Pruning question

After the roses and Lilac blossom and die (lilacs died a few weeks back ) do I need to prune them? If so, where do I snip?

Re: Pruning question

Yes, you should dead head the dead blooms...it promotes new growth.

With roses you should cut on a 45 degree angle just above the first 5 leaf grouping. Photo description here.

For lilacs, just cut off the dead flowers. I am dreading this project as we have about 5 very old, very established bushes (read: many, many, many blossoms) and have only gotten to part of 1 bush. It kills my arms!

Re: Pruning question

Posted by ~Colleen~

Yes, you should dead head the dead blooms...it promotes new growth.

With roses you should cut on a 45 degree angle just above the first 5 leaf grouping. Photo description here.

For lilacs, just cut off the dead flowers. I am dreading this project as we have about 5 very old, very established bushes (read: many, many, many blossoms) and have only gotten to part of 1 bush. It kills my arms!

Re: Pruning question

don't forget to seal the end of the cuts it prevents moisture from escaping and keeps bugs out. ( rubbing dirt into the cut works, but you can also buy a sealer at the garden center) personally i use a bit of dirt it is free.