Pruning roses in March: That's why now is exactly the right month

Created: 07/03/2022, 16:00

By: Joana Lück

Early pruning in spring is a good way to encourage roses to sprout.

The editors of 24garten.de know what you should consider in March. 

Munich - Bed roses are beautiful, exude an irresistible fragrance and are also very hardy with the appropriate cover.

But there are a few things to keep in mind when cutting.

Pruning roses in March: That's why now is exactly the right month

When it comes to caring for roses, it is also best to follow the phenological seasons*.

In contrast to the calendar sheet, this more precise subdivision into ten seasons provides information about which periodically recurring growth and development phenomena of the plants are pending.

Roses should be pruned from mid-March.

(Iconic image) © Robert Przybysz/Imago

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From mid-March you can generally cut the roses.

However, depending on the weather, the time can be pushed back by up to two weeks.

In the southern federal states, the depths of winter can often still prevail, while the roses in Schleswig-Holstein or Lower Saxony are already budding.

A good starting point is forsythia.

As soon as they bloom, you can confidently put the pruning shears on the roses, because an early cut encourages the young, flowering shoots.

You should consider the following tips:

• The roses should be trimmed in the so-called first spring.

  Forsythia serves as a guide, but also the leaves of gooseberries and currants.

• Remove any winter coverings* for the cut.

• So that there are smooth cuts and the plant is not damaged more than necessary, sharp and clean pruning shears are a must.

• Cut diagonally about five millimeters above an outward-facing bud.

  A straight cut would encourage accumulation of water and pathogens.

• If, after the pruning*, temperatures drop down to minus five degrees Celsius again, it is advisable to cover the grafted areas with fleece again.

Dead shoot ends are cut off down to the green wood.

Weak shoots should also be severely pruned so that the rose can gather strength in just a few buds.

Pruning roses in March: It depends on the variety

Three to five shoots should be left over for bed roses and hybrid tea roses that bloom more often.

Shrub rose shoots should be shortened by about a third.

Cut back older shoots to three to five eyes.

You should completely remove very weak and old shoots.

You should remove all shoots of frequently flowering climbing roses* that cannot be guided.

Climbing roses that have bloomed once are a bit more sensitive and should only be touched once in spring instead of twice a year.

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