall. We leave the rose branches (canes) alone until early spring. In March, those roses are just starting to wake up with buds swelling.

Roses are pruned to ensure their health. Dead wood from winter killed cane tips, weak or crossing branches that might cause problems should be removed. The key is removing older and/or diseased stems leaving clean and healthy stems each year. You'll love enjoying the big, vibrant blooms that are grown on healthy new canes.

Please know, damage from “Old Man Winter” may make your pruning decisions for you. Don’t worry, roses generally bounce right back from pruning.

Northern gardeners can start pruning their roses anytime as soon as the frost is out of the ground. Just look for the local American Robin birds pulling worms up out of the ground if you want a good sign. You can prune roses once their buds swell, all the way up until they start to put on their new seasonal growth.

When winter has finally receded from the northern areas, it is time to pull the mulch away from the bottoms of the rose canes and get them pruned!

Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, and many shrub roses all make flowers on NEW GROWTH. That means that these roses you are uncovering really do need to be trimmed, so the plants can produce the best flowers for you.

Wear some good heavy gloves to protect your hands and make sure your pruning shears are nice and sharp to avoid squeezing or tearing the branches.

On older rose bushes that have been in place for many years, you should take a bit of time with each plant. First, you’ll work to eliminate any dead or brown and dry canes right down to the ground. Take special care to remove branches that cross over one another. This will avoid having canes rub against each other.

Any nice green stems that are not broken and look healthy should be reduced to about 6-8 inches in height. The new growth that develops from those 6-8-inch canes will produce strong stems, with large and healthy flowers.

Special Tips for New Homeowners

If you’ve recently purchased your home, you may have “inherited” some mystery roses. This is a special circumstance. Prune in spring, as usual. If you don’t see roses develop, you may have a native Prairie-style rose in your landscape.

Mystery solved!

Some of the native Prairie roses actually bloom on OLD WOOD. These varieties should be pruned after they flower in June. Once the bloom is done, you cut the stem to ground, so new stems arise. Next year’s flowers will come from those new stems.

Special Tips for Climbing Roses

Climbing roses can be a bit fussier in the colder climates of northern states. Nature Hills offers several super cold-hardy selections of improved climbing roses, which can also be added to the base and secured to existing rose arbors, trellises or other structures.

In most cases, climbing roses will also bloom on the stems from last year, or the OLD WOOD. When the oldest, fattest stems are done blooming after their first set of blooms, remove them to the ground.

By doing this, you’ll allow new stems to grow up from the ground. These new canes will produce the most amazing blossoms for you.

When pruning climbing roses, you may want to leave 3 – 5 “scaffolding” canes of older wood in place to maintain complete cover of an entire rose arbor.

If your old climbing roses aren’t covering the structure the way they used to, consider adding some of these hardy newer varieties.

Or, try planting a companion plant – such as vining Clematis – among climbing roses. Just allow the Clematis vines to mingle with the climbing rose canes adding complementary or even contrasting colors to the rose blooms. Both the Clematis and the Rose can co-mingle quite nicely as neither will overtake the other. This is a gorgeous solution that’s proved very successful across the country.

Checklist for Successful Rose Growing

Roses love sun. The more sun, the more flowers you will see. Sun makes strong canes and sturdy flowers, and initiates reblooming roses quicker.
Water the roots, do not water the leaves. Keeping the leaves dry will lessen the chance of foliar diseases.
Mulch over the soil up to the rose canes will not only look nice, also reduces the incidence of soil borne diseases.
Roses do appreciate food so having enough fertilizer available will help with flower production. Have your soil tested to see what your soil is lacking in your rose garden. In colder regions of zones 3, 4, 5 and 6 don’t apply fertilizers too late in the season. Far better to let your rose plants shut down for the season, so they overwinter more successfully.
For insects, try organic options first. The best first step is to try physically removing the problem bug. Try using an insecticidal soap, followed by a high pressure water rinse as your first option. You can also apply Bonide Neem Oil Concentrate.
If you are in an area that has a lot of pressure from insects, you may want to consider using a systemic rose care option like this Fertilome Rose and Flower Systemic Care. Systemic rose care is applied to the soil, watered in, and the plant takes up the active ingredient to prevent bugs from chewing on those plants and feed them at the same time and for an extended time.

With all the incredible options of roses today, be sure to check out the many amazing colors, smaller sizes, shrub rose types, spreading & groundcover types, and re-blooming and everblooming options that make shrub roses so popular for today’s color injectors to your landscape. Don’t forget to cut a few and include them in cut flower arrangements on your nightstand or dinner table.

If you need help deciding which roses are for you, be sure to let us help by emailing us at info@naturehills.com.

Check out the many pages of pictures of the roses that we offer at Nature Hills Nursery

Our inventory changes daily so be sure to check back as some of your favorites may be ready for sale as they continue to finish in the pots. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time of year to prune rose bushes?

