How to Prune Drift Roses
Prune Drift roses in late winter or early spring just before they begin to grow again., Wear a pair of good gardening gloves with reinforced palms and long sleeves., Use sharp hand pruners that have a scissor action., Disinfect the pruners before...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Prune Drift roses in late winter or early spring just before they begin to grow again.
Pruning during this time, while they are still dormant, is less stressful for the rose.In Zones 9 and 10, where roses stay evergreen, they should be pruned in January. -
Step 2: Wear a pair of good gardening gloves with reinforced palms and long sleeves.
This will protect you from getting pricked by any rose thorns., Dull pruners and anvil-type pruners will crush the rose stems. , Do this by soaking them for 5 minutes in a household disinfectant like Lysol.
Make sure you rinse the disinfectant off with water and dry the pruners with a clean towel before using them. , Cut each stem ¼ inch above an outward-facing growth bud, which is usually found where a leaf with five leaflets is growing from the stem.
Growth buds look like tiny, triangular-shaped, slightly raised patches on the stems.
New stems grow from these growth buds. , Cutting at a steeper angle will damage the growth bud. , Do this by making the cut at the base of the dead stem.
If you are growing Drift roses in Zones 9 and 10, snip off all of the leaves.This will allow the Drift rose to grow fresh, new foliage for the coming year and reduce the possibility for diseases that can survive the winter on the leaves. , Do this throughout the growing season., This will prevent diseases like black spot and mildew, which are rare in Drift roses, from developing.
Make the pruning cut into the healthy part of the stem about 1 inch beyond the diseased area.The pith or center of the stem should be white and full-looking, not brown or tan. , This will lessen the risk of spreading the disease on healthy stems. , However, these roses do not need to be deadheaded to grow properly.
When deadheading, make the cut at a 45-degree angle ¼ inch above the first leaf with five leaflets.The first few leaves below the flower will have only one to three leaflets.
The leaf with five leaflets will be at a more productive growth bud.
Growth buds where leaves grow with only one to three leaflets will produce weaker stem growth that may not grow flower buds. , Drift roses grow on their own roots,rather than being grafted onto rootstock like many hybrid roses. , When left on the ground around a Drift rose, these cuttings can harbor insects as well as fungi and bacteria that could be splashed onto the rose., Doing this can lead to the development of disease and insect infestations. , However, avoid piling the mulch too deep.
Use a shovel or garden fork to loosen and turn the old mulch.This keeps it from becoming compacted, which restricts air flow and moisture penetration. , Add just enough new mulch on top to bring the total depth up to 2 to 3 inches. -
Step 3: Use sharp hand pruners that have a scissor action.
-
Step 4: Disinfect the pruners before using them.
-
Step 5: Prune the whole Drift rose down to a height of 6 inches.
-
Step 6: Make the cut on a 45-degree angle.
-
Step 7: Prune any dead
-
Step 8: brittle stems off completely.
-
Step 9: Prune off any dead and diseased branches as soon as you notice them.
-
Step 10: Prune back any stems with cankers or small dark brown patches of tissue.
-
Step 11: Always disinfect the pruners between cuts when pruning a rose with any type of disease.
-
Step 12: Deadhead Drift roses to encourage the growth of new flowers more quickly.
-
Step 13: Do not worry about sucker shoots on the rootstock below the graft.
-
Step 14: Make sure you rake up any flowers
-
Step 15: leaves
-
Step 16: and stems from pruning and throw them away.
-
Step 17: Do not add any scrap cuttings to the compost pile.
-
Step 18: Freshen up the mulch after you clean up the scraps from pruning.
-
Step 19: Rake the old mulch smooth with a dirt rake.
Detailed Guide
Pruning during this time, while they are still dormant, is less stressful for the rose.In Zones 9 and 10, where roses stay evergreen, they should be pruned in January.
This will protect you from getting pricked by any rose thorns., Dull pruners and anvil-type pruners will crush the rose stems. , Do this by soaking them for 5 minutes in a household disinfectant like Lysol.
Make sure you rinse the disinfectant off with water and dry the pruners with a clean towel before using them. , Cut each stem ¼ inch above an outward-facing growth bud, which is usually found where a leaf with five leaflets is growing from the stem.
Growth buds look like tiny, triangular-shaped, slightly raised patches on the stems.
New stems grow from these growth buds. , Cutting at a steeper angle will damage the growth bud. , Do this by making the cut at the base of the dead stem.
If you are growing Drift roses in Zones 9 and 10, snip off all of the leaves.This will allow the Drift rose to grow fresh, new foliage for the coming year and reduce the possibility for diseases that can survive the winter on the leaves. , Do this throughout the growing season., This will prevent diseases like black spot and mildew, which are rare in Drift roses, from developing.
Make the pruning cut into the healthy part of the stem about 1 inch beyond the diseased area.The pith or center of the stem should be white and full-looking, not brown or tan. , This will lessen the risk of spreading the disease on healthy stems. , However, these roses do not need to be deadheaded to grow properly.
When deadheading, make the cut at a 45-degree angle ¼ inch above the first leaf with five leaflets.The first few leaves below the flower will have only one to three leaflets.
The leaf with five leaflets will be at a more productive growth bud.
Growth buds where leaves grow with only one to three leaflets will produce weaker stem growth that may not grow flower buds. , Drift roses grow on their own roots,rather than being grafted onto rootstock like many hybrid roses. , When left on the ground around a Drift rose, these cuttings can harbor insects as well as fungi and bacteria that could be splashed onto the rose., Doing this can lead to the development of disease and insect infestations. , However, avoid piling the mulch too deep.
Use a shovel or garden fork to loosen and turn the old mulch.This keeps it from becoming compacted, which restricts air flow and moisture penetration. , Add just enough new mulch on top to bring the total depth up to 2 to 3 inches.
About the Author
Jesse Perry
A seasoned expert in education and learning, Jesse Perry combines 2 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Jesse's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: