Yellow Fragrant Flower

Pruning roses seems to be the most intimidating thing for most gardeners. There are more questions about how to do it properly than how to plant the roses in the first place. Pruning is actually pretty easy, and so long as you keep your fingers out of the way, there is not a lot of worry about. If you can remember only one rule of pruning, remember this: "When in doubt, don't cut."

Proper pruning is essential to rosebush health. The act of pruning doesn't just control the shape of your plants -- it encourages healthy flowering. Many roses put out most of their flowers on growth that is one or two years old, so if you want ample flowering, you'll have to get those pruning shears out. Pruning is best done in late winter when roses are still dormant, and before your first fertilizer application.

One of the most important keys to successful pruning is good, sharp pruning shears. You can get хэнд pruners, or the large loppers if you need to prune one of the huge climbing roses. A good pair of hand-held pruners will cost you about $40, while a good set of the big loppers will cost $40 to $60. Keep the blades sharp. The more cleanly you cut, the more easily the wound can heal. Allow cuts to heal in the open air. Rosebushes do not need to be pruned the year they are put in the ground, nor the year afterwards. Before their third season, then, you'll want to prune heavily.

In addition to standard pruning, many growers shear off the top third of their bushes in the third year. This helps the plant stay bushy, and not get too "leggy". If you tend to over-fertilize, you should consider cutting the top third of the plant off, as extra fertilizer is notorious for creating the "leggy" messy growth that proper pruning fixes.

Standard pruning includes completely removing all dead wood and cutting off branches that are rubbing, crossed with other branches, diseased, or otherwise damaged. If you can't tell whether a stem is alive, gently check its inner core, or scrape the top part of the stem covering off. If it is brown underneath, the stem is dead- if it's green, it's not. Of course, dead branches also tend to be brittle, whereas live branches tend to bend.

Most rosebushes thrive when pruned vigorously. If your bushes are healthy enough to take it, you may wish to cut back to just a few buds in addition to the lateral branches that bore flowers during the summer. Canes growing in the wrong direction may be trained or removed. All of the remaining stems should have growth buds facing out. Growth buds look like a mild scar on the bark.

Lastly, don't forget that every time you cut a rose from your bush -- even to deadhead -- you are pruning. Always cut just above a leaf to encourage vigorous growth. You roses will reward you with beautiful, healthy blooms. But as I'm mentioned before, be careful with the pruners and keep your fingers out of the way. Pruning is not a job for most teenage garden helpers.

Pamella Neely has been learning how to draw and garden since she was a little girl. Visit her website for hundreds of drawing tutorials including and .