Most heavy pruning of roses is done during the dormant season, and we are pruning for health, shape, vigor, and superior flowers when we do so. Some pruning however does need to be done during the growing season but the goals at that time of year are different.

Pruning in the spring or summer usually is done to shape the rose, or if it is a rose that will continuously flower, deadheading, or the removing of old flowers needs to be done in order to encourage the rose to flower again.

Pruning roses has multiple benefits. Not only will it conserve plant energy and produce more flowers, but it will also removes the hiding places and food for insects which often become pests in our garden. It may even permit minor improvements in air circulation, thus reducing the potential for fungal diseases like powdery mildew and leaf spot.

Basically we deadhead to remove old and dead flowers from a rose bush so that the hips, the rose fruit, do not form. By diverting the energy normally used for hip development, we give the plant more energy to produce new flowers and cane growth.

The only reason for pruning a one-time-blooming rose is to give the plant a cleaner appearance and to maximize vegetative growth.

Pruning should vary between types of roses.

To prune repeat-flowering roses like shrub roses or climbers, can be variable. New flowering wood can be produced from a bud at the bract beneath a flower or from buds at any leaf axis.

On these roses, it is better to prune back to the branch beneath the flower, and observe whether new flowering wood grows from this point. If flowers are not produced, prune back to the first leaf and start the observation process again.

Continue pruning back to the highest leaf on a cane until you know the pattern for growth and bloom.

Then every season thereafter you will get the best flowers from your roses.