A step by step guide to keep your roses in perfect form!
What you will need:
- Gloves – To protect you from thorns, if you have long “gauntlet” style gloves to protect your forearms – the better.
- Secateurs – Make sure they are sharp to make a clean cut.
The best time to prune roses is in either late winter or early spring – around the time new growth begins.
1. Remove any and all leaves.
This is done to help you see the structure of the plant and clearly see each stem.
This will also remove any pests that may have been breeding and living in the foliage over the winter months.
2. Cut dead wood back to the base.
Start by removing all of the dead wood (the dead wood is brown when cut into, living wood is green)
3. Remove tangled branches
Open up the shrub and remove any branches that are crossed as these may rub and cause damage and disease.
4. Remove weak and thin branches
We don’t want the plant to waste energy on branches that are weak and vulnerable, they potentially may also snap off in heavy rain and winds.
5. Prune any remaining branches.
You need to prune around 1/4 to 1/2 inch above an “outwards facing” notch.
If you trim above an inward facing notch, the branch will grow inwards, make cuts at around a 45 degree angle.
6. Feed your roses.
Make sure to feed your roses, applying a slow release fertiliser with low nitrogen will help to promote root growth and next years blooms.