Garden log 4/6/26. “When the forsythia is in bloom, it’s time to prune your roses.”
I generally find those bits of garden wisdom helpful, especially because they’re not tied to specific dates (which are changing fast), but instead, are tied to the temperature of the air and soil, the moisture level, and all the ways nature talks to itself.
When pruning roses, remember:
a) wear sturdy gloves (gauntlets if you have ’em)
b) be prepared to offer up a little blood to the rose gods; they’ll repay you with glory in June
c) take out any dead branches
d) take out branches that cross and press against each others — those intersections can open a wound over time, creating a path for infection
e) prune for shape as desired — and it won’t hurt anything if you take them down to knee height at this time of year
f) HOWEVER, do not prune climbers and ramblers this way! DO prune climbing roses now to encourage repeat flowering, BUT prune ramblers in summer, immediately after flowering, as they bloom on old wood.
(If you’re not sure which type you have, watch them for a season, and note whether they’re blooming on old or new wood (this is also helpful for pruning hydrangeas, clematis, and others).
g) For climbers and ramblers, focus on removing dead/diseased wood, shortening side shoots to 2-3 inches, and training main canes horizontally to boost blooms.
TIP: Forsythia is edible, so consider freezing some in ice cubes for fun drinks, or cooking them down into a simple syrup for adding to cocktails, mocktails, topping pancakes, etc.
Have fun!
