In autumn, noble roses are only remotely reminiscent of the majestic beauty of summer flowers. Although the actual pruning has been completed, rose gardeners now reach for the scissors again. Read in this tutorial when and how an autumn rose cut makes sense.

A pruning in the fall makes perfect sense

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. Not obligatory
  2. Bedding and hybrid tea roses
  3. Climbing roses fall pruning
  4. standard roses
  5. Dispose of clippings
  6. Wild roses no autumn pruning
  7. Pruning tool tips
  8. frequently asked Questions

    9. Not mandatory - but beneficial

    For a long time, an autumnal rose cut was frowned upon. Reason for the taboo: The cut causes fresh shoots that do not mature before winter. A few degrees below zero are enough for the soft shoot tips to freeze back into the wood and destroy hopes for the next flowering period.

    According to modern knowledge, slight frostbite on non-lignified shoot ends are unproblematic. On the contrary, uncut rose branches slow down the bitterly cold wind, diverting it to the lower areas, so that the local temperatures drop drastically and freeze buds. If overly long rose shoots gesture in all directions, it is difficult to attach reliable winter protection. Last but not least, orderly gardeners struggle with the month-long, unkempt appearance of uncut rose bushes.

    Since practical experience has underpinned modern knowledge, there has been a rethink in the way roses are cut. Today, rose gardeners decide - in addition to spring and summer pruning - for another pruning time in autumn.

    Cut bed and hybrid tea roses

    In the course of the summer, bedding, shrub and hybrid roses transform into a dense network of thorny branches. When the flowering season is finally over in autumn and the leaves withdraw, withered flower heads and limp leaves spoil the rose bushes. Getting through is unthinkable in order to pile up the plant base as winter protection. There are several reasons for an autumn grooming cut. How to do it right:

    • Sharpen rose scissors, clean and disinfect with spirit
    • Cut off wilted flowers above the next pair of leaves or buds
    • Cut back overly long, disturbing shoots by a maximum of one third
    • Pluck any dead leaves from the branches

    When pruning your roses in the fall, you can easily approach the cut with shirt sleeves. A perfect pruning technique on buds is exceptionally not required. Precision is only required again during the main cut in the spring.

    Cut budding branches

    If roses demonstrate their willingness to bloom with buds in autumn, the shoots are far too good for the organic waste bin. Cut off budding or flowering branches at the base. In the vase, the royal blooms will continue to unfold for some time. Although tightly closed buds do not fully open after an abrupt move from the cool garden to the warm room. The shoots always guarantee decorative accents with autumnal flair.

    digression

    Remove wild shoots continuously

    Wild shoots strive to overgrow the noble rose until the last warm ray of sunshine. From early spring to the beginning of winter, the wild rootstock vehemently sends out vigorous shoots to gain the upper hand in the fight for light and nutrients. Keep an eye on your bedding, shrub and hybrid tea roses throughout the season so that wildlings can be removed promptly. The unwanted shoots are easy to identify by the arrangement of their leaflets. With up to fifteen individual leaves, dummy shoots differ significantly from cultivated roses, whose noble leaflets are composed of an average of five individual leaves.

    Climbing roses - instructions for autumn pruning

    Their exposed position on the trellis makes an autumn pruning useful for climbing roses. If you don't want to be annoyed by wilted flowers and brown leaves all winter long, you can bring out the rose scissors again in autumn. Order-loving rose gardeners will not miss this opportunity to rearrange the tendrils. Here’s how to do it professionally:

    • Loosen awkwardly standing rose tendrils from the climbing frame and lay them on the ground
    • Leave well-positioned shoots on the trellis
    • Clean out faded flowers
    • Shorten shoots that protrude over the trellis by a third
    • Important: ideally do not cut this year's long shoots
    • Completely remove dead foliage

    Tie the tendrils back on after the fall cleanup. If there is not enough space on the climbing frame, start with this year's unbranched long shoots. Your climbing rose will have the most beautiful flowers on these tendrils next year. If a tendril has to give way, it should be an older, heavily branched specimen.

    Cut and pack standard roses

    On standard roses level moderate care cut in autumn the way for the perfect winter protection. Here the sensitive grafting point is below the crown and is therefore particularly susceptible to severe frost. Without a warm hood, a rose tree is at the mercy of winter hardships without protection. The cover is easier to attach if you shorten the branches slightly beforehand. How to do it right:

    • Crown of roses all around one third cut back
    • Pluck accessible leaves
    • Wrap the crown in a breathable winter fleece
    • Tie the hood together below the grafting point on the trunk

    In regions with harsh winters, it is also advisable to place a bucket on wood and wrap it with bubble wrap or jute. Cover the substrate with autumn leaves (no rose petals), straw or bark mulch.

    tips

    In no case should roses be fertilized in autumn. At worst, the nutrients will tempt a rose bush to sprout again. Soft shoots cannot withstand winter frost, they freeze back and damage the entire plant. If you want to arm your roses with potassium for the cold season in autumn, apply the fertilizer by mid to late August at the latest.

