Expert: Lynnette ( The Oldrosarian) - 1/26/2004

Question
Dear Lynette
when and how do i prune roses in north east,Victoria Australia
I have moved into new house with 50 roses
I have no knowledge and a little interest
Please pitch your answwer to  a novice
Hope you had good xmas all the best for the new year
Love mick

Answer
Spring is the best time in your area. If possible prune just before the roses leaf out, but when they start to grow that's okay too. It is not how you prune roses that is important, it is that you prune them. The secret to growing healthy and vigorous roses is to make them grow new canes every year and you do this by pruning. Think of pruning as making the rose mad, so mad that it loses it's temper because it must make new growth. I prune many of my roses with an alectric hedge trimmer. If you don't prune the canes they get a thick bark on the outside and the new growth hasn't the strength to push through. You then end up with flowers setting on the top of the canes. If you are only interested in just keeping the roses alive and well then I would do the following.
Cut them( modern shrubs) back in spring by a third. Prune climbers but just keeping them within their allotted space. Cut out completely any dead or diseased canes. Scatter a handful of any slow release fertilizer (14-14-14) all around the base of the bush and then cover it up. This will last for about 6 months and release everytime you water the rose. If a rose gets a disease such as black spot this summer, tag it, and next spring when it starts to leaf out use any fungicide spray on it. Make sure you drench it so that it drips. Do this every week for three weeks. The other alternative is if the rose gets a lot of disease then throw it out as it will always get disease. This routine is the lazy mans way of doing things to keep roses alive and well. This advice flies in the face of all rose books, but it works and that is what is important. Hope this helps. Lynnette