They bloom exuberantly. It almost looks like a sea made up of nothing but flowers. You can hardly see any leaves there. But without a visit from the rose scissors every now and then, the abundance of flowers on the ground cover roses will not last long. When is the right time to prune? How to proceed in detail?
When and how do you cut ground cover roses correctly?
When and how should you cut ground cover roses? In spring or autumn, remove old, dry, diseased, weak, inward-growing, crossing and wild shoots. Cut back heavily every 4 to 5 years in early spring, shorten to about 15 cm and leave 1 to 2 eyes per shoot.
Thinning out in autumn or spring
There are those who only cut ground cover roses in spring, but there are also those who cut them in autumn. When you cut your ground cover roses is up to you! In principle, however, it is more advisable to cut in spring, as shoots that have frozen due to frost can be removed straight away.
When pruning in spring or autumn, cut away the following:
- old shoots
- dried shoots
- sick shoots
- weak shoots
- dead shoots
- inwardly growing shoots
- crossing shoots
- shoots growing downwards
- Wild shoots
Cut back heavily every 4 to 5 years
In contrast to noble roses, rambler roses and shrub roses, ground cover roses should only be cut back heavily every 4 to 5 years. This keeps their growth compact, dense and strong. The rose bush is stimulated to develop new shoots.
When pruning, the plant is shortened to around 15 cm. There should still be 1 to 2 eyes per shoot. The right time for such a radical cut is early spring. For this you can use both rose shears (€21.00 on Amazon) and hedge trimmers. Ground cover roses are generally robust.
But there are also certain exceptions that can tolerate such a radical cut every year and for which it is advisable every year. These include, for example, the varieties 'The Fairy' and 'Swany'.
Clean out the old flowers in summer?
While the wilted flowers of other types of roses are easy to clean out, this is difficult with ground cover roses. Due to the low growth, the tangled shoots and the many thorns, it is a laborious task to remove the old flowers every week.
It is better if you wait until the flowering is over around July. Then cut the entire plant down a bit. It will sprout again and with luck there will be a re-bloom towards the middle/end of August. Attention: Not all varieties bloom twice a year!
Propagation: cutting cuttings
In addition to care, cutting ground cover roses can also be used to propagate them. You just have to find suitable shoots. The shoots should be about 10 cm long, straight and he althy. The lower leaves and any flowers are removed and the cutting is placed in the moist soil.
Tip
Make sure that the cutting tool is sharpened and well cleaned before use! This is the only way to avoid infection with fungal pathogens that may be present on the cutting tool and to ensure that the cut can be carried out properly.
