Roses - Pruning

[blinkers]

I bought a dozen Hybrid Tea Roses about 3 months ago, they have done exceptionally well and more than tripled in height and just keep blooming constantly.

I live in Kanchanaburi, so we only get a few weeks of cold nights in Nov or Dec depending on the year.

Does anyone know when it would be the best time to prune?. Thanks

[cooked]

I didn't prune my HBT roses much for the first year or two. After a while I noticed that the older branches were lacking in vigour and so not blooming much, also they seemed to be susceptible to discolouration of the wood (fungal diseases). So I started to cut these out, down to a strong side shoot or even down to the ground.

The thing with roses is that the best blooms come on vigorous shoots, as we are in the tropics different rules apply than back home in order to maintain that. Watering, fertilising, attention to insect and fungal attacks, and this is an all year round job.

I might add that the roses that I bought that were grafted are still alive, those that were just cuttings are dying off one by one, soil borne diseases.

[blinkers]

Yes, these ones I bought are grafted, If I can read between the lines you are not pruning during a specific period ( like cool weather) just when they are getting untidy or straggly, is that correct.

[cooked]

28 minutes ago, blinkers said:

Yes, these ones I bought are grafted, If I can read between the lines you are not pruning during a specific period ( like cool weather) just when they are getting untidy or straggly, is that correct.

Correct. 

[drtreelove]

I second that.

Light pruning can be done any time, - light thinning and shaping with a maximum of 10 to 20% total foliage removal.   

More radical annual heading and structural pruning to thin and open the structure and cull older or non-performing or diseased canes and stimulate new growth for the spring and summer growing/flowering season, is usually done during winter dormancy in temperate climates. 

In this climate where plants grow so fast ad have such a long growing period, I prefer to stay on top of pruning with weekly inspections and at least once a month attention and touch up with minimal pruning to clean and shape and thin as I see the need. With frequent light pruning like this I don't stimulate excessive growth. 

If your rose bushes are getting too much height and you feel that you really need to do major crown reduction, then do it when plant metabolism is at its low point in the coolest time of year.  But if you do that, be ready for a big growth response when the weather warms up.

 

[blinkers]

Thanks you both for taking the time to reply, much appreciated.

[drtreelove]

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/roses/pruning-roses.htm

 

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/roses/starting-a-rose-garden.htm