Large or small flowers, single or double, fragrant or non-fragrant, roses are hard to beat when it comes to floral splendor. In order for them to develop well, they must be trimmed regularly, for example when trimming in the fall. This rose cut differs in intensity from the spring cut.
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Rose cutting in autumn
When it comes to the question of the right time to cut, opinions differ. While pruning back in spring is intended to promote healthy growth, pruning in fall is primarily aimed at preparing the roses for winter and laying the foundation for blooming profusely again next year.
In contrast to the main pruning, which takes place in spring, the roses should not be pruned too much in autumn. You leave a little more than in the spring. It is particularly important to prevent rose diseases, because dead, diseased and rotting wood or dead plant material is the perfect breeding ground for pests and fungi that overwinter in the dead wood.
When to cut in the fall?
Some types of roses bloom well into the fall. Depending on the weather, the rose season can last well into December. As a rule, roses are only cut when they have faded. Pruning roses in the fall should be done as soon as the first frost appears. December is the latest time for a corresponding cut. With roses that still sprout strongly in autumn, shoot growth can be interrupted by slightly cutting back the shoot tips, which in turn promotes the ripening of the young, soft shoots.
Pruning roses in autumn can also make sense on densely planted rose beds, since the dense vegetation makes optimal winter protection in the form of piling up difficult. Because for this it is important to get to the base of the shrub. An autumn pruning is also recommended for ailing roses, ie plants that are affected by diseases such as powdery mildew or pests. This is how you can prevent it from spreading.
Cut not as intensively as in spring
When pruning roses in the fall, you don’t have to be as careful as when pruning in the spring. You should cut as little as possible and as much as necessary. Anything else would do the rose more harm than good.
- Generally remove dried and dead wood completely
- Deadwood poses a risk to the health of the rose bush
- The wood in question can be recognized by its darker colour
- There is usually no longer a green leaf to be seen on dead wood
- When cutting, always pay attention to the juice scale
- That means cutting all stems at the same height
- To thin out the roses, cut away older shoots
- Shorten particularly long shoots in autumn
- Can prevent damage from wind and falling snow
The cuts should always be made at a slight angle so that water can drain off easily at all times. Otherwise, the cuts can heal more poorly and germs or fungi can penetrate more easily. The right tool is no less important. This should be clean and, above all, sharp enough to avoid fraying the edges of the cut.
Always remove wild shoots
What you should remove regularly, including in autumn as soon as you discover them, are so-called wild shoots. They rob the rose of water and nutrients. But how do you recognize such shoots and how do you remove them properly?
- Occasionally form below the graft site of grafted roses
- Are thinner than other shoots
- Leaves of wild shoots usually a little lighter
- Grow stronger and much faster
- Bear single, white or pink flowers from the second year
- To remove, expose grafting point and base of wild shoot
- Tear off the prickly wild shoot downwards with a strong jerk
- Finally cover the finishing point with at least 5 cm of soil
Autumn pruning depending on the rose variety
Where and how much you should ultimately cut when pruning roses in autumn can vary from species to species or depending on the rose variety. A distinction is made between bed roses and hybrid tea roses, shrub and climbing roses that bloom more than once, and standard roses.
Bedding and hybrid tea roses
In the case of bedding and hybrid tea, old shoots can be cut off directly at the base. In addition, strong shoots are shortened to four to six and weak ones to three or four eyes. Or you can cut back the shoot lengths of bed roses by about half. It is important to ensure that the shoots are about the same height after the cut (juice scale).
Shrub roses that bloom once or more often
When shrub roses bloom once , only diseased and dry shoots are removed when pruning in autumn. If you blend it more, there will be no flowering in the following spring.
- Completely remove shoots that bloom more often and are more than four years old
- Leave a framework
- Shorten all others by about a third
- This is to prevent snow breakage
- Cut out dry and dead shoots
Climbing roses that bloom once or more
Older shoots of climbing roses that have bloomed once are cut off close to the ground. The others are cut back by about half immediately after flowering. The branches of more frequently flowering varieties are cut back to two to four buds and withered flowers are removed.
standard roses
In the case of standard roses, the oldest shoots are removed first. All others are cut by about a third. Individual branches can be cut out for better ventilation.
After this rose cut, frost protection is essential. It is advisable to wrap the base of the crown in winter fleece.