The best time to prune rose bushes depends on your climate, but in colder northern regions, wait until early spring when the frost has left the ground and you can see the buds beginning to swell on the canes. Avoid trimming roses in the fall in these areas, as the canes should be left intact through winter to protect the plant. A reliable sign that it is time to prune is spotting American Robins pulling worms from the ground. Pull back your winter mulch, put on a pair of heavy gloves, grab sharp pruning shears, and remove any dead, weak, or crossing canes to encourage the strongest new growth and biggest blooms.

How far back should you cut rose bushes when pruning?

When pruning roses in early spring, focus on removing dead, weak, or crossing canes rather than cutting to a specific measurement. Cut back any winter-killed cane tips until you reach healthy, green wood, and remove older or diseased stems entirely to leave only clean, vigorous canes. For most roses including Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, and Floribundas, a good pruning encourages the new growth where the best blooms are produced. Use sharp pruning shears and heavy gloves, and make your cuts at a slight angle just above an outward-facing bud.

Do all types of roses need to be pruned the same way?

Not all roses require the same pruning approach. Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, and many shrub roses bloom on new growth and benefit from a more thorough pruning each spring, while climbing roses in colder zones may need to be carefully laid down and covered with mulch rather than pruned back hard. In northern growing zones, wait until frost is out of the ground and buds begin to swell before pruning any rose type. Always start by removing dead, weak, or crossing canes, and let the specific growth habit of your rose guide how aggressively you cut back.

Should you prune roses in winter or wait until spring?

In cold northern climates, you should leave rose canes completely alone through winter and wait until early spring to prune. Once the frost is out of the ground and you notice buds beginning to swell, typically around March, that is your signal to get started. At that point, remove any winter-killed cane tips, weak stems, and crossing branches to encourage healthy new growth and the best possible blooms. Before you begin, make sure your pruning shears are sharp and your hands are protected with heavy gloves.

Do roses bloom on new growth or old wood?

Most roses, including Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, and many shrub roses, bloom on new growth. This is exactly why proper spring pruning is so important: cutting back the canes encourages the plant to push out fresh, vigorous new stems that will carry your best blooms. Wait until buds begin to swell in early spring, then prune with sharp shears to remove dead, weak, or crossing canes and let the plant put its energy into producing healthy new growth.

How do you prune roses to encourage more blooms?

Prune roses in early spring once the frost is out of the ground and you notice buds beginning to swell, but before new seasonal growth emerges. Focus on removing dead or winter-killed cane tips, weak stems, and any crossing branches, leaving only clean, healthy canes behind. Since Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, and most shrub roses bloom on new growth, a good annual pruning directly drives bigger and more vibrant flowers. Use sharp pruning shears and heavy gloves, and cut back to healthy wood to give your roses the best start to the season.

Can you prune roses too much and damage the plant?

Roses are remarkably resilient plants and generally bounce right back from even aggressive pruning, so over-pruning is rarely a fatal mistake. The greater risk is under-pruning, since Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, and many shrub roses bloom on new growth and need to be trimmed back to produce their best flowers. Focus on removing dead or winter-killed cane tips, weak stems, and any crossing branches while leaving the healthy, clean canes intact. Use sharp pruning shears and heavy gloves, and prune in early spring once the frost is out of the ground and buds begin to swell.

How do you train climbing roses to grow along a trellis or fence?

Training climbing roses along a trellis or fence works best when you guide young, flexible canes horizontally rather than straight up, as horizontal canes produce more blooms along their length. Use soft ties or garden twine to secure canes every 12 to 18 inches, being careful not to bind them too tightly as the canes will thicken over time. In colder growing zones, remember that non-hardy climbing rose canes should be carefully laid down and covered with wood chips or mulch each winter, then retrained in early spring once frost has left the ground. Start training new canes while they are still pliable, and prune out any dead, weak, or crossing growth each spring to keep your climber producing vigorous, blooming new wood.

How do you protect rose canes after pruning?

After pruning in early spring, focus your protection efforts on the season ahead by applying a fresh layer of mulch or arborist wood chips around the base of your roses to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature. For gardeners in colder northern zones, the real cane protection happens before winter sets in, when you should mound at least 12 inches of mulch around the base of your plants to shield them from freeze damage. Climbing roses in zones where they are not fully hardy should have their canes carefully laid down and covered with wood chips as well. Once spring arrives and frost is out of the ground, pull back that winter mulch, prune out any winter-killed tips, and let your roses push healthy new growth.

How many years will a rose bush keep growing and producing flowers?

Rose bushes are remarkably long-lived plants and can thrive and produce flowers for decades when given proper care. Some heritage and shrub roses are known to live for 50 years or more, while Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, and Grandifloras commonly produce beautiful blooms for 15 to 25 years with consistent maintenance. The key to maximizing their lifespan is annual pruning in early spring once buds begin to swell, removing dead or crossing canes and encouraging vigorous new growth. Pair that with proper winterizing in colder zones, including mounding at least 12 inches of mulch around the base of the plant, and your roses will reward you with stunning blooms season after season.

When Do I Prune My Roses?