It’s Almost Time! How to Prune & Fertilize Roses in the Spring for Maximum Flowers

Spring pruning and fertilizing is the most important of the year for rose shrubs, and you have a short time, if you want them healthy and blooming vigorously. When you cut their branches and feed them at the beginning of the season, you give them strength and shape, and you remove all the sick and dead wood that winter caused. It is quite a “ruthless job”, but an art at the same time. You need to be cruel to be kind with world’s favorite flowering (and thorny) bush!

But if you get the timing, or the method wrong, it can spell disaster for your roses and their glorious blossoms. These shrubs are notorious for catching infections and diseases, and most of it is down to bad spring pruning. And you also need to give the correct fertilizer.

Let’s see how you can prune and feed your rose bushes, like hybrid tea, floribunda and English shrub, in a professional way, but also in easy and straightforward steps.

When to Prune Shrub Roses in Spring

You need to time your shrub roses’ spring pruning very well, and the right period is usually between late March and early April.You need to act when frost is well and truly over, and when days start to warm up, to about 55°F, or 13°C. Of course, this depends on the climate where your garden is…

Then again, we gardeners have a saying to get the right time to prune shrub roses, “when forsythia is in bloom”, because this vigorous flowering bush typically blossoms when temperatures reach… 55°F, or 13°C!

So, keep checking the weather forecast and be ready, because you don’t have a long window to prune your shrub roses. If you wait, they will start growing new shoots, and waste energy in the process, which means weaker branches and poorer blossoms.

When to Fertilize Shrub Roses in Spring

The ideal time to fertilize your shrub roses in spring is just after you have pruned them. You should do both things on the same day, or, if you are busy, do not leave more than a few days from cutting to feeding!

The reason is that when you prune shrub roses, you leave the crown and the top of the roots exposed, and they will tend to grow suckers. These will use a lot of energy and they will produce few flowers. You will have to remove them anyway.

Let’s get started with pruning, then!

Tools You Need to Prune Shrub Roses in Spring

Gert ready with your tools before you prune your shrub roses in spring; if you don’t have them, you may end up with a poor job and poor blooms (and sick plants).

To start with make sure all the blades are sharp!

Also make sure you disinfect every blade you use, before and after each rose shrub! the risk of spreading infection is big at this time, and especially with roses. Any disinfectant will do, but I prefer bleach, because it doesn’t rust my tools.

And now, here is what you will need:

So, get your pruning kit ready, and get your ideas ready… Let’s see which shape you want your shrub rose to have at the end of your job.

What Shape You Need to Prune Your Shrub Roses in Spring

The final shape you want your shrub roses to grow into is that of an open and low basket! This is not for aesthetic reasons; it is also for their health! Yes, because:

So, as you approach your roses to prune them in spring, imagine them growing into this low basket shape. And now, let’s prepare them for the cut!

Prepare Your Shrub Roses for Their Spring Pruning

Roses need protection in winter, and you need to remove it in spring before pruning them. Also remove the mulching that kept your shrubs warm during this season, but don’t throw it away!

Using your hand rake, you need to shift the mulching to the side, forming a bowl, or a shallow moat running around your rose shrubs. You will use this to fertilize them later on, and to have a basin where water can collect.

Also make sure the crown is clean; check that it is healthy and do not leave any mulch on it; it can get humid and catch molds or rot. I use my hands, but a brush can make it more artistic…

Having done this, you can start the pruning proper!

Prune Your Roses In Spring Like a Pro in Just 6 Easy Steps!

Spring Pruning Step 1: Cut all the Basal Suckers before You Prune the Branches of Your Shrub Roses

Start from the base of your rose shrubs, and look for suckers; these are shoots that start from under the main branches, sometime even from the roots. They look vigorous, green and upright, and they will suck away energy from the blooms; they will also give your bush the wrong shape.

In many cases, high quality (but weak) rose varieties are grafted onto sturdy varieties that give poorer blossoms. Suckers can come from under the graft, and you won’t get the flowers you expected.

Cut all the suckers as close as possible to their base, and then you can move to the upper branches. A reason to fertilize and cover the roots as soon as possible is not to encourage these basal shoots with light and air…

Spring Pruning Step 2: Cut off All the Dead and Sick Wood from Your Shrub Roses

Next for spring pruning, cut off every dead or sick part of your shrub roses; their branches will have caught infections, molds, and even rot during the winter period, and you must remove them before you move on to the next step.

Look at wood that is brown, black, soft or dead, and prune down to where the rose branches are fully healthy. You cannot leave any infections in spring, or they may develop and damage your shrubs as well as their gorgeous blooms.

And remember to disinfect your blades before you prune any new rose shrubs; we said it already, but it is worth reminding, it’s a very common mistake.

At this stage, look carefully at the cuts, if you see a hole in the middle of the branch, it means that your shrub is being eaten from within by the rose weevil, a reddish beetle by the scientific name of Naupactus nervinus, which will keep borrowing if you leave it there. So, cut that branch till you see that its little “tunnel” is no longer there.

And now your shrub rose is healthy, you can move to the next step.

Spring Pruning Step 3: Cut off All the Crossing Branches from Your Shrub Roses

Now, you are on to a simple task for your shrub rose spring pruning; you need to prune off all the branches that cross. Cut those that point inside, rather than outside, this will help you keep the basket shape.

If you leave crossing branches on, as they grow, and they become more flexible, they can rub against each other, especially on windy days, and with their thorns (or prickles to be correct), they can hurt themselves. And as you know, roses are very prone to catching infections.

Spring Pruning Step 4: Cut Down the Main Branches of Your Shrub Roses

Here you need to be cruel to be kind, for spring pruning you need to cut the main branches of your shrub roses to 12 to 18 inches from the ground (30 to 45 cm)! You can adapt this according to the size of the plant, but it does mean reducing it to 1/3.

