- Prune shrub roses that bloom frequently
- Cut - key to success
- Summer pruning maximizes flowering
- Prune once-blooming shrub roses
- Shrub roses are not climbing roses
- Cut small shrub roses
- frequently asked Questions
The pruning of shrub roses depends largely on the flowering behavior. Park roses that bloom once are cut differently than varieties that bloom more often. Learn when and how to properly prune shrub roses in this tutorial.

Table of Contents
Show all- Frequent flowering shrub roses
- summer cut
- One-time flowering varieties
- small shrub roses
- frequently asked Questions
- The best time is when the forsythia are in bloom
- Thin out dead, cross-growing and unfavorable shoots
- Cut back last year's growth of main bottom shoots by a third or half
- Shorten side shoots along the trellis shoots to 3 to 5 eyes
- Cut away stunted shoots at the base
- Cut out withered flowers and rose hips at the end of February to the beginning of March
- Thin out dead wood, diseased and stunted shoots
- After flowering, cut back long shoots protruding from the shrub
- Ideally, derive from a lower-lying side shoot
- The best time is in spring
- Thin out the entire shrub thoroughly beforehand
- Clean out wilted flowers and dead leaves
- Cut back diseased, brown, black shoots into the light, healthy wood
Prune shrub roses that bloom frequently
Modern shrub roses and numerous English roses enchant us with a double blossom festival. The floral masterpiece succeeds in that the buds of the first heyday from June am perennial wood unfold. the second bloom shines from the end of July this year's shoots. With an annual cut in the spring, you support the growth habit and the willingness to bloom. How to properly prune reblooming park roses:
The figure below illustrates the pruning of a medium-growing shrub rose. If you haven't done so in the fall, cut off wilted flower heads and rosehips now in the spring. Are you worried about a recurrent parkrose with poor growth? Then you can also cut boldly. The main shoots easily tolerate a cut of up to two thirds. There is a massive accumulation of juice below the interfaces, which triggers a strong budding. On the other hand, if a rose bush is growing too much for you, limit the pruning to what is absolutely necessary to slow down the growth.

Thoroughly thin out shrub roses that bloom frequently in spring. Cut back the growth of scaffolding shoots by a third or half. Cut their side branches into three to five eyes. Weak side shoots are completely removed.
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Cut - key to success
Don't cut your shrub roses just anywhere. Choose the starting point for the rose scissors in the immediate vicinity of an eye, a slight bulge on the shoot. Gardeners call an eye a bud that later turns into a flower, a pinnate leaf or a shoot. The ideal distance to the floral hotspot is 5 to 10 millimeters for roses. Hold the scissors at a slight angle so that rain and irrigation water can run off as quickly as possible. If you choose a distance that is too short, you could cut into the eye. At a distance of more than 10 millimeters they leave behind a long stub that dries back and opens the floodgates for pathogens.Summer pruning maximizes flowering
After the first blooms, rose gardeners pull out the scissors again. Withered flower heads not only spoil the well-groomed appearance, but also shade the buds for the second flowering season. Keep the cut short above the first complete, healthy leaflet on. This clears the way for the swelling buds that adorn your shrub rose until the first frost.
tips
Summer pruning is the ideal opportunity for a well-measured portion of rose fertilizer. To ensure that your reblooming shrub roses do not run out of floral breath after the first flowering, give growth new impetus with a special fertilizer for roses.
Prune once-blooming shrub roses
Once-blooming shrub roses bud in the previous year. The opulent flowering period extends from May/June to June/July. This flowering behavior prohibits vigorous pruning in the spring, as is obligatory for reblooming shrub roses. Shortly before growth begins, a moderate pruning ensures order. Deeper pruning measures are carried out after the flowering period and before budding. This is the ideal way to cut shrub roses that have bloomed once:
From the fifth or sixth year, shrub roses benefit from continuous rejuvenation. For this purpose, remove the oldest shoot just above the grafting point, unless it is a grafted shrub rose. On wild roses, cut off the relevant skeleton shoots at ground level. A sap builds up, which promotes the growth of young bottom shoots as future skeletal shoots.

