When Should I Prune My Species Roses?
Species roses must be pruned before the end of February, otherwise you risk getting no blooms that year. Follow the same principles as pruning a shrub rose, but be a little more gentle with them and the height you chop them back to, since their flowering period is much shorter.
How Should I Prune My Species Roses?
To prune a species rose, follow the same principles as pruning a shrub rose, but be a little more gentle with them and the height you chop them back to, since their flowering period is much shorter. Then once your species rose has been in the ground for around 7 -10 years it will need a bigger chop.
How To Prune An Established species roses (7–10 years+)
Species roses may grow quicker than your other roses, so once they have been in the ground for around 7 to 10 years, our Rosarians would recommend a hard prune back by at least 50%, or to a height and size you feel is manageable. Bear in mind that in the year you do this, you won't get as many flowers — or possibly any, depending on the variety.
Then the following year you can go back to giving it a more gentle prune, unless you still feel the size is unmanageable in which case you can repeat this process.
How To Deal With Overcrowding With Species Roses
When pruning your species rose, you are more likely to deal with overcrowding due to the way these varieties grow. You may need to cut a handful of stems back to the base, or to half height, each year to improve the rose's airflow and stop it becoming unhealthy.
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