WHY ROSE GAUNTLET GLOVES ARE A MUST FOR PRUNING ROSES
Beautiful to the eye yet painful to the touch, roses are delightful blooms that call for rose gauntlet gloves.
If you have ever planted and cared for these exquisite perennials, you know that thorn proof gloves are a must for rose pruning. Trimming rose bushes require moving sharp, thorn-lined branches aside. But to the smart gardener who comes prepared with the rose garden gloves, these otherwise nasty thorns are hardly a bother.
And it’s no wonder so many homeowners and horticulture hobbyists take painstaking efforts to grow fresh, healthy roses. Historically, roses have become synonymous with love, passion, and romance. How many times have you ever heard a poem reference the fragrant petals and delicate design of a rose?
With such vibrant colors and soft petals, how could yielding roses on your own property be anything but auspicious? They are not only pleasant to the eye, but also to the nose. Rich with aromatic oils, one of the best benefits of having your own rose garden is gathering them straight from the garden. Nothing says “I love you” to that special someone like sweetly passing them a bouquet of fresh picked roses. And the right rose tools make caring for roses so much simpler.
But – just like the song goes - every rose has its thorn. Read further to learn how to protect yourself against rose pricklies with rose pruning gardening gloves.
WHY YOU NEED ROSE GLOVES TO TAKE CARE OF ROSES
Why is taking care of roses more of a pain than caring for other flowers like daisies, tulips, or baby’s breath?
Thorns. Although technically called prickles, the sharp spikes that cover a rose bush’s stems and branches are commonly known as thorns.
These are quite sharp and can be very painful if you come into contact with one unprotected. Pricklies can scratch and cut, sometimes even drawing blood depending on how it catches your skin. Thorn proof gloves protect your hands from these nasty plant parts.
Roses sometimes carry a skin infection called rose handler’s disease. It’s transmitted when thorns cut or pierce the skin.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM ROSE THORN DISEASE
And to boot, a bacterial infection can develop quickly after a thorn pierces your skin. Fungi sometimes contaminate roses, and being pricked by a thorn containing the fungi can transmit a nasty rose thorn infection called Sporotrichosis. Common symptoms of the skin infection include nodules that may develop into ulcers, and even spread into your lymph nodes. Sporotrichosis is commonly referred to as “Rose Handler’s Disease.”
For your safety, we highly recommend rose gauntlet gloves to anyone who needs to prune or transport thorny plants like roses.
Most garden gloves are not thick enough to prevent thorns from piercing the material. Inadequate gardening gloves will not only allow prickles to pierce your skin, but also wind up littered with holes – becoming otherwise useless – after just a short time tending to your rose beds.
ROSE GLOVES FOR DEALING WITH OTHER TYPES OF PLANTS
Roses aren’t the only plants that can prick you with thorns or sharp edges. As mentioned earlier, rose thorns are really just prickles. Anatomically, a prickle is similar to a hair, but can be quite sharp such as with roses. Spines are found on plants like cacti, and are essentially an extension of the plant’s leaves. A thorn is an extension of a shoot and can actually have leaves of their own.
Transplanting or providing any sort of care for plants with sharp edges warrants a pair of safety gloves. Here is a list of plants that can cause painful cuts if not handled with tough gardening or rose gloves:
- Aloe Vera
- Cacti
- Pampas Grass
- Thistle
- German Iris
- Saw palmetto
- Agave
- Yucca
FEATURES OF THE BEST GARDEN GLOVES DESIGNED FOR PRUNING ROSES
A rose glove should offer both protection and comfort. There is no need to compromise your safety when tending to your rose bush.
Don't take a chance. It's worthwhile to invest in quality rose gardening gloves that adequately protect your hands and forearms, and are durable enough to last for years to come. Any quality rose glove should offer all of the following:
TOUGHNESS
The quality and thickness of a gardening glove’s leather determines how it will stand up to thorns and prickles. If you’re looking for quality gardening gloves that will endure the test of time, you want hardy, composite materials to back the leather’s supple surface.
The rose gardening gloves by Bionic Gloves offer durable, composite Tough-Ex material to shield your skin from painful thorns. When it comes time for rose pruning, a glove’s capacity to keep you safe is measured by its toughness. Just remember that any mesh material at the knuckles or between the webbing of your fingers are especially vulnerable to prickles.
Gauntlet garden gloves help protect both the hands and forearms from rose thorns.
GAUNTLET GLOVES
The trademark feature of any good pair of rose gloves is the gauntlet style. Protecting your hands alone just isn’t enough – prickles can easily scratch or pierce your forearms when lifting branches for pruning. Keep your hands and forearms cut-free with gauntlet rose gloves.
BREATHABILITY
When you work in the yard, your body’s core temperature increases with movement, and – depending on the nature of the work – you might even break a sweat. That’s why breathability is important when searching for long lasting gardening gloves.
Gauntlet garden gloves help protect both the hands and forearms from rose thorns.
Bionic’s rose gardening gloves feature Coolmax insert technology that offers improved ventilation. Breathable gardening gloves make pruning, digging, and planting that much more comfortable.
FLEXIBILITY
A glove needs to be flexible for two reasons. One, a full range of movement means your fingers will be more dexterous, making yard work easier. Two, flexibility increases the comfort of the glove.
Supple, cabretta leather offers great flexibility in a glove. Furthermore, the leather’s suppleness is determined by moisture. If the glove is too dry, it becomes stiff and cracked. Gently wash your leather gardening gloves to remove debris, then apply a generous amount of leather moisturizer to keep your glove flexible.
GRIP RELIEF
Admittedly, grip relief is not necessary for everyone. However, it is a great feature of a high quality gardening glove. Whether you have arthritis or could just use a more secure grip when handling shears or other gardening tools, the anatomical relief pads featured in Bionic gardening gloves provide more gripping power and less hand fatigue.
Pruning roses is cutting back the dead wood to prevent disease and help your blooms flourish.
ROSE PRUNING TIPS
Now that you know what type of gloves to look for when pruning roses, let’s brush up on how to prune roses. In a nutshell, pruning is cutting back the dead wood to encourage growth down the road. Most garden hobbyists prune roses after their roses bloom.
The dead wood is cut back with garden shears. You need to hold back the stems for a good cut – hence why tough rose gloves are so crucial – at about a 45 degree angle. Remove crossing branches and any other branches thinner than a pencil.
WRAPPING UP
Remember to always keep your hands safe when pruning roses at home. You won’t regret having a good pair of gardening gloves to protect you from nasty thorns that cut and pierce. Here are some key points to take away:
- Unprotected, rose prickles can cut your skin and even transmit rose handler’s disease
- Look for gauntlet gardening gloves that protect both your hands and forearms
- Good rose gloves should be tough, breathable, and flexible
- Thorn-resistant gloves are also good for handling plants like cacti, saw palmetto, and yucca
- Rose pruning should happen after the roses bloom