The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 1 Winter 2012 | Page 20

In the rose garden

It’s time to prune the roses
By Gil Laver

We would all like our roses to produce an attractive display of quality blooms
throughout the growing season – from spring through to autumn. Pruning helps
us to achieve this by replacing the old, weak growth with new, vigorous shoots.

The rose bush
In order to prune correctly, we first need to examine the
growth habit of a rose bush.
All rose bushes have a crown at or close to ground level from
which new, vigorous water-shoots grow. As soon as they bear
a flower, they should be cut back to about 20 – 50 cm from
their source, the crown. This cutback will stimulate side shoots
to grow and form the framework for flower production during
the next few seasons.
As these framework branches and side shoots get older, they
become woody and less vigorous, and their ability to sustain
flower production rapidly declines. At this stage, usually after
two to three growing seasons, it is prudent to remove them.

Side shoot
Framework branches
Crown
Woody and less vigourous
framework branches

New water-shoots
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