Types of Roses and How to Prune Them

Some people find growing and caring for roses to be a complicated task. Growing roses is not as difficult as it may seem if you have the right tools and guidance to get the job done right. This article informs you of the different types of roses and how to care for each type. Along with useful information, we also have helpful videos below, courtesy of rose gardening expert, Paul Zimmerman.

Types of Roses

Floribunda, Hybrid Tea, Grandilfora, Shrub & Landscape, Climber, Miniature, Tree Rose

When to Prune

It doesn’t matter if you live in the North or South, you can always tell it’s time to prune your roses when you start to see the forsythia bloom and the rose buds begin to swell. You want to make sure that harsh, cold temperatures are gone. If you prune too early the roses could be susceptible to cold damage. This applies to all varieties of roses.

Tools for Pruning

Watch out for those thorns! Pruning roses can be a bit painful if you don’t have the correct tools to protect yourself. Thorn-Proof Rose Gloves go up to your elbow to prevent scratching of your arms. For the actual pruning part, you will need a pair of bypass pruners for the smaller branches and not anvil pruners. Leonard Bypass Pruners will do the trick, as they will not crush the stem of the rose, which can leave it susceptible to disease. You will need a pair of loppers to prune stems that are over an inch in width. The Leonard Professional Compound Loppers are easy to handle at only 2 lbs and keep you away from the thorns with a 31.5in. reach.

How to Prune

Since there are different ways to prune the different types of roses, Paul Zimmerman—renowned expert of roses and author of Everyday Roses: How to Grow Knock Out and Other Easy-Care Garden Roses, has graciously allowed us to use his videos. As an introductory he explains the Anatomy of a Rose. This is helpful in knowing what you are looking at when you prune. There is a lot of information out there on roses and we felt that being able to see how to prune and what to be looking for is much better than reading and trying to figure it out! Please check out the videos below to find the one that best applies to your rose pruning needs.