Rose bush question

I have rose bushes in my yard and they really need to be trimmed. I have always been told to trim in the spring only. Has anyone trimmed them in the summer and did they turn out OK?

I trim my roses whenever I think they need it. One bush in particular (called Nearly Wild) gets cut back several times each summer. I usually do it on an evening when the weather hasn't been too hot, and I always consult my almanac to see if it's a good time to do it.
I suppose serious rose gardeners would be horrified, but I think you do what you need to do.

Roses should really be pruned in the spring to remove dead or crossing canes.
If they are a shrub rose that is about all you need. If you have hybrid teas, floribunda or grandiflora roses you can cut the spent flower (deadheading).
A cut at the sesond leaf axil down from the bloom is effective and good enough to promote the second bloom cycle (which takes about 14-21 days). After the second bloom cycle you can cut further down the cane especially if you want to control the height of the rose. Do not however (due to living in Midwest) do any pruning after the end of July-their will not be enough time for the new growth to harden off before the fall frosts.
For more info www.ars.org is the website for the American Rose Society.

Actually...

I didn't do a danged thing to my roses last year; they died back for the winter, and now have come back gangbusters! They're climbers, red and white, and, after only 2 years, have reached around the top of the arbor. the bush roses (2) are doing very well, too. All I did was water them maybe once a week. I know this all is contrary to what you're supposed to do! Normally, I would feed them once a month, and cut back for the winter, but got busy last year.

I'm a terrible rose mom!!!

MargeCat

I don't have roses myself but my next door neighbors are rose fanatics. They have several bushes around their property. They do a lot of pruning in the spring but also a fair amount of shaping during the summer. They are firm believers of picking a lot of roses as well and usually have a couple of large bouquets in their home. I believe they told me this actually helps the roses to grow fuller and larger.

I always pick the close to dead blooms off so I can get new buds.

I have no advice, as I have a black thumb when it comes to plants. I successfully killed a cactus a couple of weeks ago. Did you know you could kill a cactus? Yup! I would love to have roses though. The ones in the flower section of the grocery store would probably last longer than anything I plant though.

My mom cuts hers back whenever they need it. She does this from spring to almost wintertime. We have had ours for 16 years and they do just fine. You can't hurt them by cutting back at a certain time of year unless it's winter time. The most you cut them back, the more new growth it will encourage thus creating more nice blooms!

Originally Posted by Samantha1979

I have no advice, as I have a black thumb when it comes to plants. I successfully killed a cactus a couple of weeks ago. Did you know you could kill a cactus? Yup! I would love to have roses though. The ones in the flower section of the grocery store would probably last longer than anything I plant though.

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I cracked up when I read this! I was just like you! I killed more than one cactus. That all changed when I took botany and had to grow plants for a grade. I ended up getting a green thumb, turned our backyard into a paradise and grow my own plants! So if I can do it, I know that there is hope for you!

Thanks for the advice!
My roses are the bush ones, there is new sprouts the are much taller than the rest of the bush.
I guess that I will play it safe and just trim off the dead blooms this year and be on top of it in the spring.