When, Why and How To Prune Roses

Roses are beautiful plants that can be found in gardens, both public and private, all over the world. The medicinal properties of roses have been known since ancient times and these flowers are one of the most versatile in personal care. If you are interested in learning more about the properties and uses of roses, read our post Rose Water: Benefits and How To Make It. 

In this post we're going to dedicate to rose care. We'll look at when, how, and why to prune these plants. At the end of the post, also watch our educational video where we show how to prune roses step by step.

 

When to Prune Roses?

 

To know when to prune rose roses, the following factors must be taken into account:

 

The Type of Rose

 

There are several types of roses, each with different needs. The best time to prune depends on the type of rose and its environment. Therefore, it is necessary to know the cultivated varieties so that the treatments are the most appropriate.

Some examples are remontant roses that bloom several times a year and should be pruned at the end of winter, and non-remontat roses that only bloom once a year and should be pruned soon after blooming.

 

The Best Pruning Season for the Type of Rose

 

• It should also be noted that if pruning is made early, the roses will bloom earlier and the buds may be frost-burned. If pruning is made late, the plant may be damaged by the loss of sap after the cuts.

• The rose bush we pruned for this post and video is a remontant rose bush, and for these roses, the best time to prune is during their short dormant period, near the end of winter, when temperatures begin to rise and there is less likelihood of frost.

• It should also be kept in mind that during the waning quarter, there is low sap flow, so the plant is less likely to lose sap after cutting.

• Pruning should be avoided on rainy days, as well as in the early morning hours before the dew has dissipated, in order to avoid water accumulation in the cuts, which could cause the appearance of fungi.

 

What to Use for Cutting?

 

When pruning rose bushes, depending on the thickness and height of the branches, the following tools will be needed:

 

• Pruning shears
• Branch cutter

 

Other Important Materials

 

• Gardening gloves
• Long-sleeved shirt
• Ethyl alcohol and a cloth for disinfecting the material

 

Pruning material should always be well sharpened and disinfected before use on each plant, in order to prevent a sick plant from passing diseases and pests on to other healthy plants.

 

 

What to Cut?

 

The first thing to do before start pruning is to examine the plant in order to identify:

• Branches that grow towards the center of the rose bush
• Crossing branches
• Dry, damaged or diseased branches
• Branches that are too long or too high
• Branches growing towards passageways

 

 

Why To Cut?

 

Roses should be pruned for several reasons:

 

• To give the plant a harmonious and careful shape
• To prevent excessive development
• To favor the aeration and lightening
• To promote the growth of new and more productive branches
• To do a general cleaning of the plant, removing unnecessary branches

 

Let's see why to prune each of the branches we mentioned above:

 

Branches that grow towards the center of the rose bush need to be cut back so that the plant doesn't become too dense. Excess branches make all the branches overall weaker. By choosing the best ones and cutting the weakest ones, the branches will become stronger and more productive. On the other hand, you also create more space for better air circulation, for sunlight to reach all the branches, and for easier access to the interior of the plant when pruning or spraying against any pests and diseases is needed. Cutting back branches that grow inward also allows you to define and balance the shape of the plant.

Crossing branches compete with each other and harm both each other's growth and productivity. You should cut those that are growing towards the center of the rose bush and favor those that are growing outwards, as they will contribute to the formation of the plant and have better sun exposure.

 

Dry, damaged or diseased branches are also useless. Damaged branches can be a gateway for pests and diseases, so they should be cut off immediately.

 

Branches that are too long or too tall become weaker and are at risk of breaking, plus it is not practical to have a rose bush that is too tall. Cutting these branches makes them stronger while allowing you to define the contours of the plant.

 

Branches that grow towards passageways take up unnecessary space and can even injure people passing by, so they should be cut back in a way that they don't grow back in the same direction.

 

 

How to Cut?

 

You can can a whole branch or not, depending on the shape that you want to give to the plant.

If the goal is to eliminate an entire branch, the cut should be made where the branch begins, that is, at the insertion with another branch or with the trunk of the rose bush. This is a swollen area (also known as the branch neck) and is an area favorable for healing. If cut correctly and the branch neck is left intact the wound will seal more easily, which is also crucial for protecting the plant from pests and diseases.

If the goal is to shorten a branch, the cut should be made above the bud so that it can sprout and grow healthy and vigorous.

