Over the years that I have been cared for roses, I have seen a lot of roses that either haven’t been pruned at all, or they haven’t been pruned the right way. Unfortunately, it is not just a one off I see it all the time.
I look at it like this, majority of the time it is not your fault if the roses haven’t been pruned the right way or pruned at all. Many people believe that you can plant roses and leave them be and they will care for themselves, but unfortunately that really isn’t the way it happens.
Rose care is important to keep your roses healthy and that includes a good prune during the winter months followed by rose care every month and perhaps a light prune in the summer months.
Some of the roses that I have seen pruned were pruned in a way that didn’t help them at all. It may mean that there is a lot of dead wood on them, or they may have left lots of stringy thin stems on them. So, when it’s time for me to prune them back it may look like I have taken too much off it but what I am trying to do is give your roses more life than they had before.
Unfortunately, though I have arrived to prune roses and found that because of the lack of pruning or the circumstances of where they have been planted, not watered or over watered etc. or even aged badly, my pruning may not be enough to save them.
If you plant roses or move into a house that has roses in the garden and you are not sure how to look after them, please remember that you can message me, email me or call me for advice or assistance to care for your roses.
John Kelly
