How to cut back wild burnet roses

Question

I moved onto my house in Mississippi and there are three burton rose bushes that were left wild for years. How do i knock them back without killing them. I’d like them as low as possible. How low and when should i cut them back. Right now they’re well over ten feet high. Thank you.

Answer 1

It is too late for heavy rose pruning this year. Annual pruning is done just as the leaf buds start to swell and before the canes leaf out. Still, you should prune out dead, diseased and damaged canes to the ground. If 2 canes are rubbing against each other, this damages the bark and allows disease to enter. Remove one of the 2 canes. Your rose is very crowded which blocks sunlight and greatly reduces air circulation. If you find branches that grow inward instead of outward, remove these. Late next winter, start removing the large canes to the ground. Whether you do this all at once or spread it over 3 years is a personal decision although roses typically respond to pruning with vigorous new growth. Regular fertilization helps the rose stay healthy and blooming. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/roses/pruning-roses.htm

Here is an article on rejuvenating an over-grown shrub. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ …/rejuvenation-pruning-tips.htm

Answer 2

Thanks for this simple and straightforward article. My new house has tons of rose bushes, and I am not a gardener. Going out to give this a try.