Roses Don't "Sleep" in the Summer

Q. I read that summertime is when roses “sleep” in the desert heat. The question popped into my head a few days ago, “Can I prune my roses bushes in June and let them grow and flower through the winter months?”

A. I wouldn’t. Roses don’t really “sleep” or become dormant during the summer months, but they “struggle” instead with the heat and intense sunlight. Therefore, they might stop flowering and look bad. The ideal temperature for most roses is around 65F and “comfortable growth” can range as high as 82F. Temperatures higher than this range produce increasing plant stress.

Don't Prune Roses in Summer

             Intense direct sunlight causes considerable damage to previously shaded stems if roses are pruned and opened up in the summer.

            Allowing intense sunlight inside the plant canopy is the major reason I wouldn’t prune roses during the summer. If you were living in Seattle or San Francisco I would tell you to go ahead and prune in the summer