Rose Bush Pruning

Rose expert Bill Dickerson shows how to prune a rose bush. After showing the tools he uses, he starts by pruning off all the dead wood. As he works on the bush he also cuts off all the canes that are thinner than a pencil. He prunes to open up the center of the bush by removing branches growing toward the center and pruning just above buds that are facing outward. Bill says that as the dead wood and small branches are removed it gets easier to see what needs to be cut. If you prune the bush taller you will get more smaller roses, if you prune down to 12-18 inches from the ground you will get fewer larger roses. Bill shows how to identify a bud on the cane. He explains that each bud can have up to three growths from it. Because he wants a cane to grow from the bid by his cut, he removes any leaves that are growing from the bud below his cut. As he is pruning, Bill finds a cane that had a cane borer last year. He cuts it back and explains what he does to try to prevent borers.

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