Drift roses, also known as groundcover roses, are a popular type of landscape rose known for their low-growing, spreading habit and impressive flower power. As repeat-bloomers, drift roses will flower continuously from spring through fall with proper care. Pruning is an important part of caring for drift roses. When done properly, it will help keep your roses full, healthy and producing the maximum amount of blooms. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about pruning drift roses successfully.
An Overview of Drift Roses
Drift roses were bred to be ultra low-maintenance, carefree landscape plants. They are much more disease and pest resistant than many other roses. Their low mounding shape spreads nicely to fill in spaces beautifully in garden beds or even cascading down slopes and embankments. Drift roses reach a mature size of 2-3 feet tall with a spread of 3-4 feet. They are very hardy surviving winters as cold as zone 4.
Some popular drift rose varieties include:
- Peach Drift – light orange blooms
- Red Drift – cherry red flowers
- Sweet Drift – creamy white double blooms
- Coral Drift – coral-orange blooms
One of the best qualities of drift roses is that they are continuous bloomers. With proper pruning and care, you’ll enjoy non-stop flowers from spring through fall frost.
Pruning Drift Roses
Pruning is not strictly necessary for drift roses to bloom. However regular pruning will help keep your roses healthy encourage fuller growth and maximize flower production. Drift roses only need light pruning. There are two main times to prune them each year.
Spring Pruning
The best time for the major annual pruning is in late winter or early spring before new growth begins, Pruning at this time removes any dead or damaged canes and shapes the plant for the coming season To prune drift roses in spring
- Use clean, sharp bypass pruners to avoid damage
- Remove all dead, diseased or damaged stems back to healthy wood
- Cut back 1/3 to 1/2 of the overall size, shaping loosely
- Remove cross-over or wayward stems for open form
Your goal is to open up the interior of the plant to allow for good air circulation and light penetration. This pruning promotes vigorous new growth and abundant blooms.
Summer Deadheading
To encourage continuous flowering, it’s important to deadhead drift roses through the blooming season. Deadheading simply means removing spent flower blooms once they fade. This diverts the plant’s energy into producing new buds rather than forming hips or seed pods.
- Use bypass pruners, garden scissors or just your fingers
- Cut back each spent bloom cluster to the first set of healthy leaves
- Deadhead roses every few weeks through fall
As long as you regularly deadhead, drift roses will keep pumping out flower after flower.
Stop Pruning 2 Months Before Frost
It’s crucial to cease all pruning at least 2 months prior to the average first fall frost in your area. Pruning encourages tender new growth. If frost hits while new shoots are still tender, it can damage or kill them. Allowing time for new growth to harden off before winter helps ensure winter survival.
Other Care Tips for Drift Roses
Along with proper pruning, there are a few other important care tips to help your drift roses thrive:
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Water – Give drift roses about 1-2 inches of water per week. More in hot, dry weather. Soak the soil thoroughly.
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Fertilize – Feed every 6-8 weeks during the growing season with a balanced rose fertilizer or organic plant food.
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Mulch – Apply 2-4 inches of shredded bark, compost, leaves or other organic mulch around the base to retain moisture and discourage weeds.
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Soil – Drift roses prefer slightly acidic soil, around 6.0-6.5 pH. Add sulfur or iron supplements if needed to increase acidity.
Follow these simple pruning and care guidelines and your drift roses will reward you with maximum flowers and enjoyment all season long.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pruning Drift Roses
Here are answers to some common questions about pruning drift roses properly:
How much should you prune drift roses?
In the major spring pruning, prune drift roses back by about 1/3 to 1/2 their overall size. Remove around 1/3 of the oldest, thickest stems at the base. Then shape and thin as needed, removing up to 1/2 of the remaining growth. The goal is to open up the interior to enable prolific blooming on new wood.
How low can you cut back drift roses?
Drift roses can be pruned quite low, from 4-8 inches above the ground level. Cutting them low promotes lush, new growth. Just be sure to leave at least 2 sets of healthy leaves on each stem you prune.
When is the best time to prune drift roses?
Late winter or early spring just before new growth emerges is ideal. Pruning in spring allows time for the new wood to mature and harden off before winter. You can do light shaping prunes through summer as needed.
Should you deadhead drift roses?
Deadheading is recommended to encourage continuous reblo
Determine how much you want to prune
How much you prune will depend on how big you want your drift rose bush to get by the end of the growing season. Your drift rose bush will usually triple in size after pruning. We suggest cutting drift roses back by at least half to make them stronger and increase their flowering, but these small rose bushes can handle heavy pruning and will still do fine without any at all.
Now that you know about pruning drift roses, browse our Drift Rose Collection.
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How to prune Drift Roses is just as important as when to prune Drift Roses. Prune in early spring, never in the fall or winter. Check on your drift rose bush every once in a while this spring. When you see new shoots coming out of the canes, it’s time to prune.
If you want to prune drift roses, you will need a few basic tools. Gloves are important because the rose bush has thorns that can hurt you. If you want to cut some heavier canes that are hard to cut with smaller shears, you’ll need loppers. A pair of hedge trimmers and small hand shears for the finer work.