THORN ON MY SIDE

PRUNING

GENERAL MAINTENANCE: Secateurs, Gardening gloves and a pruning saw (for canes thicker than 2cm)

Inspect the bush. If it has grown suckers from the roots, dig down and pull them off at the root.

Prune away all dead, broken or diseased canes. If the canes are not white or green inside, cut lower.

Cut away any thin straggly canes. These will not be able to support blooms and it will waste the bush's energy.

If canes are crossed and rubbing together cut the smaller one back because because this will strengthen the remaining canes.

CUTTING BACK YOUR ROSES

Once you have out all unwanted growth from your rose bush, prune the main canes back to just above the nearest healthy outward growing bud or to the desired height. Other roses that should be pruned in this manner also include:

• Hybrid Teas
• Floribunda's
• Old-fashioned shrub roses
• Species roses
• Grandiflora's

Pruning your Roses is not difficult with a little knowledge it can become a chance to be creative, rather than a chore.

The right bud :

• Choose an outward-facing bud. This will make the rose grow outwards it allows more light and air into the centre.

• Cutting above an inward-facing bud causes the rose to grow straggly shoots into the centre of the rose bush.

The correct angle:

• Cut 1cm above the bud at a 45 angle slanted parallel with the bud.

• A cut too close to the bud will prevent it from growing. If you cut to far away from the bud, the remaining cane length will die.

A sharp, clean cut:

• Always use sharp secateurs to make a clean cut. If the rose cane is thick, you need to use a pruning saw instead.

• A frayed cut will leave the rose open to attack from cold, pests and fungus. Try again lower down the cane.