It’s quite amazing that we are already in May and the weather is starting to cool down. That means it is almost time to organise pruning your roses.
For me, it is time to start taking bookings which will ensure I am ready to visit you and prune your roses. The cooler winter months are great for a full prune and we do the full prune at this time of the year because it reduces the risk of damage from pruning.
The benefits of doing a winter prune allows the plant to recover and prepare for the spring growth cycle.
What happens when I come to prune your roses? I remove dead, diseased or weak wood and try and shape the plant to encourage open structure allowing for better airflow and sunlight to get in. Many people think I have cut back too much but I cut back what is needed to ensure your roses come back healthy and strong. In some cases, unfortunately there maybe too much deadwood but I do my best and unfortunately in this type of case there really is no guarantee.
I remove all the debris after pruning to prevent disease to spread and I spray your roses. I come back in 3 weeks after pruning to fertilise. I recommend watering the roses to promote new growth.
So with that in mind, if you have roses and you need a Winter prune, now is the time to book in for this year’s Winter rose pruning.
John Kelly
