Roses

If you have roses, they should have been pruned by now. With our warm winters, they never really go completely dormant. We typically prune in late December and currently have about two inches of new growth on the canes. They will bloom heavily by Easter.

A quick rose pruning lesson: Trim out all growth smaller than a pencil. Trim out all crossing growth - you want a vase shape that allows light to reach the middle of the plant. Depending on the strength of the plant, you can leave from 3 to 6 canes. Prune each of these to no more than two feet in height. If you have a choice between a newer cane and an old one, cut off the old one. Final cuts on the remaining canes should be just above an outward facing bud so that new growth is encouraged in the vase shape.