Once-blooming shrub roses like to form annoying long shoots that protrude from the mold after the flowering period. Cut back overly long branches in late summer. This preserves the shapely habit and promotes the growth of short flowering shoots for the following year.
digression
Shrub roses are not climbing roses
A majestic growth to a lofty height of 200 centimeters tempts some home gardeners to consider shrub roses as climbing roses. In fact, shrub roses achieve the impressive growth height on their own and are not dependent on a trellis. Climbing roses, on the other hand, transform facades and other areas into a sea of flowers, provided a climbing aid is available. In this case, the floral climbing artists conquer dizzying heights of up to 10 meters. The specific growth influences the care of the cut. A separate tutorial is dedicated to the correct pruning of climbing roses.Cut small shrub roses
Since garden areas have been getting smaller and smaller, small shrub roses have been on the upswing. With a growth height of 50 to 100 centimetres, the small-format shrub roses transform the garden into a summer fairy tale. The compact growth habit depends primarily on vigorous pruning in spring. How to cut small shrub roses correctly:
After the cleaning action, devote yourself to the shaping. All remaining shoots cut back to 30 or 40 centimeters. Make the incision 1/4 inch above a protruding eye. Cut at a slight angle so that the highest point of the cut is just above the eye.
Small shrub roses stay young and bloom happily if you combine spring pruning with continuous rejuvenation. From the third or fourth year, remove the oldest bottom shoot. On grafted roses, please cut above the grafting point. On wild roses, position the scissors just above the ground.
frequently asked Questions
Should bare-root shrub roses be pruned? If so, when and how do I cut correctly?
The best time to plant bare-root shrub roses is in autumn. Since a cut so close to winter can result in frost damage, the plants are not cut until the following spring. Only cut back overly long or damaged root strands to 20 to 25 cm before planting. When the forsythia bloom next year, cut off all shoots of a young shrub rose to 3 to 5 buds. The weaker a shoot, the harder the pruning.
I planted the shrub rose 'Westerland' last September with a height of 120 cm. How high do I prune the rose in spring?
Cut out primarily dead and damaged wood. Likewise, branches that are growing inwards and rubbing against each other are cut away. Leave vigorously growing shoots or cut the tips by a maximum of one third. Encourage weak shoots to vigorous growth by pruning to 2 to 3 buds. Cut back the remaining branches to 4 to 5 eyes.
On my shrub rose, a very long, soft shoot developed on last year's shoot, which can easily be broken off. Do such shoots have to be removed completely?
Strikingly long, soft shoots are referred to as Geiltriebe. Prolonged cloudy weather or a poorly lit location cause shrub roses to grow such shoots. As a rule, it is sufficient to shorten a Geiltrieb by half. However, it cannot be ruled out that it is a wild instinct that sprouts from the rootstock. In this case, remove the entire shoot completely, ideally by tearing it off.
2 years ago I planted a shrub rose that blooms often. It now thrives with 2 strong, approximately 140 cm long branches and thin side shoots. How far should I prune the rose in spring?
It is largely your gardening decision how deep you prune a repeat-flowering shrub rose. You can either cut back the two main shoots by half or just cut off the tips. When measuring the perimeter of the cut, please keep in mind that rose bushes will branch just below the cut. The harder a pruning, the bushier and more compact the growth. Since more shoots grow as a result, the shrub rose produces more flowers accordingly. You should cut back the weak side shoots to 2 to 3 buds to strengthen growth.
The 3 most common cutting mistakes
If you prune your once-blooming shrub rose like a variety that blooms more often, you will struggle with the failure of the flowering period. Leaving aside the care of the cut leads to an unsightly, almost flowerless thicket. Anyone who treats their park roses with arbitrary incisions triggers morbid consequences. So that you don't have to struggle with such damage, this overview names common cutting errors by name with tips for skilful prevention:
cutting error | damage picture | prevention |
---|---|---|
once-blooming rose cut like multi-blooming rose | failure of flowering | Prune once-blooming shrub roses in late summer |
arbitrary incision | Growth depression, dried up buds, disease infestation | Cut 5-10 mm diagonally above an eye |
never cut | Barrenness to the impenetrable, flower-poor thicket | cut or thin out once a year |
tips
In the rose bed, modern gardeners pull out the scissors again in autumn so that reblooming shrub roses present a well-groomed appearance during the winter. Withered flowers and dead foliage are removed. If overly long shoots prevent the attachment of winter protection, cut off the branch tips by a maximum of one third.