Bruner is a freelance writer who has been in the field.
Apr 08, If only a few canes were produced, cut them back to several feet above the ground. Train these canes horizontally to your fence, wire or trellis. Winter pruning of these roses should be kept to only removing suckers coming from below the bud union, twiggy and dead growth, and leaves and rose hips (seed pods).
Remove any shriveled, diseased or broken stems and other wood. Cut off twigs or branches that rub across or cross each other. Leave three to five strong, healthy branches, each 6 to 8 inches long, when cutting back hybrid tea roses. Leave eight to 10 branches on floribundas, each 8 to 12 inches long. Without pruning, wild rose bushes will grow and spread, and will easily cover a large area with unorganized, thorny foliage.
Much like a standard rose bush, wild rose bushes are straightforward to prune and maintain. Clean and disinfect the pruning shears by wiping them thoroughly with a clean cloth saturated in rubbing alcohol.