Rose Pruning

Question from Randy:

Greejeans again sorry to bother you. I prune roses for folks and I have so many this year that I was wondering what would be the earliest time I could start pruning roses this year. Thanks so much for your help as always.

Answer from Pat:

Traditionally rose pruning in California can begin in the week between Christmas and New Years, but that is only because of the holidays. As far as the plant is involved, any time after the winter solstice is fine. Winter solstice this year is on December 21, the date when the Arctic Circle is titled furthest away from the sun which is the longest day of the year. After that it begins tilting back again. Many plants are sensitive to this date—biennials moved after it will not bloom the following spring—, roses are less so but still it’s good to pay attention to these wonders of our planet.

Take along cane to steady yourself just in case the earth wobbles on its axis that day!—This is a joke, of course, but the end of the Mayan calendar happens at Dec. 21, 11:12 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) and there is the sort of panic and “end of the world” fear concentrating around that date that has occurred periodically though the centuries among ignorant people as a sort of mass hysteria.