How To Prune Hedge Roses

Pruning your hedge roses annually will help maintain the health of the plants, reduce rose pests and diseases, and help maintain the overall appearance of your hedge. Rose blossoms grow on the current year's wood, so pruning your hedge to encourage new growth can help to encourage blooming. Plants and hedges that flower on the current year's growth are best pruned in the early to mid-spring.

Step 1

Prune the overall shape of the hedge roses using a sharp pair of hedge shears. Electric or gas hedge trimmers also work very well.

Step 2

Cut the top of the hedge flat using the shears or trimmers.

Step 3

Cut the sides flat, but make sure the top is a little narrower than the bottom to allow sun to reach the leaves lower on the hedge.

Step 4

Use a pair of very sharp pruning shears to remove dead wood in the hedge. Removing dead wood will encourage the growth of new wood.

Step 5

Selectively remove some of the larger, older wood to encourage new wood and the roses that grow on that new wood.

You must not prune damask roses, albas, gallicas and other once-blooming roses in spring or you'll remove the old wood that will produce the current year's flowers. These plants bloom well without spring pruning, but they'll respond well to pruning out dead, damaged or diseased wood. Too much weak, twiggy growth compromises bloom production too. Healthy growth is especially susceptible to succumb when it's surrounded with dead and dying wood. Blanc Double de Coubert" produces double white roses. " Hansa's" double roses are reddish purple. Roses thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 10.