January is rose month in the Central Valley. It's the perfect time to plant bare root roses and prune existing roses to insure a long season of bloom. We have almost ideal conditions for growing roses, with lots of sunshine and low humidity. In fact, most of the largest and most famous rose companies in the country, including Jackson & Perkins, Star Roses, Weeks Roses, and Moore's Miniature Roses, all have their growing fields nearby. No wonder roses do so well here!

Buying and Planting Rose Bushes: Nurseries and garden centers are bursting with bare root roses right now. Purchase only 'grade one' roses to produce sturdy plants more quickly. Once you've made your selection, make sure your bare root rose gets off to the best start. To plant, choose a day when the soil is relatively dry, since digging in wet soil can destroy soil structure and increase compaction. Set the roots in a bucket of water to hydrate them before you plant. Prune any dead, diseased or broken roots.

If possible, prepare the planting area by mixing one-third organic material, like compost or manure, with two-thirds soil. Dig a hole large enough for the roots to spread out naturally. Spread the roots over a cone of soil with the graft above ground level. Cover the roots with soil, press gently, and water well.

Pruning Hybrid Tea Rose Bushes: If you have existing roses, January is the time to rejuvenate them with a good pruning. A pruned rose will be healthier, vigorous, and produce more and bigger roses. Protect yourself from rose thorns with long sleeves and gloves, grab your shears and you're ready to prune!

For hybrid teas, start by pruning out all twiggy growth less than a pencil in diameter. Prune all dead, diseased, or crossing canes to the base. Be sure not to leave stubs that will die and invite disease. Suckers, the growth coming from below the bud union (the knobby area at the base) should be pulled off, not cut.

Your goal is a vase shaped plant with an open center. Keep five to seven healthy green canes. Selectively remove older canes (those with rough brownish bark) right to the base. Don't worry, this encourages new canes to form. Leave canes from 18 inches long to about 2/3 of original bush height, depending on your objective. The longer the cane is, the more flowers, but smaller in size; the shorter the cane is, the fewer flowers, but larger in size. Prune at outward facing buds so the bush will continue to grow with a vase shape. Make the cuts as close as possible to the buds and at a slight angle. Cuts don't need to be sealed.

Clean up all the fallen leaf litter and old canes and dispose of them. Don't put them in your compost pile or leave them on the ground to spread disease. Now's a good time to spray roses with dormant oil to destroy overwintering insects and their eggs. Fertilize just as the leaf buds begin to swell, usually just a few weeks later.

Pruning Other Rose Types: For all roses, first remove dead, diseased, spindly, or criss-crossing growth. Grandifloras are pruned the same as hybrid teas. Floribundas and miniatures should be pruned back by one-third, and have a few older canes removed each year. Shrub roses should be pruned to fit the space designed for them. Tree roses should be pruned back by one-third to one-half to keep them from becoming top heavy. Climbing roses are trickier. Horizontally train main canes from bush base by attaching to a fence or trellis. Prune canes arising from the main canes (called laterals) back to two buds.

Free Rose Pruning Demonstrations in Hanford: If you'd like to attend a hands-on workshop about rose pruning, mark your calendars for Saturday, January 21st at the Old Hanford Courthouse and for Monday, January 24th at the Historic Grangeville Church. Master Gardeners from Tulare and Kings Counties will be conducting a free pruning demonstration for the public at 1 p.m. on both days. See you there!