Prune species roses
By the middle of July, many of the species roses, such as Rosa ‘Cantabrigiensis’ in the Spring Garden or Rosa ‘Dupontii’ in the Orchard Beds, will have finished flowering, and this is the best time to prune them.
They flower on the previous summer’s growth and just reducing the current growth will result in a spray of new shoots coming off a bare stem half way up the plant – and this does not look good.
They are best pruned by taking out the oldest shoots low down so that the new growth is a single strong shoot that can flower along its length.
Next year’s flowering will always be best on those shoots that have had the most chance of ripening, which is improved by as long as possible in good sunshine – so pruning in midsummer is part of the process of ensuring good flowering next year.