Rose Pruning Workshop March 1st at 10 am

Master Gardener Holly Plotner will be demonstrating rose pruning starting at 10 am. She’ll discuss the different types of rose growth habits and how you modify pruning to suit each. The class will be outside in the garden so please dress appropriately.

Join Us in the Demo Garden

The first Friday of every month is designated as an open house for the Texas A&M AgriLife Earth-Kind Demonstration Garden at 1600 Smith Road, Austin. You’ll be able to visit the garden and speak with the Travis County Master Gardener volunteers who maintain it and get your gardening questions answered. Each month will also feature some sort of demonstration or workshop that deep dive into subject areas. In March, the topic is rose pruning.

What’s Growing in the Garden?

The Earth-Kind® demonstration gardens have plants for different needs, including drought tolerance, color, full sun, and shade. There are ornamental trees, flowering shrubs, perennial flowers, Earth-Kind® roses, vines, and groundcovers. A separate section features a working vegetable garden and composting station.

The Earth-Kind® approach stipulates that chemical products are a last, not first, resort. The best practice is to use well-adapted, disease resistant plants and cultural practices like Integrated Pest Management (IPM). One component of IPM is to install plants that attract beneficial insects throughout the garden to reduce the need for chemical pesticide sprays. Take some time to see how many beneficial creatures you can find in the garden!

Regular applications of mulch and compost provide plant nutrients. A 3-bin system produces all compost on site. Stop by and learn how the Master Gardener volunteers keep the system going while attending the open house.

New Plants Added for Testing

The garden constantly evolves with new plants or planting beds added for testing. We encourage you to attend the Earth-Kind® Demonstration Gardens open houses multiple times to see the changing features through the seasons.

Additional Resources

How to Prune Rose Plants YouTube video with Dr. Brent Pemberton, AgriLife Research Ornamental Horticulturalist

Solving the Mystery of Pruning Roses by Douglas F. Welsh, Extension Horticulturist retired,
Texas A&M University

Best Roses for Austin and Travis County