January – How to prune Bush Roses

Pruning and Maintenance of existing shrubs and plants in your garden is crucial if you want them to perform well and stop them from outgrowing their allotted spaces.

New growth, made each season, supports a flush of leaves that are essential for making energy for the plants, but at the same time, shrubs and trees increase in height and spread. If they’re not pruned, the quality and quantity of flowers and fruit decreases and is held on top of the mass of unproductive branches. With regular pruning you can establish a strong framework and shape, maintain health and maximise their productivity.

With over 20 years of gardening experience and plant knowledge, each month I will guide you through what to prune, when and how.

January – Bush Roses
Probably the most talked about plant when it comes to pruning. By pruning your roses in late winter/early spring you will encourage new growth, which is where most roses bear new flowers.

Here’s four easy steps:

1. Remove any dead, diseased, crossing and crowded stems.  Prune out weak stems.
2. Make clean cuts using sharp secateurs; use a pruning saw to remove thicker stems.
3. Reduce stems by a third, shorten side shoots to 2 or 3 buds.
4. Cut to an outward facing bud to encourage an open centre (look for a horizontal line on one side of the stem, if the bud is not swelling).

Other plants to consider pruning now:

• Climbing roses
• Overgrown deciduous shrubs which need rejuvenation.

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