As with many other types of roses, English Shrub Roses are vigorous growers that will benefit in several ways from pruning. The main reason you want to prune an English Shrub Rose is to maintain an attractive, shapely shrub with good structure that blooms more through the season. To accomplish this is not rocket science. It just involves a once-a-year pruning in the late winter to early spring.

Here's a breakdown of what you need to know to prune English Roses like the pros do.


When To Prune An English Shrub Rose
For shaping and structure purposes, we suggest pruning an English Shrub Rose in late winter or early spring, just when you see new leaves beginning to emerge. Depending on your location, this might be sometime between February and April. In our north-central Georgia gardens this is usually sometime in late February to early March.


How To Prune An English Shrub Rose
How much you prune an English Shrub Rose in late winter to early spring will depend on the age of your rose. The goal is always to end up with a well rounded smaller shrub after pruning. 

Year One (Young Roses)

A year one young rose is one that has completed its first season of blooming, which often means it was planted from a bare root plant but still put out at least a few blooms. Since it is still in the process of putting its energy towards establishing a root system to support future growth, you'll want to do a lighter pruning than you would on a fully established rose. 

Note: If you transplanted your rose from a 2 or 3 gallon nursery pot, which was fully rooted into its soil and bloomed heavier during its first season, go to Year Two below.

1. At pruning time, cut back the flowering shoots by only 3 to 5 inches. If your shrub rose has put out strong shoots that reach out well beyond the rest of the shrub, prune these back to the same height as the main form of the plant.

2. Remove any damaged, dead, dying or diseased stems but cutting them off at their base.

3. Remove any old foliage that remains from the previous year.


Year Two

This is a rose that has completed its second season/year of blooming, however will still be in the process of developing its root system and therefore not fully established.

1. At pruning time cut back all stems by a third of their length. If your shrub rose has put out strong shoots that reach out well beyond the rest of the shrub, prune these back to the same height as the rest of the shrub.

2. Remove any damaged, dead, dying or diseased stems but cutting them off at their base. 

3. Remove any old foliage that remains from the previous year.

Year Three and Beyond

This is a rose that has completed its third season/year of blooming and therefore is considered fully established. At this age, you have the ability to control the size and shape your shrub rose will grow during the season after pruning. 

For a Taller Rose - Cut back stems by less than a third of their length.

To Maintain The Same Size It Was the Previous Year - Cut the stems back by one-third of their length

To Reduce Size - Cut the stems back by half or more their length, which will reduce the size to smaller than it was in the pevious year but won't have an impact on the amount of flowering.

1. At pruning time cut back all stems by an amount based on your preference from the three size options just above. If your shrub rose has put out strong shoots that reach out well beyond the rest of the shrub, prune these back to the same height as the rest of the shrub.

2. Remove any damaged, dead, dying or diseased stems but cutting them off at their base. 

3. Remove any old foliage that remains from the previous year.


Maintenance Pruning
During the blooming season, spent blooms can be removed to encourage more blooms. Some gardeners call this "deadheading." When removing a spent bloom simply snip it off at the base of the stem gloom stem. Alternatively, you can cut the stem back to an inch above the first 5-leaf stem below the spent bloom.

Note:  Cease pruning your English Shrub Roses two months prior to the average first-frost date in your area. 


Other Tips
  • When pruning, try to create a rounded bush
  • Don't worry too much about cutting a stem too far back. Established roses respond very well to almost any amount of pruning and will grow back strong even if you cut all of the stems to their base!
  • At pruning time or any other time, always discard any old or diseased foliage removed from the shrub in the trash, not in your compost pile.
  • If high winds have loosened your rose in the ground, tamp the soil down around the base of the plant and consider pruning a little further back to reduce height and thereby strengthen against wind.

Hope this information was helpful and don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Plant Long & Prosper!