A good time to prune
Cut back your roses now to reap the rewards of more spectacular blooms this summer
So far, as the winter has been mild, I've been cleaning and tidying up the rose beds. I covered the beds during late autumn with compost from my seedling benches and well-rotted farmyard manure. This will attract worms, which will break up and aerate the soil, bees and birds, all of whom are beneficial to the garden.
The first major job of the year is pruning. If you follow a few simple rules pruning's easy. Make sure to cut out all dead and diseased-looking shoots, as well as those which are too small to carry any decent flowers. Also cut to an outside-pointing eye to keep the centre of the bushes open to sunlight.
With well-established hybrid teas and floribundas, cut back about half way and they will be fine. Patios and miniatures should be lightly pruned, and the same applies to shrubs and ground covers. Climbers should be pruned to fit the space where you've got them growing. By cutting back about a third along the stems and then spreading the stems sideways you'll be rewarded with a great display in summer. If your climbers have gone leggy cut back one or two stems low down to encourage new growth. Pruning is a great form of exercise, all the bending and moving up and down is good for your heart.
During February I spread some blood, fish
and bone on the beds to stimulate early growth. I’m trying to be as organic as possible and not use sprays. In mid-March I'll give the plants a good foliar feed with Uncle Tom’s Rose Tonic and I'll apply a solid feed containing NPK plus trace elements at the end of the month. The Rose Society UK (www.therosesociety.org.uk) is the new society which has been formed since the collapse of the RNRS. It has started really well and is doing tremendous work to encourage people to get interested in growing roses and to spread the good news about the pleasures of growing them.
The dates of their main shows for 2020 are: The National Spring Show at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival on May 7-10.
The National Summer Show at Squires'
Rose Festival in Shepperton on June 27-28.
The National Autumn Show at Harrogate Autumn Show on September 18-20.
If you're at any of these shows why not visit the society’s stand and have a chat?
The Rose Society UK has re-introduced the prestigious award, The Dean Hole Medal. The Medal is named in honour of the Very Reverend Samuel Reynolds Hole, Dean of Rochester and founder of the RNRS.
At the Society’s AGM in October the award was given to Angela Pawsey in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the rose world in preparing updating, editing and publishing Find That Rose (www.findthatrose.co.uk).
Find that Rose lists 3,750 varieties grown in the United Kingdom and 34 nurserymen who grow these roses. Angela also has manned the Cants of Colchester stand at various shows over many years giving advice and helping the general public to grow beautiful roses. Her dedication and service to the rose has been exceptional.