Plant Patch
Roses
Secateurs Sharp?
Is it spring or is it winter? Whatever it is this week we decided that the roses had to be pruned. They were beginning to shoot and the foliage did not seem to be affected by the cold so out came the secateurs .These should be very sharp or they will produce ragged cuts and torn stems.
Pruning
With bush roses we try and cut back to about 25 cm [10 inches] the idea of pruning is to encourage strong new growth from low down on the bush. If a bush is not pruned the branches become woody, the growth buds become dormant, the bush loses shape and any flowers are borne high- up on straggly plants. Pruning to outward facing buds
produces a vase-shaped plant with an open centre. The actual cut should be about 5mm [1/4inch] above the bud and sloping away to shed water. With an open plant the sun and air can get into the plant giving less disease. The idea of pruning is to produce a good shape, strong growth from low down and new productive branches annually.
Feeding & Spraying
Having pruned it is now essential to feed and encourage the new growth .Rose feeds are high in potash an essential element for the promotion of good flowering and wood formation .As soon as there is any leaf cover on should go a spray for black spot These days sprays are available ready mixed and very convenient.
Climbers
Climbing roses should have been tidied in the autumn and now need further attention .Sometimes they seem a very complicated tangle .The principle is the same as for bushes, to encourage new growth. Very often there are long strong individual shoots these should be cut back to encourage branching lower down. There will be old gnarled stems producing few shoots these should be cut back low down to encourage shooting or removed altogether and new shoots tied in its place. Thin spindly growth will produce nothing of any quality, these should be removed. Branches off of main stems should all now be shortened.
Ground Cover & Miniature
Ground cover roses need much less attention and could almost be cut with a pair of shears. Miniatures need all the little twiggy growth and dead stems removed cutting back to a sturdy frame work.
Plant Patch 12 March 2006