When is it too late to prune roses? Here's what the experts say

Everyone knows that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, thanks to William Shakespeare, but a rose pruned at the wrong time of year? Well, doing so can cause issues – including a far slower growth time for new buds and flowers. 

This in turn means that, yes, if you set to work with your pruning shears when it's too late to prune roses, they genuinely might not smell as sweet (what would the Bard have made of that, eh?).

As such, while it's all well and good knowing how to prune roses for big, abundant blooms come springtime, it's every bit as important to know when to set to work, too.

When is it too late to prune roses? 

'Pruning during winter is crucial,' asserts the CEO of Paving Shopper, Steven Bell.

'It's not just about maintaining plant health; it's about preparing for the upcoming spring – but remember that pruning roses is something of an art form, best done when they're just waking up from their winter nap.'

Before you add this task to your list of winter gardening ideas, then, it's vital you take a moment to determine the cut-off point for cutting your roses back.

What you'll need

• Bypass pruners, like the Wilkinson Sword Aluminium Bypass Pruners from Amazon 
• Bypass loppers, like the Wilkinson Sword Bypass Loppers from Amazon 
• Gardening all-purpose gloves to protect your hands from thorns, like the RHS gold leaf soft touch gloves from Waitrose

Now that you've gathered all of your tools to hand, it's time to take a gander at your calendar – or, rather, your roses in general.

When is too late to prune roses?

Not to be mistaken for deadheading roses (this refers solely to removing dead flowers), pruning is focused entirely on cutting back all dead, diseased, dying and weak shoots.

As such, the 'best time to prune roses is generally in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins,' advises Morris Hankinson, director of Hopes Grove Nurseries.

Morris Hankinson

Morris Hankinson is the founder and managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries Ltd, the UK’s only specialist grower-retailer of hedging plants, which he established after graduating with a Commercial Horticulture Degree from Writtle College, Essex in 1992.

You're basically aiming to set to work just before the dormant season ends which means that, as Morris explains, any signs of new growth will absolutely mean it is too late to prune roses.

'Pruning too late in the year can stimulate new growth that will likely be susceptible to late frosts,' he says, noting that any frost damage to these tender green shoots will mean that your rose's branches will need to be pruned back again. 

'And pruning at that stage can stress them out and might lead to fewer blooms,' agrees Steven. 

Ideally, then, Morris says it's best to prune before the leaf buds start to swell but after the coldest part of winter has passed. 

'This is usually late February to early March, but it can vary based on the specific type of roses you have and your area,' he says, noting that it's usually best for northern and colder areas to wait until the latter.

And, 'if you catch your roses already bursting into life with new growth and buds, it's better to wait until next season entirely,' advises Steven.

FAQs

So, there we have it: you now have all the tools at your disposal to determine when it is too late to prune roses, which means you should be well on the way to the big blousy blooms of your dreams.

Just be sure to wear a strong pair of thorn-proof gloves and to wrap up warm when you set to work, too: it's cold out there!