Fig. 1 Remove dead canes.

January and February are prime times for pruning hybrid tea roses in the low desert. Thinning and reducing the number of canes allows bushes to direct energy to grow longer, stronger canes that support more impressive blooms during spring’s peak bloom period. Before you begin pruning, it is helpful to familiarize yourself with the following:

• A bud union is a noticeable bump where the rose variety (such as ‘Tropicana’) was grafted onto the rootstock (‘Dr. Huey’ or ‘Fortuniana’). The bud union typically is two or three inches above the soil line.

• Basal canes are stems that arise from the bud union. Effective pruning encourages the growth of new basal canes, on which hybrid teas flower most abundantly.

• A bud eye is located where a leaf is attached to a cane. If canes are bare, a bud eye appears as a slight swelling on the cane, where new growth may arise.

Fig. 2 Remove scraggly growth.

MAKING THE CUT

Your pruning goal is to cut back one-third to one-half of the existing shrub, leaving four to eight vigorous healthy canes. Begin by removing all of the following:

• Dead, broken or diseased canes (Fig. 1).

• Thin, scraggly growth, which will be too weak to support flowers and will squander the bush’s energy (Fig. 2).

• Suckers that grow from the rootstock (below the bud union).

• Canes that cross or rub against each other. Remove the thinner, weaker cane (Fig 3).

• Canes that grow into the center of the bush. Create a balanced “vase-like” shape with canes growing upward and outward around an open center. This allows air and sunlight to penetrate, which in turn inhibits fungal diseases.

Fig. 3 Remove canes that cross each other or grow into the center of the bush.

SHAPE, SEAL AND STRIP

After pruning unnecessary growth, examine the plant’s remaining shape and proceed as follows:

• If there are old basal canes that did not flower well last season, remove each at its base to make way for new basal canes.

• Trim back the length of remaining canes by one-third to one-half, ensuring that you reach live (white or green) growth. Make cuts at a 45-degree angle. Always cut back to an outward-facing bud eye (Fig. 4). This directs new growth away from the center of the plant where it would cross with other canes and interfere with circulation. 

Fig. 4 Left: Cut too high Middle: Cut too low Right: Cut correctly

• Seal cuts with wood glue to prevent borer infestation.

• Strip all foliage from the bush and clean up leaf debris.