How to Prune Bourbon Roses

Bourbon roses have a leggy growth habit with large flowers that tend to cluster into three blossoms. The flowers are large and have a rich rose scent. Prune Bourbon roses to maintain their health and size after the average last frost for your area, and maintain them throughout the season by deadheading flowers. It is important to prune your rose bushes to keep them healthy and attractive. The goal of pruning is to achieve an open-centered bush with healthy canes.

Pruning shears
Rubbing alcohol
Clean rag
White glue

Instructions

- 1
  Clean your pruning shears by rubbing the blades with a clean rag dampened with rubbing alcohol. The alcohol will sterilize the blades and help prevent spreading diseases to your roses.
- 2
  Cut any damaged, dying, or dead canes to ground level with pruning shears.
- 3
  Prune back leggy canes to an aesthetically pleasing length to maintain the rose bush's shape. Cut the cane just above the bud eye at a 45-degree angle downward toward the center. The bud eye should be an outward-facing bud eye. Cover cuts with a dab of white glue to seal them and protect the roses from cane borers. Do this pruning in early spring, just after the average last frost date for your area.
- 4
  Deadhead or cut off spent blooms throughout the growing season. Trim the canes to just above an outcropping of two stems containing five leaflets each. Make the cut at downward, 45-degree angle. Dab the cuts with white glue.

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