We are more than halfway through the season of winter now and a collective sigh of relief can be heard at the prospect of a green spring. But whilst some plants will come up again and perform beautifully from September 1st onwards, others like our gorgeous friend the rose, need a little maintenance now in order to bloom into life later.
So what do I need to do to my roses in winter?
Prune – if you haven’t done so already, now is the time to prune those rose bushes in most areas. In cooler areas its best to wait until August to prevent frosts from damaging any new growth. When pruning roses don’t be too cautious, they can handle it.
Here are a few tips:
- A good rule of thumb is to prune back about a third of the plant. If you’re less cautious even up to half of the growth is a good chop.
- At all times aim to cut your branches at an angle of about 45 degrees to encourage growth.
- For spindly bits follow the branch down until it is about the width of a biro and prune here.
- Any diseased or dead branches should be cut off at the trunk (standard rose) or base of the rose.
- For new branches which are olive green or pink in colour, prune lightly.
- Prune the branches well so that there is plenty of space for ventilation around the centre of the bush.
- It is also a good time to treat any rose diseases (such as black spot) with a spray you can purchase from any garden retailer, though a good pruning will be very helpful here.
Transplant and plant dormant plants – do you want to add or move roses to your garden? Now is the time to do it.
Feed – about 3 weeks after pruning, moving or planting roses, add a little rose feed (there are various products on the market that are suitable) and water it well. Continue feeding your roses about once a fortnight for 2-3months to ensure their health and beautiful blooms. More care does need to be taken with newly moved or planted roses but more established roses will need less rose feed.
If you follow all of these steps you might find that your rose bushes look a little sad now, but give them time and they’ll bloom beautifully.
Originally posted 2014-08-14 04:49:07.