Pruning Roses in Your Desert Garden

September is the time to take a good look at your rose bushes and to begin pruning them. Here are some helpful hints and directions on proper pruning methods.

Now is a great time to look at pruning the roses in your desert garden.

First, you'll want to prepare a solution to clean your pruning shears. You actually should clean the shears after every cut to keep from spreading disease. The solution should be 10 parts water and one part bleach. An old coffee can works well for the mixture.

Next, remove damaged, diseased or dead wood on your rose. Make the cut about two inches below the damaged area. If the entire cane is damaged, then cut it back all the way to the base. I once found it really hard to make such drastic cuts, until I realized that cutting away the damaged cane improves the overall health of the plant. Remember to dip your shears in the bleach solution after every cut.

Next, look at the base of your rose. There is a graft point at the base of the plant. Any canes or shoots emerging from the base of the plant below the graft should be entirely removed. Cut them all the way back. If you don't know what the graft looks like, it will be a knuckly-looking bulge at the base of the plant.

Now, you need to prune to promote new growth and stimulate blossoms. Check all your canes and note which ones are larger than the diameter of a pencil. Cut these back about one-third, just above a bud or an offshoot.

Once pruning is complete, clean the area below the plant, removing twigs, limbs, leaves and debris. Water well, then apply a balanced fertilizer (or apply it while watering).

You'll notice new growth in about two weeks, with large, very green leaves, and healthy looking canes. A little after that (or sometimes around the same time) flower buds should appear.

Remember to deadhead when the blooms are spent. This stimulates flower production and lengthens the blooming time.

Keep an eye out for aphids as well. In warmer desert regions, this could be a problem in the fall. In the cooler and higher desert areas, cool nights should inhibit aphid infestations.