Topic: What to do with roses?

[schmelda]

I have inherited several rose plants both on my allotment, and in my garden.  I have no idea what variety they are!  Having never had roses before, I'm not sure what to do with them.  When do I prune?  How much do I prune?  When do I feed?  ??? ??? ??? I'd say that they are all currently waist height, and I don't think they have any sort of support.

Any advice would be great!

[Digitalis]

Most roses don't need support. It is probably a little late to prune, so I would let them do their thing this year and see how they grow.  But, if they are looking like pruning is necessary now then just prune out the dead, diseased or damaged stems. Always prune to an outward-facing bud.

[saddad]

There was an experiment that showed that most roses responded as well (in terms of flowering) to being cut back with hedgetrimmers as they did to careful secateur pruning...  :-\

[Obelixx]

I don't prune my roses till march or April as we can stilll get heavy frosts so i don't think it's too late for your.

Prune out any obviously dead or weak growth - no buds, dry twigs, thin stems.   Prune the remaining stems back to outward facing buds so the new stems will not block the centre.  This allows for improved air circulation and reduces problems like mildew.

Give each rose a good dollop of well rotted compost and, if possible manure now.   Top up with pelleted chicken, cow or horse manure when new growth starts.    You can also give liquid rose or tomato feed a s a tonic between March and mid June but no later as it will encourage sappy growth that suffers next winter.

Dead head regularly to keep flowers coming but just the flowers, not foliage as well as they need that to make food.   Make a not of colour and flowering periods this season.  Any that finish flowering in June or early July are not repeat flowerers and can then be left to form rose hips, if wanted, in future seasons.

If you find black spots forming on the leaves, remove them and burn or bin them.  Do not put them on the compost.   Planting lavender or chives or garlic or alliums nearby helps deter aphids.  If you do get an infestation, try hanging peanut feeders nearby as the tits will also eat the greenfly.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Don't hack them hard. A light going over to encourage branching is the most they'll need, but pruning really ought to be done in the autumn. I'd probably leave them unpruned myself, and see how they did. Don't prune for pruning's sake.

[rugbypost]

They love horse manure, and bone meal. As for pruning you can what i call give it a trim  little at this time of the year is good

[Obelixx]

I have to disagree about autumn being the best time to prune unless you live in a frost free zone.  Winter frosts always cause some damage that needs pruning out in spring before it causes further die back.  the only pruning I do in autumn is to reduce long stems that can be caught by strong winds and cause root rock when the plant gets shaken about.

I would give bonemeal and a mulch in autumn for the worms to work into the roots.  The main feed is done in late winter/early spring so the goodness doesn't get leached out of the soil by winter rain and snow.

Once the plants are growing strong and healthy again they can do with a lighter prune each spring but it's still best to remove a third of the old stems to renew vigour.   Another way to increase the number of blooms is to take long stems and bend them and peg them down rather than pruning them.  This encourages more buds to break and more flowers.  Itried it with mt Gertrude Jekylls and Sceptr'd isles last year with great success.  William Shakespeare didn't do as well but then they'd suffered more from the very hard winter we had last year.

[goodlife]

I agree with Obbelix..I always wait untill the bud have started to grow before pruning..that way I know there is new growth on its way below the cuts.  ;)
And to get abundance of flowers..rose feed once a month from the start of the new growth until end of Augutst..or so

[schmelda]

Thank you all for your advice.  Now I have some idea of what I'm looking for, I shall inspect them closely next time I brave the allotment!  (I nearly lost a wellie last time I was up)

[Robert_Brenchley]

As long as you do it early before the rose starts growing! Someone at church used to prune everything off in spring, when the rose is shooting, leaving a miserable skeletal thing which sat and sulked all summer. I don't know how the roses survived this abuse for years on end, but in the end I got her to leave one alone. It did so well I've now stopped the pruning, apart from a little I do myself.