Not sure how much you should cut your roses back in the fall? It’s one of those deceptively simple garden chores that even the laziest of us can learn to love; a little snip here, a tiny trim there, and a whole world of difference come spring.
Still, the “how much” and “when” depend entirely on the types of roses you grow… and where you live (aka which USDA plant hardiness zone you’re in). Cut too early or too hard and you risk shocking your plants just as they’re settling in for winter. Leave them too wild, and strong winds can snap stems or rock the roots loose.
So, what’s the Goldilocks balance when it comes to pruning roses in the fall? Here’s what you need to know if you want to nail this all-important part of your rose care calendar…
Know Your Rose
Before you reach for those trusty pruners, it’s vital you take a moment to identify your rose type:
1. Hybrid Teas and Floribundas
Hybrid teas and floribundas are best left mostly intact until early spring, when you can prune hard to encourage new growth. In fall, resist the urge to cut back heavily; simply remove any spindly, crossing, or dead wood and trim the longest stems by a few inches to prevent wind damage.
Think of this as the lightest of featherlight trims rather than a full-on haircut.
2. Climbing Roses
Don’t be tempted to cut your rambling roses back now, as fall pruning can remove the very canes that will flower next year.
Instead, gently tie in any new long stems to prevent them whipping about in the wind, and snip off any broken or diseased sections. Save the structural pruning for late spring, after their first flush of blooms.
3. Knock Out Roses
Now we’re talking! Your showier Knock Out roses should be cut back in the fall to around 30 inches tall, as this helps to keep them compact and prevents heavy snow from snapping the branches.
In milder zones, where this is less of a problem, you can reduce by about one-third instead.
Timing is Everything
It’s not just about how much to cut roses back in the fall; as mentioned already, timing is everything. The goal is to wait until your roses are fully dormant but before deep winter sets in: you want to wait until after your first hard frost of the season.
In northern zones (USDA 3–6), that often means mid- to late November. In warmer regions (zones 7–9), you can hold off until December or even early January. However, if you’re unsure, just watch the weather.
When night frosts are regular and the last leaves have dropped, it’s time for your pruners to shine like the gardening star they are.
Clean, Shape, and Protect
Use sharp, sterilised pruners (we really rate the ultra-precise Fiskars Micro-Tip Rose Pruning Shears for this job) and make cuts just above a healthy outward-facing bud at a 45-degree angle.
Keep it light; you want everything to look neat at this point, rather than sheared within an inch of its life.
Then, it’s worth doing a spot of more general winter rose care; clear away all fallen leaves and prunings to reduce disease risk, for example, and mulch generously with compost, bark, or straw to insulate the roots.
In very cold areas, mound extra soil or mulch around the crown for added protection. And, if you grow your roses in containers, move them into a sheltered spot by a wall or wrap pots in burlap to buffer temperature swings.
It can feel difficult to stop trimming once you get started (as anyone who’s taken a pair of scissors to their own bangs will attest). Resist! We promise that, come spring, when you perform a harder prune, you’ll be rewarded for your restraint with vigorous new growth and blooms.
Happy snipping…
