How to Care for Roses: Annual Pruning - Tools & Preparation

Preparing:

First, put on some jeans or other heavy duty pants (you could get dirty and may catch a thorn or two); and a suitable shirt (one that you don't care if it get's caught and torn by a thorn). Some prefer long sleeves, I prefer short. I'm more aware of my arms being near thorns that way (and you can tell by the clothing tears which polos I use for gardening!). I highly suggest you wear your "gardening gear" every time, even if you "are just cutting" for the table. Many a non-gardening shirt has been torn this way (thus joining the 'gardening gear' collection!).

Let's start with tools. Choose which fits your budget. (Click on any photo to expand it to full size.)

There's the Basic Set of Tools:




Heavy Duty Pruner, Hand Held Pruner, Leather Palmed Gloves


Or choose the Advanced Set:



Add Stool, Valarian, Ibuprophen and preferred Adult Libation


To the basic set of a long handled prunner, hand prunner, leather palmed gloves, I've added:

• A stool (for comfort while getting in close),
• Valarian Root (an herb that relaxes the back muscles, and they tell me smells like marijuana, take before going to bed)
• Ibuprophen (good for relaxing muscles and relieving pain)
• Preferred Adult Beverage (also good for relaxing muscles and relieving pain; ingest only afterwards!)
• Warm Up Exercises (not shown)
• Hand Salve/Cuticle Cream (non shown)

I already tweaked my back the other day and it still hurts, so I took Ibu's before I started gardening today. And I did some stretching, to warm up my muscles. You will be bending, squatting, crouching, and lunging, so warm up first!

It's easiest to begin with the large pruners. Let's go!


(This is part of a series of posts on How to Care for Roses. Click on the label "Rose Care" to see all the posts.)

Sheryllyn McClintock