STIHL tip
Whatever the type of rose, pruning waste should be disposed of in the compost once work is complete. To keep your secateurs in good condition for a long time, you should clean, disinfect and oil them after you have pruned your roses.
Pruning roses – when and how?
When pruning roses, how you cut them depends on the specific type of rose. We explain how to go about it.
21.11.2025
Overview: Pruning roses
- Pruning is important for healthy and abundantly flowering roses
- Roses should be pruned in spring and possibly also autumn
- Use sharp secateurs to trim roses to 10 to 20 centimetres
- Different types of rose have different pruning requirements
- Cut each stem above a bud, leaving a space of no more than half to one centimetre.
Spring is the best time to prune roses. Autumn pruning of roses is not generally necessary, however on shrub or climbing roses, over-long, unsightly stems can also be shortened in autumn.
The best way to prune roses depends, among other things, on the type of rose you want to prune. As a general rule, cut rose stems half to one centimetre above a bud.
Faded rose blooms should always be cut off below the old flower to stimulate plant growth and the development of new flowers. Take care to always remove two to three leaves together with the faded rose.
It is best to prune roses on a frost-free day in spring.
Why prune roses?
Pruning roses helps to ensure the plants stay healthy, don’t get too big, and flower abundantly. Pruning removes any diseased and frost-damaged stems from your roses, so your plants stay healthy and bloom magnificently.
Neatly pruned roses look beautiful in your garden flower beds.
When should you prune roses?
Effective rose pruning means choosing not only the right technique, but also the right time. For spring pruning of roses, a frost-free day during the forsythia blooming period is ideal, as this means you remove diseased and frost-damaged stems before the roses send out vigorous new growth.
You should avoid deep pruning in summer. However, you can do some minor cosmetic trimming if necessary, and deadhead plants to remove the faded blooms. To do this, cut flowered stems back to the first set of five leaves. For very long stems, it is advisable to trim them by two secateur lengths to maintain compact growth.
Additional autumn pruning of roses is not necessary, although over-long, damaged or unsightly protruding stems may be shortened as soon as the rose has finished flowering. This also applies to “suckers”, the name for stems which grow from below the grafting point. Due to frosty temperatures, pruning roses in winter is not recommended.
Preparation: Tools and accessories
Have the right tools and accessories ready so that you can get on with pruning the roses right away.
- Secateurs such as the STIHL PG 10/20/30
- Possibly pruning shears, for example the STIHL PB 10
- Basket for collecting cuttings
- Belt holster for secateurs
Working with high-performance power tools is fun and allows you to broaden your skills, which is great if you can rely on effective and safe protective clothing. Always wear your personal protective equipment when working with STIHL power tools. Find out more in the operating instructions for your product. Before using your power tool for the first time, fully familiarise yourself with it and ensure that it is in flawless condition before each use.
On request, your STIHL dealer will be happy to prepare your power tool for its first job, and will also advise you on models and sizes of protective clothing that you can try on at your leisure. Please remember that personal protective equipment is no substitute for safe working.
Tips: Prune roses according to their type
Roses are classified as different types depending on their growth habit and how they are used, for example bedding roses, hybrid tea roses, shrub roses and climbing roses. Depending on what type of rose you have, there are various things to consider when it comes to pruning.
Before you start pruning your roses, you should always put on glovesto avoid injuries from thorns.
Pruning bedding roses and hybrid tea roses
Hybrid tea roses form long stems which bear magnificent individual flowers. They make excellent cut flowers for vases.
Bedding roses have around four or five flowers on each stem, but these are generally somewhat smaller than hybrid tea rose blooms. Bedding roses tend to be small shrubs that grow to around knee height. Bedding roses and hybrid tea roses have the same general pruning requirements.
Cut the rose plant back to about 10 to 20 centimetres above the ground. Be sure to make the cut directly above an eye, or bud. Choose outward-facing buds so that the new growth on your rose will grow outwards, to form an attractive shape.
If your rose is older and has a few very strong stems, it is a good idea to cut one or two of them back to ground level with pruning shears. However, you must never cut all the stems back at once. Removing a stem stimulates new growth from the root.
Pruning shrub roses
Shrub roses are easy-care and versatile garden classics. They develop into tall, free-standing shrubs with a height of about 2 to 3 metres. We explain how easily you can prune your shrub roses.
Cut strongly growing rose varieties back by half their length.
When pruning a shrub rose, you should also remove old stems to rejuvenate the plant, as this encourages strong new growth.
Remove all thin, weak growth so that the shrub rose can form strong new shoots.
Pruning climbing roses
Climbing roses have long, strong stems and are ideal for attaching to a trellis or house wall. They can reach heights of around 3 metres. Follow our instructions for successful pruning of climbing roses.
Start by cutting half of the long stems back so only three eyes remain. Eyes are small dark spots on the rose stem from which new growth emerges in spring.
When pruning climbing roses, you should carefully thin crowded and entwined stems.
It is best to completely remove old stems when pruning your roses.
Bend the remaining long stems so that they arc downwards, and use twine to tie them to the climbing support or trellis to prevent the rose from sprawling out of control.
How to propagate rose cuttings
Roses are well suited for propagation from cuttings. Simply cut a piece of stem, a good 30 centimetres long, from the parent plant. Remove the leaves but keep the small stems in place so you can identify the leaf points. Trim the shoot to half a centimetre above any leaf and remove the shoot tip. Now you can pot your rose cutting!
Avoid rose pruning mistakes
There are a few possible mistakes to be avoided when pruning roses. These include, for example:
- Treating all rose types the same way: Better to account for differences in type-specific differences in rose pruning and follow the instructions above
- Cutting roses straight across the stem: Always cut rose stems at an angle so that water does not accumulate on cuts and you avoid introducing plant diseases
- Cutting too close to the eye: Always cut rose stems at least half a centimetre above the nearest eye so that no unsightly stump remains
- Using an inappropriate or blunt tool: Only use clean, sharp tools when pruning roses to avoid damaging the plant
