Spring Pruning of Knockout Roses

Many of our newer landscapes include a variety of shrub rose, known as a Knockout Rose. These plants are beloved by gardeners for their vigorous, constant bloom and trouble-free nature. Like other roses, they need pruning in the spring to provide a healthy start for the season. Here are a few tips for pruning:

When to prune: When the forsythia begin to bloom, or when the leaf buds on the roses start to swell, getting larger and reddish in color.

How to prune: Using a clean, sharp pruning tool, begin pruning from the base of the plant. Prune to open the center of the plant to light and air circulation.

Make your cuts at a 45-degree angle, making clean cuts about one quarter inch above a bud that is facing toward the outside of the plant. Always prune to where new growth is evident, removing any part of a dead cane.

Remove any weak, dead or diseased wood and branches thinner than a pencil.

Remember, pruning roses is very good for the plants. It's better to learn by doing than to neglect this important jump-start to a rose's growing season.