 

The ideal cut should be precise and made all at once, whenever possible with a slope of about 45 degrees, which prevents the accumulation of water that can cause the branch to rot and fungi to appear.

 

Although roses are pest resistant, after pruning you can also apply a sealing paste to the cuts so that they heal more quickly and are not exposed to the elements that can lead to disease. The paste should be applied over and around the cut to cover the entire area of the cut.

 

Take a look at our video where we show how we pruned our rose bush.

 

VIDEO - When, Why and How To Prune Roses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How To Do Summer Pruning - Simple and Practical Guide For Green Pruning

In this post we are going to talk about summer pruning, also known as green pruning, on fruit trees. The trees we pruned for this post were citrus trees. The principles of green pruning are the same for all trees but it is important to know that citrus trees require less pruning than other trees. If you cut too much they will take a long time to recover and bear fruit again. Citrus trees are perennial, which means that they are evergreen and their leaves don't fall, so they don't have a real period of dormancy. The ideal time for pruning citrus trees should be somewhere between harvesting and the new flowering period, which happens during the spring. Still, green pruning can be done. Although there are several types of pruning, which we will talk about in another post, green pruning must be very light, just to do a little cleaning to the tree. Whether your trees are young or mature you must keep an eye on them to make sure they keep productive and healthy.

We've created this green pruning guide so you can prune your trees in a safe and careful way. For a better understanding make sure you watch our educational video at the end of this post.

When To Do Green Pruning?

Although  we have mentioned that it's done in the summer, there's another curiosity. Some people organize their agricultural tasks according to the moon phases. This is an ancient practice. Usually we don't do it, except for pruning. Sap flows low during the last quarter of the moon, so your trees are less likely to lose sap after cutting. Pruning should be avoided on rainy days, as well as in the early hours of the day before dew as dissipated, to avoid the accumulation of water on the cuts, which could cause the appearance of fungi.

What To Use For Cutting?

In a pruning work, depending on the thickness and height of the branches, you might need these tools: 

• Hand pruner
• Lopper
• Handsaw
• Telescopic pruner for high trees
• Chainsaw or reciprocating saw for thicker branches

Bearing in mind that this is a light pruning, you might only need pruning shears and, eventually, the handsaw.

Here are some links for you to see the tools in case you don't know them.

Hand Pruner 

Lopper

Handsaw 

Telescopic

Chainsaw

Reciprocating

Other Important Materials

• Gardening gloves
• Ethyl alcohol and a cloth for disinfecting the material

The pruning material must always be sharpened and disinfected before using on each tree, in order to prevent a diseased tree from passing diseases and pests onto other healthy trees. 

What To Cut?

It is always important to remember that green pruning is not a major pruning work, but only a small cleaning work of the tree. Before cutting, you must examine the tree to identify:

• Branches growing inside the crown
• Intersecting branches
• Dead, diseased, and damaged branches and leaves
• Sucker branches originating from the trunk and the rootstock 
• Branches that are too long and you might want to shorten

Why To Cut?

Branches that grow inside the crown have to be cut to open the center of the tree. Excess of branches makes each of the branches weaker. By choosing the best and cutting the weakest, the branches will be stronger to support the weight of the fruits. In addition to this, more space is created for better air circulation, for sunlight to reach all fruits, and for having easier access to the inside of the crown in case of spraying against pests and diseases. Anyways, an airy, lit crown helps a lot to prevent the formation of fungi and, consequently, to reduce the need for spraying. Cutting the branches that grow inside also allows to choose and balance the shape of the crown over time. Remember that horizontal branches are more productive, so try to cut vertical branches instead.

Intersecting branches compete with each other and impair both growth and fruiting of each other. Those growing towards the center of the crown should be cut and those growing outside should be favored, as they will contribute to the formation of the crown and will be more productive for their fruits will have better sun exposure.

Dead, diseased, and damaged branches are also useless. Damaged branches can be a gateway for pests and diseases, so cut them right away.

Suckers are very vigorous, vertical, little branched, and can sprout from both trunk and rootstock.

• Suckers branches from the trunk are useless and hinder the growth of the tree. The tree needs one sturdy trunk and these sprouts consume nutrients, reducing the productivity of the branches.
• Sucker branches from the rootstock, just like the ones sprouting from the trunk, reduce fruit yield. They grow extremely fast and suck the nutrients that should be consumed by the bearing part of the trees.  

