How to Trim a Rose Bush to Encourage Growth

Keep your roses blooming with regular pruning

A family in a rose garden
Photo: Cavan Images / Cavan / Getty Images
A family in a rose garden
Photo: Cavan Images / Cavan / Getty Images
Emily Benda Gaylord
Written by Emily Benda Gaylord
Contributing Writer
Updated Dec 18, 2023
SKILL LEVEL
Easy
COMPLETION TIME
30 minutes
COST
Up to $25
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What you'll need:
TOOLS
  • Bypass pruners or small hand-held pruning shears
  • Long-handled loppers
  • Long, thick gardening gloves
SUPPLIES
  • Pruning sealer compound (optional)

While trimming your roses may seem counterintuitive to encourage the plants to grow more, it’s important to prune your rose bushes at least once a year. Learning how to trim a rose bush helps the plant thrive by removing dead or diseased branches and making room for new growth. Trim a rose bush like a pro to promote optimal blooms next season by following these seven steps. 

Prepping to Trim Bushes

Before you reach for your pruning shears, stop to consider the best trimming method for your rose bushes. The best time to prune depends on the type of roses you have. Here are a few guidelines to know when to prune roses in your garden: 

  • Shrub rose: Prune in late winter to early spring, just before the new buds begin popping up. 

  • Wild roses, old garden roses, and climbing roses: Prune after the last blooms have died away for the season.

Trimming dead or diseased portions of your rose bushes can be done as needed. You can also remove spent blooms throughout the blooming season to encourage more growth and provide additional care for your rose bushes. However, it’s best to stop pruning about two months before your area’s first frost date when the plant starts going dormant.

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  1. Put On Gardening Gloves

    A person puts on gardening gloves
    Photo: LoloStock / Adobe Stock

    Rose thorns are not fun to deal with, so wearing a long pair of gardening gloves is essential to keep your hands cut-free. Many home improvement or gardening shops carry rose gloves made for pruning roses that will protect you from those tricky rose thorns.

  2. Remove Leaves

    Clear away any loose debris and leaves from your rose bushes. This step helps you clearly see the rose bush branches and flowers so you don’t over or undercut. 

  3. Cut Any Dead, Broken, or Diseased Portions

    A view of a rose bush being pruned
    Photo: Gorilla / Adobe Stock

    Branches and canes that are black, reddish-black, splotchy, or have little trace of green are likely dead or diseased. If you spot any dead or diseased wood, look down the stem until you find the area where the wood becomes healthy and green. Then, cut the branch at a 45-degree angle. You should see white flesh at the center; if not, continue making cuts until you do.

  4. Remove Thin, Twiggy Branches

    A view of rose bush branches being pruned
    Photo: OlgaPomonorenko / iStock / Getty Images

    Trim any twiggy branches thinner than a pencil, still cutting at a 45-degree angle. Be careful not to cut into the base of the rose bush, as this could leave an open wound and invite disease.

  5. Trim Any Overgrowth

    A view of a rose bush being pruned
    Photo: Maksim Kostenko / Adobe Stock

    Next, take your loppers and cut back on any overly thick areas. Make a few small cuts, assess, and repeat to prevent over-trimming the bush. 

  6. Prune Remaining Canes

    A view of rose bush canes being cut back
    Photo: Valerii Honcharuk / Adobe Stock

    Cut back the remaining canes to stimulate new growth. Find the nearest bud eye (a raised bump on the stem where a leaf would normally grow). Cut a quarter inch above the bud eye at a 45-degree angle that slopes away from the bud.

  7. Seal Cuts With Pruning Compound (Optional)

    Pruning compound is optional for this process, but it can help your roses stay healthy. Spread a light layer of pruning compound on any fresh cuts. This material helps protect your roses from rot, pests, and disease.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro

While trimming rose bushes is an affordable project to do yourself, sometimes it may be easier to let a local landscaping pro take care of it. If your roses look seriously diseased, a professional can help treat the plants and prevent it from spreading to nearby plants or shrubbery.  The average cost of trimming a large series of bushes is $850, but it typically costs $100 per bush. When hiring a landscaping pro to trim your rose bushes, be sure to specify the type and size to ensure your landscaper has the right skills, equipment, and experience to tackle the job.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pay careful attention to where you cut your roses during pruning. In general, you should cut roses at a 45-degree angle about four to six inches below the flower. Make sure the cut is also ¼ inch above the leaf node to encourage new rose growth for the next season. 

Most rose bushes should not be heavily pruned in the summer since this is the prime growing and blooming season. The best time to trim is typically after the growing season or right before spring, depending on your rose bush variety. However, you can cut away any dead or diseased areas or lightly trim spent blooms during the summer to encourage more growth.

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Learn more about our contributor
Emily Benda Gaylord
Written by Emily Benda Gaylord
Contributing Writer
Emily covers real estate, home improvement, and interior design fo publications like Bob Vila, The Spruce, and BiggerPockets. Emily’s passion for real estate and home improvement began at a young age surrounded by her family’s real estate business.

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