It is not an easy undertaking, at least not for plant lovers who have never taken a closer look at roses and their growth. Noble roses are not only visually very special, but also require knowledge when it comes to cutting.
How do I cut roses correctly?
In order to cut roses correctly, they should be cut back to 20-40 cm in spring, removing old and weak shoots. In summer, wilted flowers should be cut off and diseased shoots removed immediately.
Make a radical cut in spring
Pay regular visits to the noble roses in spring and inspect them! As soon as you can see the first flower buds, it's time to pull out the rose scissors (€25.00 on Amazon) and cut the plants.
All shoots are now cut down to around 20 cm. Don't want to be so radical? Then cut the shoots back to at least 40 cm. Nothing more should remain. Otherwise the growth will suffer and as a result the noble rose will fail to bloom.
When pruning, you should also remove all shoots that are too old, lazy to bloom, dried out, too weak or even dead. They are removed down to the trunk. Alternatively, you can also do the thinning later.
Base on the weather – it shouldn’t be frosty
If you don't want to constantly go into the garden to check whether the flower buds are sprouting, cut the roses when the forsythias are in full bloom. In some places this is already the case at the end of February. Elsewhere it's around the end of March/beginning of April. The flowering of the forsythia is the sign that there is no longer any threat of severe frost.
Basic rules for cutting noble roses
Long and straight flower stalks are desired for noble roses. This is important if you want to cut off the flowers in summer to put them in a vase. That's what noble roses are made for! To ensure that the shoots become long and straight, you should pay attention to a few things.
Here are a few important tips:
- rejuvenate regularly
- no more than a quarter of the total shoots should be two years old or older
- Strong-growing varieties cut less than weak-growing ones
- each shoot: at least 3 and maximum 6 buds after cutting
- completely remove 1 to 2 old shoots every year
- cut diagonally
- cut back to an outward-facing eye
Clean out old flowers during the summertime
To stimulate the formation of new flowers, the wilted flowers are cut off. In summer, cut off the flowers or shoots at least below the rose petal that is underneath the flowers.
Sick shoots should be removed immediately
If the planted roses are ailing, they need to be pruned:
- Old varieties are more susceptible to disease (mildew, rose rust, star sooty mildew)
- Cut off affected parts (otherwise the disease will spread to other parts or even plants)
- Dispose of clippings in household waste
Tip
If you want to cut the noble rose in the fall as care, you should keep in mind that it is then more susceptible to frost damage and should definitely be covered over the winter.
