How to Make the Structure of the Tree Trunk in a Rose Plant
- 1). Prune your roses in January or February before new growth starts. Pruning roses during their dormancy keeps them from suffering during the process and encourages new growth and blooming in the spring.
- 2). Follow standard pruning guidelines for your rose bushes for the first round of pruning. Cut off one-third to one-half of the new growth from the previous year for controlled, shapely canes. Cut out any canes that grow through the center of the bush, or rub against each other. Prune away dead or damaged wood, or wood that didn't produce the previous summer. Make all cuts 1/4 inch above a growing node, and cut the canes at a 45-degree angle.
- 3). Shape the rose bush according your design. Cut away canes that grow from the bottom of the bush, and leave one upward-growing cane as your "trunk." Trim any shoots that grow from this trunk to form a roughly circular ball of foliage at the top.
- 4). Shape the foliage again once new growth starts to neaten your circular "crown." Keep this spring pruning to a minimum, as the rose is growing at this time and will suffer from harsh pruning.
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