| We are now well and truly in the thick of winter | | | | the day. This gives the plant time to adjust to its |
| and I am feeling it. I have to make a confession | | | | new hair cut before dealing with the cool of night. |
| right now...I am not a winter lover. However there | | | | Also, when you are trimming a stem, try and |
| is one upside(or perhaps downsider, depending on | | | | make the cut at a 45 degree angle. Your roses |
| your viewpoint) to winter, there are plenty of | | | | will heal better and have more ability to fight of |
| tasks to complete in the garden! | | | | disease if you do this. |
| Probably one of the most important tasks to do | | | | Now we are done with talking about roses |
| during the month of July, if you are a rose | | | | another issue that you may face in the winter is |
| grower, is to give your roses a strong prune. | | | | frost, especially if your go through a cold, dry spell |
| There are varying suggestions when it comes to | | | | in your area. When overnight temperatures drop |
| pruning roses. Some say to remove | | | | down to close to 0 degrees C your plants may |
| approximately 1/3 of the plant, some suggest | | | | experience frost. To help limit frost damage the |
| removing up to 2/3 of the plant. I myself lean | | | | best tip I can give you is to make sure that your |
| towards the 2/3 suggestion simply because I | | | | garden beds are sufficiently mulched. This works |
| have found that the harder you prune the rose, | | | | because it helps keep more heat in the soil, which |
| the better they seem to grow back and also the | | | | enables your plants to better regulate their own |
| more control you have over the size and shape | | | | heat. They may still suffer from frost but if they |
| of new growth. | | | | have access to heat from the soil, the plant cells |
| Roses are very hardy plants, regardless of what | | | | themselves should not freeze and therefore your |
| you may hear. As long as they have sufficient | | | | plants will be better off. |
| water (the main cause of rose death) they can | | | | Other than this just try and keep on top of the |
| survive some very harsh conditions. My Grandad | | | | weeds that are bound to be growing in your |
| (a non green thumb) once 'pruned' his mums | | | | gardens and lawns. This is a never ending task in |
| roses by mowing over them. Not only did they | | | | Winter. Try and get rid of flowering weeds in |
| survive...they thrived. They grew back far better | | | | your lawn as soon as possible so as to limit the |
| than before. The moral of this story? Give your | | | | spread of the weeds as spring and summer draw |
| roses a strong prune this July! | | | | near. |
| A few pruning tips. Try and prune in the middle of | | | | Happy gardening! |