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Roses
milly1
Posts: 24
Is it to late to prune roses, and how many branches do I leave
0
milly1
Posts: 24
milly1
Posts: 24
Posts
Hi Milly1
No it's not too late - just getting around to doing mine
What sort of roses ? Bush type, ramblers or climbing?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Mostly hybrid tea, and a few bush, they hav,ent been pruned at all, and have gone very spindley strangely there are still a few flowers appearing.
Milly, the mild winter has kept lots of things flowering hasn't it?
I'd cut them back hard to outward facing buds about 8" from the base. Take out very spindly stems completely, also any that cross over - you're aiming for an open bowl-shape.
It sounds quite drastic but remember that 'growth follows the knife' so the harder back you cut them the better they will grow. Remembering that maxim, cut back the thinner stems a bit harder than the strong ones, then they'll even up.
Follow up with a sprinkling of slow release fertiliser such as Fish, Blood and Bone.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks a lot, as soon as weather allows I will be out in the garden.
Me too
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I haven't started mine yet, usually raining too hard. Ok until well into March to prune.
Thanks Busy Lizzie, hopefully We will all be very busy sooner rather than later.
And don't forget to remove all of the old fallen rose leaves from under the bushes after you have pruned them. Doing that helps slow the onset of black spot which I have a feeling is going to be a serious problem for many of us after all of this rain!
Thanks bob the gardener. Will do.