Roses are renowned as the ultimate symbol of romance in the garden, with their hardy nature promising years of stunning blooms.
However, rose bushes can become leggy and unruly without pruning, making it an essential task for any gardener.
Pruning not only maintains the health of your bushes but also encourages the production of new flowers.
This task is crucial for shaping the plant and promoting vigorous, yet controlled growth.
Updating his blog this month with what to do in the garden, gardening expert Monty Don has instructed gardeners to prune their shrub roses.
Monty wrote: “I know that some gardeners are anxious about pruning roses but the many shrub varieties such as the gallicas, ‘English’ roses, albas or hybrid perpetuals are best simply trimmed with shears any time this month.”
When pruning, the 69-year-old noted that gardeners shouldn’t worry about the position or angle of the cuts but “clip away all long, straggly shoots as though you were trimming a hedge”, leave a compact, slightly domed bush that is about two-thirds of its former size.
In March, when able to see clearly without any foliage, Monty said that gardeners can inspect the shrub to remove any damaged or rubbing stems, but a “simple shear in September” is enough to “keep it healthy and packed with flowers next year”.
After pruning your roses give them a good deep soaking of water. Once pruned, this is a good time to regularly water your roses again. This will help them to break dormancy and produce flowers quicker into spring.
Applying a new layer of mulch is beneficial after pruning as it works as an insulator, protecting from temperature variations and helping to retain moisture in the soil, preventing damage to roots during hot weather and drought conditions.
What’s more, garden beds that are well mulched will require less watering and weeding.
Mulching your roses will also help to provide them with the necessary nutrients as the matter begins to break down into the soil.
Also, rose specialists at Treloar Roses recommend spraying the flower with lime sulphur after pruning.
They explained: “This helps to eliminate fungal spores and eggs from pests, giving you a fresh start come spring.
“This is especially important for rose gardens that have trouble with black spot and mildew during the growing season.”
