Prune your roses

Prune roses

Start with those on walls, then those in the borders and lastly those with bird-sustaining hips.

First clip and clear away any dead leaves so you are left with the stems.  Now it is easy to see if there is any dead, old or diseased wood to cut away.

The new growth on climbers looks shiny and is pliable.  Go carefully, tying in with garden twine.   Please do not use plastic or rubber coated wire as these will eventually cut into the growth and, if they fall to the ground, are not biodegradable. The more horizontal you can tie in the stems, the more flowers you will get as the nutrients travel up and encourage all those buds to blossom.  Go carefully and if you don’t feel the stems are pliable enough, leaves it a week or so until the sap is definitely rising.

In borders, the same rules apply to old leaves and dead, old or diseased wood.  Roses should be pruned to outward facing buds so that they will shoot away from the centre to create a goblet shape.  That way, the plant remains uncluttered with no crossing stems.  This produces a more beautiful shape and discourages disease.

After pruning, feed the roses organically with lots of bonemeal and then a thick layer of mulch.