only been planted for a year, cut back even further so they are just 12-14” (30-35cm) from ground level. This may seem a lot but the last thing you want is a long leggy rose bush with no flowers close to the ground. Pruning will encourage new flowering stems to form, which will mature to make a nice rounded shrub. Once you have cut back all your stems by the right amount, it is a good idea to cut out any dead, diseased or damaged stems from their point of origin. When finished, remove any remaining foliage and then be sure to dispose of the cuttings in your garden waste.
AUTUMN As the leaves fall from the trees, gardens start to wind down for the winter months ahead. Repeat-flowering roses will still be offering up blooms of colour, but with less frequency than during the summer. As November starts, so does the bare root season and with it the opportunity to plant freshly harvested bare rooted roses. Whilst you may not think of autumn as a key time in the garden, a little time and effort put in to planning your garden for the following year will pay dividends by next summer. Just like bulbs or broad beans, a little autumn planting of bare root roses will go a long way.
For climbing and rambling roses, pruning is less severe. For climbers and ramblers a year old, we suggest only cutting back stems by a few inches, just enough to encourage new shoots. Older ramblers only need thinning out if necessary, while older climbing roses simply need their last season’s growth cutting back to about 2-3” (5-10cm) from the main stem. The most important part for climbers and ramblers is tying in any loose stems that have appeared over the year, fixing them securely onto their supporting structure using Flexi-Tie or twine. This is also the time to train your rose, looking to space out stems to give a good, even coverage over the supporting structure as you tie them in.
WINTER The quiet winter months see the bare branches of roses as they go into dormancy. Roses are winter hardy and do not need any particular protection from frost or snow. Bare root roses can still be planted during the winter months, but we recommend avoiding planting them in waterlogged or freezing conditions. As the new year arrives, January and February bring with them the chance to prune your roses. Pruning is arguably the most important thing you can do for you rose, giving it good structure and encouraging new growth. Contrary to popular belief, pruning roses is not difficult. As a general rule, don’t worry too much about where you cut along a stem and you probably need to cut off more than you think. Your rose afterwards should look significantly smaller than it did before you started. For a shrub rose we recommend starting by cutting back any disproportionately long stems in line with the rest of the plant. Once done, you can cut all the stems back by half of their length. For roses that have
132
RO S E C A R E A D V I C E O N L I N E AT
SCAN HERE
for instructional videos and detailed guides to pruning, planting, deadheading and feeding.
davidaustinroses.co.uk
