The rugosa rose, present in different varieties, is a kind of bushy rose. It blooms once a year and its flowers take on various shades, ranging from white to deep pink. Taking care of it is quite simple, given that the plant requires a light pruning every year, and a more substantial intervention is only necessary in case of overgrowth.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Basic Pruning
Step 1. Choose the best time to prune
The intervention should be performed when the plant is dormant, between late autumn and early spring.
- The first days of spring, when winter frosts are no longer a problem, are particularly suitable for pruning. Be aware that pruning makes plants weak and more vulnerable to cold. If the climate in your area is mild enough you can still do without waiting for spring, the important thing is that the plant is pruned when it is in a state of quiescence.
- During the growing season you can decide to eliminate the withered flowers. Do this in the summer, during flowering, whenever you feel it is necessary.
Step 2. Remove wilted flowers or not
You can eliminate withered flowers before they fall to the ground (although this is not strictly necessary for wrinkled roses).
- In the varieties of roses defined as “botanical”, the rosehip (the false fruit of the rose) represents an ornamental feature. Since removing the withered flowers also eliminates the rosehip, you can decide to remove only the withered petals around it.
- Removing faded flowers prevents seed formation and reduces the risk of the plant getting sick. The choice of whether or not to do this is up to you.
- If you decide to remove the wilted flowers, cut just below the rosehip. The cutting angle must be 45 °.
- Carry out this operation during flowering, continuing until the beginning of autumn (approximately towards the beginning of October): in this way the plant will be able to recover in view of the winter.
Step 3. Remove the bad branches (dead or dying ones and diseased ones)
Even too thin branches are to be considered sick and must be eliminated when the plant is quiescent.
- Use sharp shears and cut at a 45 ° angle.
- Generally, the health of a branch can be assessed by eye. Dead ones are often shriveled and dark in color (black or brown).
- A branch is considered "weak" when it is smaller than a pencil in diameter.
- Dead branches should be cut off at ground level.
- Partially dead branches should be cut slightly higher than where they begin to die. Always leave dead wood to protect the living part of the plant.
- If you are unable to determine exactly where the wood has died, gradually sever the stem and stop when the inside of the stem appears white and no longer black or brown.
Step 4. How to prune the most problematic stems
When the branches cross each other or grow at unlikely angles, pruning is often difficult.
- Pruning the branches that intersect with each other can create problems. If the bush is tangled, the light and air do not penetrate it optimally and, consequently, the plant is more likely to get sick.
- Cut the branches just below where they tangle. If the following season they grow in the same way, cut them at ground level, to prevent the same problem from occurring the following year.
Step 5. Prune the bush properly
The center of the bush should be open to the outside, to facilitate air circulation and the penetration of light. If your wrinkled rose bush is too lush, it may be necessary to prune the center, even if the branches are healthy.
- The wrinkled rose flower blooms on young branches as well as on older ones, and it is important that the latter are taken care of in the best way to keep them healthy.
- If the inside of the bush is too lush, it may be necessary to cut off some healthy branches. Choose the less young and less productive branches (those that did not give flowers the previous season). Cut two or three of these branches by cutting them off at ground level and always at a 45 ° angle.
Method 2 of 2: Renovation Pruning
Step 1. Understand the purpose of renovation pruning
Wrinkled rose bushes generally remain tidy without any maintenance, but if the bush begins to grow in a disorderly fashion, it may be necessary to give it a more defined shape.
- While this type of pruning has significant benefits for the plant, it can result in fewer flowers being produced the following season.
- When overgrown, wrinkled rose bushes stretch out of proportion and need more resources to survive. The consequences on the health of the plant can manifest themselves after a few years, when the survival of the rose is now at risk.
- For the first two or three years of life it is better to allow the plant to grow independently, avoiding these pruning interventions.
- When the plant has taken on a well-established shape, wait another year before pruning it. Restructuring pruning can be done once a year, but if the following year the plant appears wasted, it is advisable to wait another year before carrying out a new intervention.
Step 2. Wait for the plant to be dormant
As with basic pruning, wait for the plant to go into a state of quiescence. Waiting for the beginning of spring, when the last days of frost have passed, is always the best choice (although it is possible to carry out the operation between the end of autumn and the beginning of spring).
Step 3. Eliminate the suckers
Suckers are those branches that grow from the rhizome of the plant rather than the main stem. Cut off the suckers at ground level.
- In addition to spoiling the bush from an aesthetic point of view, suckers tend to grow considerably, depriving the rest of the plant of the necessary nutrients. This could weaken and jeopardize the very survival of the squad.
- Cutting off the suckers on the ground should be enough but, if you want to act more accurately, dig up to the root from which the sucker originates and cut it off where it spawns.
Step 4. Remove up to a third of the branches
Start with the oldest branches and cut a quarter or third of them. The branches should be cut off to the ground.
- By "on the ground" we mean a height within the first 4 cm starting from the ground level.
- Use sharp shears and cut at 45 degrees.
- Ideally, you should cut at the buds. If you have to cut a large part of the branch but cannot find a bud positioned low enough, the plant should be able, in the future, to generate a new bud just below the cut.
- If the plant shows signs of weakness, you can avoid cutting the branches down to the ground.
Advice
- Always use clean, well-sharpened shears so you don't run the risk of damaging or infecting the plant.
- The cut must be made at a 45 ° angle. Cut about half an inch away from the buds.