Of course, for dwarf shrub roses, you will need to prune them even lower in spring, to about 10 inches from the ground (25 cm).

Very importantly, prune the main branches of your shrub roses just above a secondary one that points outside! You don’t want them to grow inwards. And give it about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the shoot.

For large plants, with big main branches, it is a good idea to seal the wound, with mastic gum.

Depending on the size of your shrub rose, you could use loppers or a pruning saw (or pruners for a dwarf variety).

Spring Pruning Step 5: Cut All the Secondary Branches that Point Inside

Next, we can look at the secondary branches of your shrub roses, and the first thing to do is to prune off all those that point inside. Cut them off at about ½ inch (1.0 cm) from the main branch. It is usually possible to keep the cut (almost) vertical at this stage, which is a good idea, because water won’t stop on the wound, and it won’t penetrate into the plant.

Spring Pruning Step 6: Cut the Secondary Branches of Your Shrub Roses Pointing Outside

And now, let’s see how to spring prune the secondary branches of your shrub roses as well. With mature roses, you will have shoots coming off them, and you want to choose the right ones; those pointing outside.

Try to keep the whole shrub rose, including the secondary branches, to a maximum of 24 inches tall (60 cm), and prune them to just above a shoot that points outwards, ½ inches (1.0 cm) over it.

Also, cut all low shoots, and try to keep only one, two, or maximum three for every secondary branch. Those at the bottom will now blossom well, and they will suck energy from the ones above, which will get more light.

And now, you are done! Your shrub rose is now ready to grow, flourish and blossom profusely! But there is a final point…

How to Cut the Branches of Your Shrub Roses When You Prune them in Spring, and Not Only…

The idea is to prunethe branches of your roses at a 45° angle, especially with secondary ones, and away from the shoot you keep. So, the tip of your cut must be on the same side as the shoot. This will make rain water slide off, and it won’t penetrate into your shrub rose, and this is not just for spring, but always.

Some gardeners say that even if you cut the branches flat, it makes no difference, but I wouldn’t risk it.

And, of course, the cut must be neat and sharp! Otherwise, the branch can get infected and diseased.

How to Fertilizing Roses in Spring

But now, let’s move on to fertilizing your shrub roses when spring comes; there are a few simple ways…

Fertilize Your Spring Roses with Compost in Spring

The most common way of fertilizing roses in spring is with compost. It will work just fine, and it is very easy: just spread 2 inches of good quality compost at the base of your plants, forming a circle that’s at least as wide as the outermost branch it had last year. This depends on the size of your variety, but with big ones, it can reach a good 5 feet in diameter (1.5 meters), though in most cases, it will be between 2 and 3 feet (60 to 90 cm).

Do not mix the compost in with the soil, let it penetrate naturally, with the rain, and water your shrub roses after you have laid it. Otherwise, you risk damaging the roots of your shrub rose, and it need air to work, otherwise it rots. Water afterwards.

You can add coarse sand at this stage, to improve drainage, and a handful of Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate), which roses like a lot.

You can mulch your shrub rose after you have fertilized it with compost.

Fertilize Rose Shrubs with Manure, Rose Food and Epsom Salt in Spring

Roses are very hungry shrubs, and they need lots of nutrients in spring to produce their blooms, and you can fertilize them with manure, rose food and Epsom salt, if you want to go professional. In this case, you will also need a shovel or a fork and a cup.

Make sure that the manure is fully rotted though, fresh manure will burn your rose shrubs, and it can acidify the soil. It shouldn’t be very stinky or wet. Note that manure can be organic or not, so choose wisely.

Rose food is organic fertilizer specially designed for roses, and you can find it in most garden centers, or online. And here is what you need to do.

• Use one shovelful of well-rotted manure for each rose shrub.

• With the shovel, or a fork, and scatter the manure at the base of the shrub.

• Add one cup of rose food, scattering it at the base of the shrub.

• Add a handful (or a tablespoon) of Epsom salt, again, scattering it at the base of the rose.

• Mix it all us roughly with your hand rake.

• Water abundantly.

And this is done! Again, you can mulch after having fertilized your rose shrubs.

And this is it! Unless you have a few questions to ask…

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers about Pruning and Fertilizing Rose Shrubs in Spring

Now you can spring prune and fertilize your shrub roses correctly, but you may still have a few questions on the topic, so, I am pleased to answer them.

Question: “What happens if I don’t prune or fertilize my shrub roses in spring?”

Answer: “Rose shrubs need pruning and they need fertilizing in spring! If you don’t prune them, they will get bushy and messy, and they can catch diseases due to poor ventilation and branches that rub against each other. If you don’t fertilize them, they will be weak, and in both cases, the blooming will suffer.”

Question: “What can I do if I am late with the pruning and fertilization of my shrub roses?”

Answer: “If you are late with these two spring chores, you need to act quickly and prune and fertilize your rose shrubs quickly! To be honest, you can still get a decent flowering season out of them, once I went to restore the garden of a holiday resort, and it was May already… They had done no work on their roses, but I managed to get quite a few good blossoms out of them.”

Question: “Can I use chemical fertilizers to feed my rose shrubs in spring?”

Answer: “You can, but I strongly advise against it. Chemical fertilizers give you a good result straight away, but they impoverish the soil, and then, of course, they end up in the ground and it’s always best to avoid them.”

Question: “What can I do with all the pruned branches?”

Answer: “Of course, you need to clean them, and then it depends. If you have a cold compost heap, you should divide the healthy branches from the unhealthy ones, and only put the former on it. If instead you have a hot compost heap, you can use all the pruning, because the heat will kill pathogens…”