February is month to prune roses for spring blooms

With the late frost in this region, we have until the end of February to prune rose bushes in order to reset the plants’ biological clock. It’s like a wake-up call to begin a new life cycle, like restarting a factory.

To do the job right, one needs to have a range of pruner sizes handy. Each size has a limit to the diameter thickness for which it is most efficiently used; using too small a pruner on too large a cane can damage both. At minimum, have a pair of loppers and a standard-sized pair of hand pruners. If you have some older plants with large canes that may need to be removed, a saw is...