Properly pruned rose bushes are more disease resistant, grow better, require less maintenance and produce better blooms. So why does the act of pruning roses seem so daunting?

Popular landscape designer and lecturer Steve Gerischer will de-thorn the prickly topic of rose pruning with a hands-on workshop at California State University, Northridge’s next CSUN-al Gardening Series session on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, at the university.

The workshop, which will take place from 10 a.m. to noon, will begin with a brief introduction to the “why,” “when” and “how” of rose pruning. Participants will then have the opportunity to put theory into practice when the class goes outdoors to apply what they’ve learned on some of the campus roses.

“The class will take place, rain or shine, except for extreme weather,” said Brenda Kanno, manager of CSUN’s Botanic Garden, which hosts the CSUN-al Gardening Series. “Participants are encouraged to bring a brimmed hat, gloves and hand pruners so they can practice their rose-pruning technique.”

Gerischer, proprietor of Larkspur Garden Design, lectures on a wide variety of horticultural topics. He serves as president of the Southern California Horticultural Society and the Pacific Horticultural Society, teaches classes at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, Descanso Gardens and Fullerton Arboretum, and he puts in an occasional appearance on HGTV —  most notably on “Landscapers’ Challenge.”

Registration for the free class begins today, and is required. E-mail botanicgarden@csun.edu to request a space in the class, or for more information. Driving and parking instructions, as well as the class meeting location, will be sent upon registration.

California State University, Northridge’s Botanic Garden is operated by the university’s Department of Biology. It serves as a field site for botany, entomology, photography, painting and other classes. In addition to outdoor landscapes and natural botanic environments, the garden also features greenhouses where noteworthy botanical specimens are grown. The garden is open to the public.

Visit the website www.csun.edu/botanicgarden/ for more information about the Botanic Garden.