How to prune roses in summer – a full guide to the types you can trim this season

We're heading fast towards the end of the blooming season for roses, and if you've been busy keeping on top of plant maintenance, you might be wondering how to prune roses in summer.

But should you prune roses in the summer? Generally, advice around when to prune roses cites late winter to early spring as the ideal time, but some types can be given the chop in summer, like rambling roses or shrub rose varieties which only produce a single flush of flowers.

'Pruning your roses will ensure that they grow well and will continue to flower each year,' says Graham Smith MCIHort, gardening expert at LBS Horticulture. 'For varieties of rose that repeatedly flower, pruning will encourage them to continue doing so.'

If you've already got your head around how to prune roses at the beginning of the growing season, here's how to prune roses in summer.

What you'll need

Which roses can be pruned in summer?

Several types of rose can be pruned this season. 'During summer, you can prune rambling roses as soon as they have finished flowering,' says Graham. 'Shrub roses that produce a single flush of flowers can also be pruned in late summer when they have finished flowering.'

We've rounded up some top tips from the experts for pruning roses in the summer.

Graham Smith MCIhort

Graham Smith MCIhort is the national sales manager at LBS Horticulture. He has extensive knowledge in the horticultural and gardening industries, and prides himself on using this to help gardeners of all skills create their perfect outdoor space.

Step-by-step guide

1. Clean your tools

As always, knowing how to clean garden tools will ensure every pruning session is safe for your plants.

'When pruning roses in the summer, make sure your secateurs are sharp and sterilised,' says Angela Slater, gardening expert at Hayes Garden World. This will help minimise the risk of diseases spreading between plants.

2. Remove dead, diseased or damaged branches

When it comes to knowing how to prune roses in summer, you'll need to know which parts of the plant to focus on.

'Remove dead or diseased wood and always cut back any dead, damaged, or diseased branches to healthy wood to keep the plant vigorous,' advises Nadezdha Yaneva, gardening expert at Fantastic Gardeners. 'Prune above a healthy leaf node and cut just above a leaf with five leaflets, as this is where new growth is likely to emerge.'

If your shrub rose is looking a little bare around the base, you can remove a stem or two from the bottom of the plant to encourage fresh growth.

3. Keep it light

According to Graham from LBS Horticulture, less is more when it comes to pruning roses in the summer. 'You should only lightly prune your roses, and aim to remove dead, damaged or diseased growth, or any crossing and spindly branches.'

It's also important to choose the right time of day to save your plants from unnecessary stress. 'Prune early in the morning or late in the evening because the sun isn't as intense during these times,' adds Nadezdha.

FAQs

Should you deadhead roses?

Knowing how to deadhead roses can encourage flourishing displays, and you'll find it's one of the most common garden tasks this season.

'Most roses benefit from deadheading in summer as it prolongs the flowering season,' says Angela from Hayes Garden World. 'Deadheading not only encourages more flowers but also keeps the plant healthy as spent blooms attract fungal growths which could spread to the rest of the healthy plant.

'However, old roses that only flower once such as damasks, gallicas and albas don't need deadheading. Neither do ramblers or very large climbers, as their blooms are usually out of reach.'

What happens if you hard prune roses in summer?

While it can be tempting to cut your rose plant right back, pruning too heavily in the summer can do more harm than good.

'For any roses, hard pruning in the summer will put the plant under stress as it will have to produce a lot of growth at a time when water may be limited, and this makes it more susceptible to disease,' says Angela.

Now you know how to prune roses in summer, you can make sure you're making the right cuts on the right varieties.