Rose Shrub Type – Pruning, Winter Care and Fertilizing

Rose, shrub type

Low growing shrub roses like the Meidilands or The Fairy (Ever Blooming)

In Spring remove any dead, broken or damaged branches. Shorten or remove any branches that make the plant too large. After the first flush of blooms, you can do a small amount of pruning to redirect the plant’s growth. Keep in mind you are reducing re-bloom and fruit formation potential.

Medium growing shrub roses like the Carefree Wonder or Knockout (Ever Blooming)

In Spring remove any dead, broken, damaged, crossing, crowded branches, and weak or leggy growth from the previous year. On young plants you would stop at this point. With established plants, tip back ends and remove internal branches until all of your pruning has removed 1/3 of the branches. The goal is to get a strong logical structure to the plant. After the first flush of blooms you can do a small amount of pruning to redirect the plant’s growth. Keep in mind you are reducing re-bloom and fruit formation potential.

Large growing shrub roses like the Therese Bugnet, Jens Munk or Hansa

In Spring only remove any dead, broken or damaged branches. Pruning may only be needed every few years, but any major pruning is done after the plant has bloomed, remove crossing or crowded branches. Remove weak or leggy growth. The goal is to get a strong logical structure to the plant. With the large roses it is important to let the plant take its own shape, whether it is vase shaped, upright, or cascading, if you fight it’s shape it will always look goofy. Keep in mind that by pruning you are reducing re-bloom and fruit formation potential. Renewal pruning can be done as the plant gets older. This is done in early spring by removing two or three of the largest canes to the ground line. This is done for 2 or 3 years in a row. This will re-invigorate old plants and will also remove some of that years flowers.

All shrub roses

By fertilizing young shrubs you can increase both the size and the amount of flowers on the plant. Granular, liquid, or time released type fertilizers can be used. Liquid fertilizers (such as Miracle Gro for Rose) are mixed with water and applied the same as you would water the plant (see product for specific details). This should be done three or four times per year starting in late April and ending in mid July. With any of the above techniques a special mix should be used, 18-24-16 or 19-24-24. Time release fertilizers are an option and are worked into the soil in mid April and early June.

Organic fertilizers, like manure, can also be used with good results. The material should be worked into open soil at a rate of one bushel per one 6′ shrub or 100 sq. ft. of bed area. Granular types should be worked into the soil around the plant at a rate of 2 pounds or 2 pints per 100 square feet of planting bed. This method of fertilization should only be done once a year, and is best done in early spring before bud break.

These shrubs need little winter care, that is one of the benefits of shrub roses. If you feel you have to do something, form a small fence around the plant 8 – 18″ high and fill with clean straw or light compost (not leaves, not heavy soil).