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Rose Care: Types, Spring Pruning and Deadheading

Rose care for hybrid teas, climbers and shrub roses: prune every year, when each type gets cut, how to make the cut, deadheading, hips and cane borers.

Iris BellPublished Oct 25, 2026 · Updated Oct 25, 2026 · 4 min read
Red rose in bloom on a rose bush
Photo: Hubertl, CC BY 4.0

The main yearly job for any rose is pruning: UMD says all roses, from hybrid teas to climbers to landscape roses, require some pruning each year. Clemson says pruning encourages flowering, either more blooms or larger blooms, and is essential to keep modern rose varieties blooming repeatedly all summer long. What changes between roses is the timing. Reblooming types are cut in early spring and once-blooming types are cut right after they flower. This guide covers rose types, the cut itself, deadheading and the tools; our rose pruning guide goes deeper on timing and amounts.

Origin
Asia
Prune (rebloomers)
Early spring, as buds swell (Clemson)
Prune (once-blooming)
Right after flowering (Clemson)
Cut
1/4 in. above an outward-facing bud, 45° slant
Hybrid tea height
15–18 in. after spring pruning (UMD)
Fall
Cut tall canes to about 30 in. (UMD)
Tools
Hand shears and long-handled lopping shears

Rose types and what each needs

UMD says hybrid tea roses are the most popular rose, prized by hobbyists for their exquisite blossoms and fragrances. The types differ in how and when they are cut.

Hybrid teas, floribundas and grandifloras

Clemson calls these modern reblooming roses and says they need a heavy annual pruning in the spring, just as the buds begin to break dormancy.

Climbers and ramblers

UMD says they are the largest types of roses and always require some annual pruning to keep them managed on a trellis or fence. Do not cut them back as much as hybrid teas (UMD).

Once-blooming roses

Clemson says old-fashioned roses and climbers that bloom only once a year should be pruned immediately after flowering.

Shrub roses

Iowa State says shrub roses are sold as easy-to-care-for plants and their pruning is relatively easy as well. Prune just as buds begin to break in spring (early to mid-April in Iowa).

When to prune

Clemson says modern reblooming roses are pruned in early spring just as the buds begin to swell, and that this could be mid- to late February near the coast and mid-April in the mountains of South Carolina. Iowa State puts shrub-rose pruning at early to mid-April. For hybrid teas that were given winter protection, Iowa State says to prune out the dead wood when the protection is removed in early spring, late March to mid-April.

How to make the cut

Illinois says to cut at a 45-degree angle about 1/4 inch above an outward-facing bud, and Iowa State agrees on slanting cuts about 1/4 inch above healthy, outward-facing buds. Iowa State also gives a way to read the canes: live wood is green and has plump, healthy buds, and dead wood is brown and has no live buds.

For size, UMD says that cutting hybrid teas to 15 to 18 inches in the spring is usually sufficient. Clemson says to prune weak-growing varieties lightly and vigorous varieties more severely.

Deadheading and hips

Illinois says the standard recommendation for deadheading is to cut the flower stem back to an outward-facing bud above a five-leaflet or seven-leaflet leaf. Iowa State says to stop deadheading by late summer (late August, early September) to help plants prepare for winter and allow ornamental rose hips to form. Clemson takes the other side for rebloomers: hybrid tea roses and other roses that can rebloom should not be allowed to form hips, so that the plant puts its energy into flowering.

Tools and cane borers

Iowa State says hand shears and long-handled lopping shears are needed to prune roses correctly, and that dull tools tend to crush the canes. Clemson says all pruning cuts on canes greater than the thickness of a pencil should be sealed with nail polish or wood glue to prevent cane borers from entering. Illinois makes the same point: if cane borers are a problem, seal the ends of the cuts.

Fall cut-back

UMD says that except for climbers, fall pruning is needed to cut tall canes to about thirty inches, which prevents the shrub from being loosened by the winter winds.

A rose year in order

  1. Late winter to early spring: prune rebloomers. Just as buds swell (Clemson). Brown wood with no live buds is dead (Iowa State).
  2. After the spring flush: prune once-bloomers. Immediately after flowering (Clemson).
  3. Summer: deadhead. Cut back to an outward-facing bud above a five- or seven-leaflet leaf (Illinois).
  4. Late summer: stop deadheading. Late August to early September, per Iowa State.
  5. Fall: shorten tall canes. To about 30 inches, except climbers (UMD).

Common problems

PestsCane borersSeal cuts on canes thicker than a pencil with nail polish or wood glue (Clemson).WinterWinter-killed canesPrune out the dead wood when winter protection comes off (Iowa State).WindLoosened shrubsCutting tall canes to about 30 inches in fall prevents winter wind from loosening the shrub (UMD).

If you grow other flowering shrubs, see our hydrangea guide and azalea guide, which also hinge on pruning at the right time.

Frequently asked questions

Do all roses need pruning?

UMD says whether you are growing hybrid teas, climbers or landscape roses, all roses require some pruning each year. Clemson says pruning encourages flowering, either more blooms or larger blooms.

When should I prune roses?

It depends on the type. Clemson says modern reblooming roses (hybrid teas, floribundas and grandifloras) are pruned in early spring just as the buds begin to swell, and that roses blooming once a year are pruned immediately after flowering.

How do I make a pruning cut on a rose?

Illinois says to cut at a 45-degree angle about 1/4 inch above an outward-facing bud. Iowa State gives the same 1/4 inch above healthy, outward-facing buds.

How do I tell live rose wood from dead wood?

Iowa State says live wood is green and has plump, healthy buds, while dead wood is brown and has no live buds.

Should I prune roses in fall?

Only lightly. UMD says that except for climbers, fall pruning is needed to cut the tall canes to about thirty inches, which prevents the shrub from being loosened by winter winds.

Sources

  1. Guide to Pruning Roses, University of Maryland Extension
  2. Pruning Roses, Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home and Garden Information Center
  3. Pruning Roses, University of Illinois Extension
  4. How to Prune Roses, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
  5. How should I prune hybrid tea roses in spring?, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
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