A master gardener told me I was pruning my roses all wrong, had to unlearn 5 years of bad habits

I went to a workshop at the Chicago Botanic Garden last spring, and during a Q&A I mentioned I always cut my roses at a 45 degree angle facing inward. The instructor just shook her head and said, 'You're cutting off your best growth, try cutting to an outward-facing bud about a quarter inch above it.' I was stubborn at first (I'd been doing it my way since 2018), but I tried it on three bushes and the difference in airflow and blooms was night and day. Now I have to stop myself every time I grab the pruners. Has anyone else gotten a simple tip that completely wrecked their old routine?

2 comments

2 Comments

kim.sandra22d ago

That bit about cutting to an outward facing bud really clicked for me too, I used to do the same inward angle and wondered why my roses were so crowded and leggy. Now I'm paranoid every time I prune that I'll slip back into my old ways lol.

the_dylan22d ago

Has anyone tried marking the cane with a bit of tape right below the cut so you have a visual reminder of where you're aiming for next year?

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