Pruning the Roses

As most Austin gardeners know, Valentine's Day is the time for pruning the rose bushes. Last sunday I cut back the Knockouts pretty significantly. I found these instructions in a flower gardening book, and I've used them for a few years now.

1. Cut back the smaller of any twisted canes

2. Cut out any canes smaller than a pencil

3. Cut back any dead canes

4. Thin out the bushes to give plenty of breathing room for new growth

5. Cut back the all canes by 1/3

I added number 4 myself after discovering how quickly the rose bushes recover. I was scared my first year that I had over-pruned, but they came back to over 6 feet tall by the end of the season.