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December prune for roses?

Rob LockwoodRob Lockwood Posts: 380
edited December 2023 in Plants
Hi all
Compliments of the season.
Our roses continue to flourish and put on weight year-by-year, but this causes a problem in that I can't see the carefully-curated set of heathers on our rockery because they're in the way  :)  Can I reduce the height of the roses a bit now in advance of my usual full winter prune in Jan/Feb/Mar?  Any tips welcome: risk of disease etc, and I think I've read if do it, do it on mild, dry days.

Posts

  • Robin_GoodfellowRobin_Goodfellow Posts: 8
    Yes - you won't do them any harm. You can hack roses about any time from early winter to spring and they won't mind. 
  • Rob LockwoodRob Lockwood Posts: 380
    Thanks @Robin_Goodfellow :)
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    In fact, it's good to shorten your roses to prevent winter wind rock, even if you do the main pruning in February/March.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • Rob LockwoodRob Lockwood Posts: 380
    Sounds good @Busy-Lizzie Perhaps not today though - below freezing!
  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    One of the gardening managers at Peter Beales roses told me they start (proper) pruning of roses in November and continue right through the winter. They don't do them when there's a very severe frost like this weekend but cold snaps are definitely not a barrier.

    They simply have too many roses to prune in the 'optimum' February / March weeks.
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • Rob LockwoodRob Lockwood Posts: 380
    Well, certainly looks like I can have a crack.  I'll have a gander at Beales and David Austin to see if there's any no-nos - looks like wet and cold aren't optimal so will avoid this weekend for starters.  Unlike Beales, we've only got 2, so should be able to fit it in!
  • Rob LockwoodRob Lockwood Posts: 380

    Yes, as the GW forum hive mind says :) , David Austin recommends pruning nowish to guard against wind rock in exposed sites, so not going to do them any harm is it?




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