I'm definitely waiting. It happens every year. Those first leaves get frozen off sometimes, but there are at least two sets behind. If you prune now, and there's an extended hard freeze, it will die back from that shorter length. Also, since pruning pushes new growth, you'd also lose that. I'm just a newbie, but I've grown New Dawn for many years and that's been my observation.

The forsythia are definitely not in bloom. That is a really good way to tell. Thanks.

This Winter has been so messed up. Daylilies are never up right now yet here they are. In fact, the daylilies are further along than the daffodils! Almost all perennials have broken dormancy. I have annuals from last year that are still alive!

In a normal year I prune later March to early April depends...I'm more North than you though so it's colder here....Best wishes!

Very interesting topic. I am following.

A question.

Is temperature the only criterion to decide when to prune? I ask this because temperature doesn't effect the growth of roses too much in my climate (zone 9b). So pruning in my area is basically to enhance vigor and not to save roses from extreme cold. A rose bush will survive without pruning in my area, however, it will not bloom that well next year if not pruned.

An important factor to be kept in mind in my climate is the bush size during prime blooming period. End march to start of May is the prime blooming period in my area. By the start of this period, a rose bush must regrow (after pruning) to a good size otherwise the blooming wont' be good and after start of May, it will cross 100*F and blooming will be affected anyway. Do other members from zone 9 and zone 8 in USA and other areas face similar issues?

best regards

Khalid, on the Rose Forum there was a discussion by Z-9 California gardeners who defoliate their roses in January and prune then to induce a sort of dormancy. They also apply horicultural oil to help with bugs and disease. When do you prune yours?

Khalid, Chamblee's (nursery in hot Texas) advised pruning on Valentine's Day every year, which is February 14.

Texas weather is quite erratic as it could be freezing that day or in the low 90's as it was for many a couple of days ago. I'm assuming that this date is based on the lengthening of the days also.

But I'm planning on pruning lightly (only brown freeze damaged canes). I hope this isn't a mistake regarding future rose production but they are still so new with another cold front coming in.

VV, you make a good point if there are still freezes coming, hmmmm... Might wait an extra week.

Terri, I like Sam's common sense advice of waiting until the first Forsythia blooms. We need some wisdom like that for us in the hotter zones too!

vaporvac wrote: "Khalid, on the Rose Forum there was a discussion by Z-9 California gardeners who defoliate their roses in January and prune then to induce a sort of dormancy. They also apply horicultural oil to help with bugs and disease. When do you prune yours?"

vaporvac, I do the same. I pruned my roses in January and defoliated all the bushes to induce dormancy though I don't think it induced any sort of dormancy in my roses. Perhaps dormancy has more to do with low temperature and not with the practice of defoliating leaves. Yes, defoliating does encourage a lush and strong growth in warm weather.

Lavenderlace: I think in warm weather, where roses don't naturally go dormant in winters, pruning is needed to enhance vigor and make the roses grow well for a good flush in the spring. If that be the case than the period that allows a good growth by spring should determine the time for pruning.

Calculating backwards from spring flush (end March to end April in my area), I guess roses in my area need 60-75 days to grow in to a healthy bush again, after pruning. So that means anything by first to third week of January should be ok in my area and that is what I try to follow.

Any other ideas?

best regards

Not yet. I typically have anywhere between 2" - 4" of new growth by the time I prune in late March/early April. No worries.