    Always dispose of clippings

    Plant hygiene is very important when it comes to cutting roses. Hardly any modern tea rose is immune to disease. It is primarily the pretty pinnate leaves on which pathogens settle. Varieties with the title 'ADR-Rose' mostly defend themselves against an infection on their own. Nevertheless, cunning fungal spores can overwinter in the rose bed with the clippings or autumn leaves.

    As a result, the pathogens find their way onto the leaves all the faster next year. An infestation that was hardly noticeable in the previous year can take on serious proportions in this way. Please always dispose of clippings and fallen rose leaves in the dustbin. Pathogens are not reliably killed on the compost heap.

    Do not cut wild roses

    Wild roses adorn the wintry garden with colorful rose hips. For this reason alone, the natural beauties in autumn are not a case for rose scissors. Environmentally conscious rose gardeners refrain from pruning because the round fruits are a valuable source of food for wintering birds.

    background

    Pruning postponed to March

    Plant pruning is one of the key pruning types for roses. You can plant container roses all year round as long as it doesn't freeze. For bare-root roses, the time window for planting is from October to March. If you decide on an autumn planting date, the Cut the plants only in the following spring. The forsythia blossom gives a reliable indication of the best date. Cut back all shoots to 3 to 5 eyes. The cut causes a sap accumulation, whereupon the young rose vigorously sprout and branches.

    Tips for the perfect cutting tool

    The autumnal pruning of roses concentrates on withered flower heads and the upper third of the shoot. With sharp rose scissors you are well equipped for the moderate grooming cut. A pair of scissors with a bypass mechanism is recommended because two sharp blades run against each other and create smooth cuts. Especially under the influence of cool temperatures, it is important that cut surfaces close in good time before the first frost.

    Thorn-resistant gloves with long cuffs are essential. It is primarily the long cuffs that protect your arms from painful injuries when you pluck dead pinnate leaves from the inside of the bush.

    frequently asked Questions

    If I plant the 'Snow Queen' ground cover rose, do I need to prune it twice a year?

    You can let ground cover roses grow freely. Annual pruning in March or April is beneficial for bushy growth with lush branching, especially during the first three to four years. Cutting back twice a year would be too much of a good thing, as the creeping roses only grow slowly. In contrast to bedding, shrub and hybrid roses, ground cover roses do not need pruning in autumn.

    My hybrid tea roses are still in bud in September. What maintenance measures should I take? Can I just leave the shoots and cut them in the spring?

    You perfectly prepare your roses for the winter if you pile up the plants generously. A protective cover is not necessary if you last fertilized in August. If you fertilized in September, be sure to protect the soft shoots that sprout with an air-permeable fleece. If individual branches get in the way when attaching a hood, you can safely cut them off. Branches with buds or final blooms are ideal for a vase cut. You only complete the main cut in the spring when the forsythia bloom.

    When we move, we would like to take the most beautiful rose bushes with us. When and how should we ideally transplant the roses?

    The best time to move your roses is during the leafless period of autumn or early spring. Please make sure that there were no rose plants at the new location beforehand, otherwise soil fatigue is to be expected. Dig up the root balls generously so that the plants can take as much of the usual soil as possible with them. A pruning in the spring compensates for the lost root volume. Adequate water supply is important. Drought stress is the most common cause of rose death after transplanting.

    Are there any special features to consider when cutting historical roses?

    No, historical roses are treated in the same way as modern varieties when it comes to cutting care. In the fall, cut off wilted flower heads and pile up the roses. When budding is imminent in spring, cut back all shoots to 5 eyes. Thanks to this pruning, it is guaranteed that the bushes will branch out well and grow healthily.

    My hybrid tea bloomed wonderfully in the first summer and is 70 cm tall. In September, a new, reddish-colored shoot formed, which has shot up a whopping 120 cm in height and has no buds. Is it a game drive?

    You can recognize a wild instinct by various characteristics. If it sprouts below the grafting point, a shoot comes from the wild rootstock. The grafting point can be identified as a thickening above the roots. If you cannot clearly identify the origin of the suspicious shoot, wait until it bears leaves. Wildlings give themselves away with pinnate leaves made up of up to 15 individual leaves. In contrast, Hybrid Tea roses thrive with pinnate foliage composed of 3, 5, or 7 individual leaves. Tear off a wild shoot from the rootstock with a courageous jerk. Cut back a noble shoot by a third in spring.

    The 3 most common cutting mistakes

    If a rose gardener works draconically with the autumn pruning, massive frost damage is the result. If wild shoots are allowed to function freely in the rose bush until winter, they rob the noble part of important reserves for the next flowering period. If you leave autumn clippings in the bed, you will have to fight more rose diseases next year. The following table summarizes common mistakes in autumn trimming with tips for prevention:

    cutting error damage picture prevention
    pruned vigorously in autumn Frost damage to total failure Cut by a third at most
    Wild shoots not removed poor shoots, few flowers Pull out wild shoots by winter
    autumn clippings left lying around spread of diseases Always dispose of rose clippings

    tips

    Unpredictable weather and global warming make choosing the date for the main pruning of roses a balancing act. A look at the calendar does not help. Mother Nature clearly signals when you really should prune your roses. As soon as forsythia announce spring with bright yellow flowers, the ideal time window for pruning opens.

Category:

Vegetable garden