When to prune roses

Prune roses in spring, timed to your region's cues—early to mid-April in Iowa, mid-February to early March in Oregon's Willamette Valley.

The window: Spring, when buds begin to break (early to mid-April in Iowa) or when the weather is conducive to growth (mid-February to early March in the Willamette Valley, Oregon).

Prune just as buds begin to break in spring.
In Iowa, prune out dead wood after winter protection is removed from modern roses in late March to mid-April.
Many rose growers suggest waiting until the forsythias start to bloom as a signal that the pruning season has begun.
Start by removing dead tissue from disease or winter kill.

The mistake to avoid: Avoid pruning before the last hard frost or forecasted cold weather, as it may cause die-back that requires repruning.

Timing varies by region and year; your local extension office is the closest authority.

Grounded in: extension.illinois.edu, extension.oregonstate.edu, yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu. Every timing follows sentences verified verbatim on those pages.

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