How to prune roses
Pruning in late winter keeps roses healthy and flowering well. How hard you cut depends on the type of rose, but the basic cuts are the same.
- Time
- 15 to 30 minutes per rose
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 8
- Checked
What you’ll need
- Sharp bypass secateurs Search Amazon for bypass secateurs
- Loppers or a pruning saw for thick stems Search Amazon for garden loppers
- Thick, thorn-proof gardening gloves Search Amazon for rose pruning gloves gauntlet
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. The Amazon links go to search results, so you can compare what’s available.
Safety first
- Wear thick gloves and long sleeves. Clean any thorn scratches or puncture wounds, and get medical advice if one becomes red, swollen or painful.
- Don't prune in a hard frost.
Step by step
-
Step 1: Choose the right time
The RHS suggests pruning most roses in late winter, as growth is just starting: usually mid-February in the south and March in colder, northern areas. Rambling roses are the exception: prune them after flowering in summer.
Next: step 2 -
Step 2: Know what kind of rose you have
- Hybrid tea: large single flowers on long stems.
- Floribunda: clusters of flowers.
- Shrub and English roses: bigger, bushier plants that need lighter pruning.
- Climbers and ramblers: trained on walls, fences or arches.
If you don't know, prune lightly. It's hard to kill a rose by pruning too little.
Next: step 3 -
Step 3: Take out the 3 Ds first
Cut out all dead, damaged and diseased stems, back to healthy wood. Then remove thin, spindly stems and any that cross and rub. The aim is a well-spaced, open framework that lets air through.
Next: step 4 -
Step 4: Make good cuts
Cut about 5mm (¼in) above a bud, sloping away from it so rain runs off. Choose outward-facing buds so new shoots grow away from the centre. Use sharp secateurs for clean cuts, and loppers or a saw for thick stems.
Next: step 5 -
Step 5: Hybrid tea roses
Cut strong stems back to about 4 to 6 buds, 10 to 15cm (4 to 6in) from the base. Cut weaker stems harder, to 2 to 4 buds.
Next: step 6 -
Step 6: Floribunda roses
Cut the strongest stems back to about 25 to 30cm (10 to 12in) above the soil, and weaker ones harder. Now and then, cut an old stem right down near the base to encourage strong new growth.
Next: step 7 -
Step 7: Shrub roses
Most need only light pruning: remove the 3 Ds, cut out one or two old stems at the base if the plant is congested, and lightly shorten the rest.
Next: step 8 -
Step 8: Clear up
Rake up and dispose of fallen rose leaves and prunings, particularly if the plant had black spot, so the disease doesn't carry over.
Tips
- Deadhead repeat-flowering roses through summer to encourage more flowers.
- A mulch of well-rotted manure or compost around the base after pruning helps roses grow strongly.
- Keep a cloth soaked in disinfectant to wipe your secateurs between plants if any had disease.
When to call a professional
A gardener or tree surgeon can help with large, old climbers on high walls, where you'd need to work from a ladder.
Questions people ask
Can I prune roses in autumn?
The RHS's main pruning time for most roses is late winter. In autumn, just tidy up dead and diseased growth.
How do I find an outward-facing bud?
Look for the small swelling where a leaf was attached, on the side of the stem pointing away from the middle of the plant.
When do I prune rambling roses?
After they finish flowering in summer, by removing some of the oldest stems that have flowered.
Sources
Checked 9 October 2026. We wrote this guide in our own words, using:
- RHS: rose pruning, general tips (rhs.org.uk)
- RHS: rose pruning, floribunda and hybrid tea roses (rhs.org.uk)
- RHS: rose pruning, groundcover roses (rhs.org.uk)
Was this guide helpful?
Report a problem with this guide
Printed from howtoguides.uk/guides/how-to-prune-roses/ · Checked 9 October 2026 · General information only. For gas, electrics, structural work, medical, legal or money decisions, use a qualified professional.