WINTER TASKS

Winter is the time to act if you want beautiful roses in summer. It’s time now to plant, prune and take precautionary action against pests and diseases.

PLANTING

Give roses as much sun as possible with ample ventilation to guard against pests and diseases. A good soil for roses is one which holds onto its water. Provided it’s sufficiently drained, with added humus, a clay based soil is ideal. Light sandy soils can also be improved by adding compost. Avoid soil where roses have grown previously.

To plant ‘bare-root' roses in winter, carefully remove the packaging and trim any damaged roots, then soak in a bucket of water while you prepare the ground. Dig a generous planting hole. Position the

plant so that the bud union sits just above ground level. Back fill with soil mixed with compost, gently firming the soil around the roots as you go. Water thoroughly after planting. Trim each branch with slanting cuts just above an outward facing bud.

PRUNING

July is the main pruning time for roses, but wait until August in cold climates. Using a clean, sharp pair of secateurs, remove dead or decaying wood first. Next remove the oldest branches and those crossing over each other or growing towards the centre of the bush. Shorten the remaining canes to an outward facing bud from which next season’s growth will emerge. Cut on an angle, 5mm above and facing away from the bud. For most modern rose bushes the aim is to end up with three to five thick, well-spaced branches each with three to five buds. Be assured, it’s hard to kill a rose by pruning it.

WINTER CLEAN UP

After pruning, clear away all leaf debris and surrounding weeds which provide a refuge for the perpetrators of next summers pests and diseases. Spray after pruning with a copper spray mixed with spraying oil. The oil takes care of insect eggs while the copper kills disease spores.

‘Berry Nice’ produces a show stopping display on glossy foliage, repeating throughout the season.

ABOVE: ‘Blackberry Nip’ has a powerful fragrance and deep unfading blooms ideal for picking. BELOW: ‘Forget Me Not’ produces mass upon mass of lilac roses with golden stamens.

‘Compassion’ is a favourite modern climbing rose with award winning fragrance and colour.

‘Iceberg’ is a leading favourite loved for its constant masses of pure white roses and superb disease resistance.

LEFT: ‘Hamilton Gardens’ is an outstanding picking rose with spiralling blooms of soft apricot, peach and cream. RIGHT: ‘Peace’, the famous hybrid tea introduced in 1945, is still one of the most loved roses for modern gardens.

‘In Loving Memory’ produces masses of red roses on lush green foliage.