Rose pruning in Exeter
Professional rose pruning services in Exeter and surrounding areas. Local, reliable handyman - no job too small.
Price Guide
£60-£85
Typical Duration
30 mins-1 hr
Location
Exeter, Devon
Roses pruned properly for their type and the season - the right cuts in the right places. Healthier plants, better blooms next year.
Roses Respond to Good Pruning
Roses aren't a "trim it and hope" plant - different types need different pruning, at different times, to different severities. Hybrid teas pruned like climbers won't flower. Ramblers pruned in spring instead of summer will sulk.
But prune roses correctly and they reward you with vigorous healthy growth and masses of blooms.
I'll identify what type of roses you've got, prune them appropriately for their type, make clean cuts in the right places, and leave you with plants that'll perform beautifully.
💡 Pro tip: The biggest mistake people make is pruning all roses the same way. A hybrid tea needs hard pruning (down to 20-30cm). Do that to a climbing rose and you've just cut off all the wood that would have flowered. Different roses, different approaches.
Why Technique Matters
| ✅ Done Right | ❌ Done Wrong |
|---|---|
| Cuts just above outward-facing bud | Random cuts leaving long stubs |
| Clean angled cut, sharp secateurs | Ragged tear from blunt tools |
| Right severity for rose type | Everything hacked back the same |
| Dead/diseased/crossing wood removed | Congested mess left in middle |
What Type of Rose?
🌹 Common Rose Types & Pruning
| Rose Type | How Hard to Prune | When |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid Tea | Hard (down to 20-30cm) | Late Feb/March |
| Floribunda | Moderate (40-50cm) | Late Feb/March |
| Shrub/English | Light shaping | Late Feb/March |
| Climbers | Tie in, side shoots shortened | Late Feb/March |
| Ramblers | After flowering (summer) | July/August |
Don't know which you've got? I'll identify them and prune accordingly.
Pricing Guide
| Number of Roses | Typical Time | You'll Pay |
|---|---|---|
| 2-4 roses | 30-45 mins | £60 |
| 5-8 roses | 45-60 mins | £60-£85 |
| 9+ roses or complex climbers | 1+ hrs | £85+ |
Based on £60 minimum (first hour) + £50/hr after. Clearing away prunings included.
Perfect For Your Garden If...
✅ Roses looking leggy - not flowering like they used to
✅ Unsure how to prune - different types confusing you
✅ Want better blooms - proper pruning = more flowers
✅ Just want it done right - don't fancy tackling thorny bushes yourself
Why Choose Us for Rose pruning in Exeter?
Pruned correctly for rose type (hybrid tea, floribunda, climber, etc)
Cuts made at right angle and position
Dead, diseased, and crossing wood removed
Shaped for better blooms and airflow
What to Expect
Step 1: Identify Rose Types
I'll work out what types of roses you've got based on growth habit and how they flowered. This determines how I'll prune each one.
Step 2: Remove Dead, Diseased, Crossing Wood
Before shaping, I clear out anything dead, diseased, or crossing through the middle of the plant. Opens up the structure and improves airflow.
Step 3: Prune to Appropriate Severity
Each rose gets pruned according to its type - hard for hybrid teas, lighter for shrub roses, training and tidying for climbers. Clean cuts just above outward-facing buds.
🔧 DIY Tips
Want to prune your own roses? Here's the technique:
🔧 Tools you need
- Sharp secateurs (blunt ones tear stems - invites disease)
- Loppers for thicker old wood
- Thick gloves (roses fight back!)
- Disinfectant (wipe blades between diseased plants)
✂️ Basic rose pruning technique
The cut:
- 5mm above an outward-facing bud
- Angled at 45° sloping away from the bud
- Clean cut, not crushed or ragged
- Don't leave long stubs (they die back and rot)
What to remove (all roses):
- Dead wood (brown all through when you cut it)
- Diseased wood (black spot, canker, etc)
- Spindly weak growth (thinner than a pencil)
- Crossing branches (rubbing causes wounds)
- Inward-facing shoots (want open centre)
How hard to prune (depends on type):
Hybrid Tea Roses:
- Hard prune to 3-5 strong stems
- Cut these down to 20-30cm from ground
- Aim for outward-facing buds
Floribunda Roses:
- Moderate prune to 40-50cm
- Leave more stems than hybrid teas
- Remove about 1/3 of the height
Shrub & English Roses:
- Light prune, just shaping
- Remove oldest stems every few years
- Reduce height by about 1/3
Climbing Roses:
- Don't cut main framework stems short!
- Tie in long stems horizontally where possible
- Prune side shoots back to 2-3 buds
- Remove very old thick stems occasionally
Rambling Roses:
- Prune AFTER flowering (summer), not spring
- Cut flowered stems back to new growth
- Train new long shoots for next year's flowers
⚠️ Common mistakes
- Pruning ramblers in spring (removes all the flowering wood)
- Pruning climbers like bush roses (no flowers)
- Leaving stubs above buds (they die back)
- Not pruning hard enough (hybrid teas get leggy)
- Using blunt secateurs (tears stems, invites disease)
💡 Pro trick: After pruning, feed roses with rose fertiliser and mulch around the base with compost or well-rotted manure. Pruning stimulates growth - feeding and mulching supports that growth and gives you better blooms.
Rather leave it to a pro? No problem - that's what I'm here for. Give me a call.
Good to Know
🌹 Devon timing: Late February or early March is ideal for most roses here. Wait until buds are just starting to swell. Too early and frost can damage new growth, too late and you're cutting off growth the plant has already invested energy in.
Old neglected roses: If your roses haven't been pruned for years, they can take hard renovation pruning. Sometimes cutting right back to 30cm from ground rejuvenates an old tired rose. But it won't flower that year - you're investing in future seasons.
Multiple roses? If you've got several roses, it's worth having them all done at once - I'm already there with tools and can work through them efficiently. Trying to do one at a time spread over weeks is frustrating.
Don't fancy it? Rose pruning is one of those jobs where people either love it or hate it. If you're in the "hate it" camp (thorns, uncertainty, bad back), just have someone do it for you. Takes me 30-60 mins depending on how many roses you've got.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should roses be pruned?
Main pruning is late winter/early spring (March in Devon) when buds are just starting to swell. Some roses need a lighter summer prune too. Climbers and ramblers have different timing. I'll advise based on what types you've got - different roses need different approaches.
How hard should you prune roses?
Depends on type. Hybrid teas get cut back hard (to 3-5 strong stems, 20-30cm high). Floribundas less severe. Shrub roses just tidied. Climbers need specific training. Get it wrong and you can kill blooms for the season. I'll prune each rose appropriately for its type.
What if I don't know what type of roses I have?
I can identify them - growth habit, flower type, and how they bloomed last year tells me what they are and therefore how to prune them. Even if you've no idea, I can work it out from looking at the plants.
Will pruning make roses flower more?
Done properly, yes. Pruning encourages strong new growth which carries the best blooms. It also improves airflow (reducing disease) and removes old wood that doesn't flower well. Unpruned roses get leggy, congested, and produce fewer, smaller flowers.
What do you do with all the cut material?
I'll gather it all up and either put it in your garden waste or take it away. Rose thorns make a right mess if left lying around. Some people burn rose prunings, others compost them (they're slow to rot). Your choice where it goes.
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