Hard pruning of roses
Is it safe to prune my roses quite hard now before winter? they have grown vey tall this year and I am afraid they may suffer if we have high winds this year. Most advice is not to prune until spring, so I am not sure what damage I may do giving them a good prune now. Any advice gratefully received. Thanks
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If you're in a windy spot where roses can suffer from windrock I would take the top one third off in early November, and then prune properly at the end of February/beg of March, depending on the weather.
Don't do the hard pruning now as it may stimulate gender new growth which would be damaged by frost.
ah lovely thank you - I do sometimes find the advice on pruning roses a bit confusing but that makes sense,
'gender' new growth???????????? sorry, am typing with a splint on - I meant 'tender'
I do exactly as Dove says - a third off now, then a proper prune in Feb/march
I wish everyone would - life would be so much simpler
Sorry Dove never did do as I was told so do it in a different way. Take the hedge trimmer to the top half straight across clean up the area and leave for spring. Prune as normal in spring as I have done for the last twenty years and always a good show, but then I grow them for me not for the local garden show.
A neighbour spends hours pruning titivating wrapping covering and generally wet nursing his roses to put three in a vase at the show and come second?? Why Bother I ask? He has belaboured my ears many times on the correct way of doing it so how come I have two lovely flushes of roses on most bushes every year and he does not?
The mind boggles, Frank.
Doves right again I have some new Gender growth on my massacred black spot old Red Alec h/t i cut it right back 3 weeks ago to get rid of the b/Spot as i couldn't stand the mess any longer but now iv new gender growth so dont do it again Alan ,so another to late lesson in the bank for me.In future i did Franks way,,get it
Chuckle
I have been itching to cut back my roses for weeks now despite the late bloomers - they have grown so tall and are so untidy. I will probably try to wait another couple of weeks and then prune fairly hard. I only ever prune them at the back end, never in spring, and they do ok. Even with the harsh winters in Scotland. Each to their own.