Gardening: Expert gives advice on caring for plants in a heatwave
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Climbing roses come in a range of varieties and colours and are perfect for growing along fences, trellises, archways and over walls. Not only do they look beautiful, but they attract a range of insects – including pollinators like bees – to your garden.
You can find climbing roses at most garden centres or even online, however online makes it harder to choose an ideal plant.
Gardeners world advises:
Always choose a healthy specimen with no signs of damage, yellowing leaves or pest infestations.
Make sure you buy the right rose for the right spot – pay attention to its growing requirements and make sure you have the perfect conditions available.
Read More: How to look after a sunflower – Five top tips
One key part of caring for plants like roses is knowing when to prune them.
Cutting back roses can encourage new growth, strengthen the plant and increase flower production.
While this is a relatively easy task, there are some tips and tricks when it comes to pruning.
This can depend on the plant itself, so read on for top tips for pruning climbing roses.
When should you prune climbing roses?
According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) climbing roses should be pruned in winter after their flowers have faded.
The RHS specifically advises doing so between December and February.
If you’re looking to renovate your rose, you can do so “at any time between late autumn and late winter.”
This is because you can easily see what you are doing once the plant is not in leaf.
To prune climbing roses, follow the below steps from RHS
- First remove dead, diseased or dying branches
- Then tie in any new shoots needed to fill supports
- Prune any flowered side shoots back by two thirds of their length
- If the plant is heavily congested, cut out any really old branches from the base to promote new growth
To renovate overgrown climbing roses
Remove all dead, diseased, dying and weak shoots
Cut some of the old woody branches to the ground, retaining a maximum of six young, vigorous stems that can be secured to supports
Saw away any dead stumps at the base of the plant, where rain can collect and encourage rot
Shorten side shoots on the remaining branches and prune back the tips by one third to one half, to encourage branching
Give pruned plants a boost in the following spring by spreading a granular rose fertiliser over the soil and mulch them with a 5cm (2in) layer of garden compost or well-rotted manure
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