Still a tad too early to prune winter jasmine, roses

Q: Last week you helped us figure out which blooming shrub we have in the backyard and looking it up, we’re in complete agreement. Thank you! Now, I did mention that the winter jasmine, planted near the flowering quince, is in bloom and is in my opinion in need of a pruning. It’s gotten a bit out of hand and we’d like it to look a bit more mannerly. Can we go ahead and prune it up some now? — L.B., Bernalillo

A: If your winter jasmine is still in bloom, then no. You need to put on the brakes and wait until it has finished blooming completely before you prune it.

If you see or find any broken or frayed branchlets, then those you should tidy up for sure, but as far as real pruning goes, please be patient a bit longer. Allow the jasmine to complete its bloom and then go for it.

Meanwhile, do offer water. Especially since it’s been such a dry dormant season.

By waiting to prune you should have time to get a good look at the plant. Decide how you want it to look and then when the time is right, you’ll be ready to get those pruners working.

Have you given your pruners a good cleaning? Wipe the blades off several times with rubbing alcohol to kill any unwanted disease the blades could be wearing. Always start with clean tools.

When it comes time to do the pruning on the jasmine, I’ll bet the quince will be finished blooming too. If need be, you could kill two birds with one stone and get the quince tidied up too.

Again, wait until they have completed the bloom cycle and if you’re going to tackle the quince, remember it’s thorny, so wear stout leather gloves that have long protective cuffs, jeans and a long sleeve shirt. You don’t want to start out this year’s chores all cut or snagged up.

Nonetheless, enjoy these chores since they’ll make your surroundings so inviting.

Q: I planted three rose bushes two years ago and all of them have grown well for me. Each bush has some growth that I want to control, so I want to know if I can go ahead and prune them now. They are just starting to show green leaves. — R.G., Albuquerque

A: I was taught, historically, you aim for rose pruning the last weekend in March.

Yes, your roses will have flushed new growth, but here’s why I will suggest you wait a while longer before getting your roses pruned.

Think of this early flush as “sacrificial lambs.” In the Albuquerque Metro and surrounding areas, 9.9 times out of 10, we will have another hard frost. I don’t own a crystal ball and won’t say for sure the temperatures will take a hard dive, but I’d ask that you hedge your bets.

This new flush just might suffer the frost damage that Mother Nature hands out and that’s as it should be. By keeping this flush on for a bit longer it’s a tad sturdier so the bushes don’t suffer as much. I’m going to suggest you wait.

Meanwhile, if you really want to invest in the roses’ health, get out there and check for broken or crossed branches or stems. Get down at rose level and imagine how you want the branching to grow. Yes, you could remove any damaged stems or branches now.

If you have moats surrounding the bushes, do they need to be made larger because the plants themselves have grown well for you? Take the time to increase the diameter of each moat to compensate for each bushes growth. While the roses are still a bit on the naked side, it’ll be easier to see if the moats need expanding.

I’m a traditionalist and wait to touch the roses. I sincerely hope you can too.

Now, if you need to get hands on with roses, consider attending the Albuquerque Rose Society pruning demo, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 8; Saturday, March 14; and Sunday, March 15; weather depending. This annual affair is at the Albuquerque Rose Garden located at the Tony Hillerman Library Rose Garden, 8205 Apache Ave. NE.

The site says to bring pruners, gloves and questions. Visit albuquerquerose.com to learn more about the event.

Happy Diggin’ In getting personal with roses!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Diggin’ In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.