The spring season is mere weeks away from arriving, so there’s limited time left to make sure you complete all the relevant tasks in the garden to prepare for the next few months. One of the key tasks gardeners should be looking to do in the early period of March concerns roses.
Gardening expert and TikTok Michael Griffiths recently shared a number of gardening jobs all green fingers should be doing this month. If you happen to be growing roses in your garden, early March is the last window you have to ensure that the flowers will have a bountiful bloom. Here is what you need to be doing to your roses before spring arrives.
How to prune roses
Firstly, you want to prune any dead wood, looking out for brown or black stems and branches, as this indicates they are already dead. Leave the green stems alone to allow them to keep growing.
You want to make sure that any dead wood is cut back all the way to the base of the plant. Gardeners should also “open up the centre” by cutting back crossing branches that can rub together. Rubbing branches can risk damage or encourage diseases.
As well as dead branches, gardeners should remove any diseases or damaged stems. These are usually black or brown in colour too.
Keep an eye out for weak or thin growth, especially if the stems are thinner than a pencil. If these are left, they are more than likely to grow gangly and produce fewer flowers.
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When pruning, you want to reduce the height of your rose plants by a third, including the green canes. Cut the stems just above an outward-facing bud on a 45-degree angle.
Michael encouraged gardeners to prune roses in the earlier part of March. The Royal Horticultural Society agreed that late winter, so either February or early March is a good time for pruning roses generally.
Gardeners’ World pointed out that late winter is the best time to prune most types of roses, apart from ramblers, which should be pruned during the summer.
Michael also urged gardeners to feed the plants too, to make sure they stay healthy.
The RHS shared some helpful tips to keep in mind when pruning roses. These include:
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