Watch our editor cut back a shrub rose with some help from a pruning pro, Joann Vieira.

Tips for Pruning Rose Bushes:

Always wear safety glasses, gloves, and a long sleeved shirt.

1. Prune in spring.
2. Try to create a nice arching form, rather than a blob.
3. Prune to the base for branches that are growing into unwanted areas.
4. Consider pruning with the new growth in mind.
5. Cut plants cleanly at y-branches, about 1/4 inch away from the crotch.
6. Keep branches that are growing the direction you want.
7. Cut out dead branches, and old wood. Joann recommends taking out a 1/3 of the old wood from the plant, even if there is new growth on the stems.

About Joann Vieira:

Joann holds a degree in Environmental Design from the Landscape Architecture department at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Her passion for native plants led her first to the Stockbridge program at UMASS, then to the New England Wildflower Society’s Garden in the Woods for an extended internship, and eventually to Tower Hill Botanic Garden. As the founding Director of Horticulture at Tower Hill she held the lead horticulture position at the garden for nearly 30 years, helping to shape the gardens, landscape and plant collections through the major garden and building development.