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Millie takes the hesitancy out of one of THE most satisfying jobs in the horticulture, dealing with your winter roses.    

Roses are revered garden plants.  Most can be classified as flowering shrubs but with over 140 species occurring across Europe, Asia and North America and 1000’s of cultivars.  The habits of the words most famous flowering shrubs are incredibly diverse, as is their horticultural application.  From hedges, to groundcovers, to climbers and weepers, the genus Rosa can do almost anything.  

Rosa is the type genus in the family Rosaceae, other members include many important fruiting species like apples, strawberries, cherries and even blackberries.  In other words, they are tough, productive, beautiful, and useful plants! 

As some of the world’s oldest and most popular cultivated plants, the choice of roses available is vast, particularly in winter when you can buy and plant them bare root.   They are cheaper at this time of year, and a doddle to plant.  Simply unwrap the roots, dunk them in a bucket of water, check for damage and reprune, plant into a sunny, well-prepared bit of ground.

For confident gardener, there is nothing more fun than pruning a rose but many new to it might find the timing and techniques used for the different types a little overwhelming.  But don’t fear, almost all roses respond well to pruning, as it encourages new, vigorous growth, more flowers and prevents problems down the track. 

Varieties that flower only once, usually in spring, are best pruned directly after these flowering finishes in early summer.  But most repeat-flowering modern roses like long-stemmed hybrid-tea and the multi-stemmed floribunda roses, standards and climbers should be pruned in late winter. 

Any time from June until early spring is perfect.  

Roses are often associated with thorns, botanically these are prickles, that is growth that comes from the epidermis of the stem rather than a stem modification itself.   Whatever you call them, it’s important to glove-up and chuck on some long sleeves before you get out there! 

Depending on the roses you might need a range of tools, including a clean pruning saw, loppers, secateurs and hedging shears.

The principles of rose pruning are like pruning most other plants, start by removing the rubbish and then you can see what good, healthy growth you have to work with. 

Remove any dead, damaged, and diseased growth, right at the base. You might need your loppers, or even a saw for this.  In most cases this might mean you are removing 1-3 of the oldest bits of growth.  

Remove any inward facing limbs to reduce congestion and improve air and light penetration, this helps to prevent the most common rose ailments, fungal diseases like black spot and mildew.

Most roses are grafted plants, meaning the flowering top is attached to a tough & adaptable root stock.  Any vigorous growth coming from below that graft, needs to be removed or it will take over.  Roses also produce sappy, vigorous growth from the base, but above the graft.  These are known as water shoots; they are healthy growth that will form flowering stems so can be pruned with the rest of the plant to become a future framework.

Once you are happy with your healthy rose growth, reduce the overall size by at least 1/3-1/2.  Prune just above an outward facing bud as this will direct the growth in that direction and keep the plant open and airy.  

Climbing roses might look overwhelming, but essentially, they can be treated in a similar way.  Remove any rubbish, then 1-2 of the oldest bits of growth to encourage new shoots, and then tidy up the rest. 

Now, you can walk away at this point but there are a couple of other things that will turn your well-pruned roses into even better bloomers! 

Cleaning up now will prevent many problems later.  Rake up old foliage and mulch to remove any fungal spores or pests on them.

Roses are heavy feeders through the growing months of spring and summer, particularly for repeat-flowering varieties.  In winter after pruning, feed the soil!  Top-dress with a 2-5 cm layer of well-rotted manure or compost.  A monthly application of a small amount of a balanced organic fertiliser from spring through autumn will also benefit blooms.

Apply a fresh layer of organic mulch.  Not only will it keep the moisture in over summer, but it will also help prevent any fungal spores that can cause things like black spot or rust, splashing up and reinfecting your clean rose. You can also spray an organic fungicide, like lime sulphur, to kill off any spores.

Once you have pruned & pampered, it is worth checking any stakes and supports. As the flowering part is grafted high above the ground level, ensure the stake comes into the head of the rose and secure at multiple points.

As spring kicks in, it is worth keeping a keen eye on the growth. Taking spent blooms off or even picking stems for a vase will encourage more, just make sure you snip above a bit of growth.

Keep an eye out for any fungi on the leaves, and as soon as you spot them, whip them off to stop the spread. An occasional spray of fish emulsion on the foliage can also minimise the spread of spores from leaf to leaf.  

And of course, aphids love feeding on roses but luckily, predatory lady beetles and wasps love feeding on them! Watch closely and plant to encourage them into the garden by planting more attractive species and you should never need to get involved!

When it comes to anything in the garden, over years you will learn, practice, develop and perhaps achieve perfection. But truly, you do not need to!  In general, roses respond well to pruning so you can relax, grab your tools and give it a go! 

Filmed on Taungurung Country | Clonbinane, Vic

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