If you want your moss roses to stay healthy and keep those gorgeous blooms coming, a regular pruning routine is a must. How often you need to grab your shears really depends on the variety you have in your garden. The big thing to keep in mind is whether your rose is a “once-bloomer” or a “repeat-bloomer.”
The Best Time to Prune
Generally speaking, the best time to prune moss roses is in the spring, right before they start forming buds. During your annual cleanup, go ahead and remove any old, dried-out, diseased, or weak canes. It’s also a good idea to thin out the center of the bush a bit to encourage fresh growth. Trust me, your rose will thank you for this TLC with a stunning display of flowers!
Getting the Cut Right
Always make sure you’re using a sharp pair of bypass pruners or garden shears. When you make a cut, do it at a slight angle. This helps rainwater slide right off instead of pooling on the cut surface, which is the best way to prevent rot from setting in.
Pruning by Variety
To get the best results, you’ll want to tailor your approach based on the type of moss rose you’re growing:
- Once-blooming varieties
- Repeat-blooming (remontant) varieties
Pruning Once-Blooming Moss Roses
If your rose only puts on a show once a year, you don’t actually need to prune it every single spring. A good trim every two to three years is usually plenty. When you do prune, try to keep a balanced mix of old wood, new growth, and last year’s canes on the shrub to keep it looking full and healthy.
Pruning Repeat-Blooming Moss Roses
Unlike their once-blooming cousins, repeat-bloomers should be pruned every year. A good rule of thumb is to cut all the canes back by about one-third. Also, make sure to deadhead the faded flowers after that first bloom cycle. This encourages the plant to put its energy into new buds, giving you a beautiful second flush of flowers later in the season.
After the second round of blooms, you can leave the faded flowers alone. If they were pollinated, they’ll turn into rose hips, which are a fantastic food source for local birds during the winter.
Giving Older Roses a “Facelift”
As moss roses get older, they can sometimes look a bit leggy or stop blooming as much as they used to. If your rose is looking tired, a “rejuvenation prune” can work wonders. Every three to five years, don’t be afraid to be a little more aggressive with your shears. Moss roses are pretty hardy and handle a heavy cut well—it actually stimulates the plant to send up vigorous new shoots and restores its vitality.