Many gardeners approach pruning with unnecessary trepidation. Perhaps this is because we naturally anthropomorphize other living things, even green, leafy ones. You wouldn't want someone cutting of your limbs, so it seems a little scary to snip away at your favorite shrub.

In truth, rose bushes are almost impossible to kill by pruning, underwatering, or underfeeding. The true killers of roses are bugs and fungus, both of which are exacerbated by excess moisture. Keeping your rosebush pruned will help airflow and allow you to see all the leaves and branches so you can inspect them for disease. When the branches are properly pruned, leaves can dry between watering, which will curb the growth of fungal disease. Insects will have a harder time hiding their nests without a dense tangle of branches.

The proper pruning tools are a set of sharp pruning shears and a pair of heavy leather garden gloves. It's best if those gloves protect your forearms as well, especially if you are pruning a large bush. If you have a real thicket of rosebushes to prune, wear jeans and a denim shirt as well in order to avoid scratches.

In the early spring, just as the rosebushes are starting to green up, prune away any "dead" material. If a branch is still brown, snip it off. It's ok to cut off a little extra. You will not harm the bush.

Throughout the growing season, deadheading your roses will help them keep blooming their best. The most enjoyable way to deadhead roses is, of course, taking some cut flowers inside to enjoy! When you remove a flower, the bush is stimulated to produce more. This response is similar to how your body grows more skin in areas that get abraded often (like your palms and the soles of your feet). The organism overcompensates for the damage. In the case of rosebushes, this means the more flowers you take, the more there will be! So feel free to cut a bouquet. While you're at it, do a quick inspection for flowers that are past their prime and cut them off as well. Also get rid of any brown branches. You can let these fall to the ground as mulch.

While you're going about your pruning routine, take the time to inspect for disease. If a branch has lots of black or brown spots on its leaves, prune it off and throw the branch away before the disease spreads any further. Keeping the healthy branches free of disease is paramount at this point. You will also need to spray with an anti-fungal agent. I like neem oil because it is effective as both an anti-fungal compound and an insecticide. Furthermore, neem oil is a natural evergreen extract and has no mammalian toxicity. You can spray with neem oil as often as you like. Remember, though, no chemical treatment can be 100% effective. Removing diseased leaves and branches is an important control measure.

Learn more about this author, Raven Lebeau.
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