Branches that are too long become weaker and risk breaking when supporting the weight of the fruit. Cutting these branches makes them stronger while allowing you to define the layout of the crown.

How To Cut?

Suckers can be gently removed by hand if they are small and newly formed or with pruning shears if they have woody stems.

Other branches must be cut at the branch collar swelling, that is, the swollen part where the branch meets the trunk. This is a favorable area for healing. If you cut it right and the collar is left intact, the wound will seal more effectively. This is also crucial to protect the trees against pests and diseases. For thinner branches use the hand pruner. For thicker branches use the lopper.

It is also common to find healthy and dead twigs on the same branch. In this case, cut the dead twig back where it meets the branch.

The ideal cut must be precise and carried out at once, with an angle of approximately 45º. Doing this avoids the accumulation of water, which can cause the rotting of the branch and the appearance of fungi.

After pruning, a sealing paste should be applied to the cuts, so that they heal more quickly and are not exposed to the elements that can cause diseases. Use a paintbrush and apply the paste over the stub and around the edges to ensure it covers the whole cut area.

In our video you can see exactly how to cut and the quantity of branches that were removed from one single tree.

The summer is out there, so...get to work! :)


VIDEO - How To Make Summer Pruning

Época de Poda e Plantio | Pruning and Planting

E, finalmente, depois de tanta chuva e mau tempo, vieram uns dias de sol…o que permitiu continuar com os afazeres na horta. Agora é época de poda e plantio.

A vinha vai crescendo! Desta vez, para além da casta D. Maria, também plantámos Red Globe e Cardinal. Após abrir a covinha, coloca-se o composto para alimentar as raízes da videira.


Finally, after so much rain and bad weather, a few sunny days have come...which allowed to continue with the garden chores. Now it's time for pruning and planting.
The vineyard keeps growing! This time, in addition to the white grape variety, we also cultivated red varieties, such as Red Globe and Cardinal. After opening the hole we place compost to feed the vine roots.

Coloca-se a cepa, tapa-se e dá-se a primeira rega (que deve ser generosa).


We place the vine, cover the hole and water it (first watering must be abundant).

Assim é uma a uma. Agora ainda falta colocar as varas, os arames e instalar a rega automática. 

Dá muito trabalho, mas depois compensa quando chega a época da colheita. São tão docinhas!! E como é bom ver a área de plantação a aumentar!


And so it is one by one. Now it's still necessary to instal rods, wires and automatic irrigation.
It takes a lot of work, but it pays off at harvest time. Grapes are so sweet!! And it's so good to see the planting area getting bigger!

************

Das mais recentes para as mais antigas…é chegada a altura de podar.

A poda é importante para fortalecer a vinha e também para a fazer crescer de forma ordenada. Para além de favorecer o crescimento, uma poda bem feita trata, renova e aumenta a produtividade. Aqui ficam algumas imagens da poda da vinha.


From the most recent to the oldest ones...time for pruning has come.
Pruning is important to strengthen the vineyard and also to make it grow orderly. In addition to promoting the growth, good pruning treats and renews the vine as well as increases productivity. Here are some pictures of pruning the vine.

E aqui está um pé de vinha podado. Quando os «olhos» rebentarem e começarem a crescer vão agarrar-se aos arames que lhes vão servir de guia. Os cachos de uvas vão ficar pendurados. Estes não podem tocar no chão, caso contrário, estraga-se o fruto.

And  here's a pruned vine. When shoots start to grow they'll grab the wires, which will guide them.

The bunches will be hanging. These cannot touch the ground, or it will damage the grapes.

Continuamos a podar, mas desta vez as árvores de fruto. É importante fazê-la pelos mesmos motivos e não só… A poda nas árvores serve para dar forma à copa, abrindo o seu interior o suficiente para que todos os frutos recebam a luz do sol. Cortar ramos «ladrões», limitar o crescimento em altura e preservar os ramos produtivos.

We keep on pruning, but this time it's the fruit trees. It's important to do it for the same reasons but also because pruning fruit trees allows us to shape the canopy and open the interior of the crown so that all fruits receive sunlight. When pruning, we cut the "suckers", limit the growth and preserve productive branches.

Agora é só esperar pelo florescimento e crescimento de novos raminhos na Primavera!


Now we just wait for spring to make branches grow and trees blossom!