Winter can seem a tedious time. The leaves have fallen and perennials have died down. Only a few hardy annuals are trying to flower. I keep a look out for the first early daffodils poking their heads up in anticipation of Spring. I’ll have to decide if I need any new roses, as winter is the best time to plant and a wide selection is now available. My existing roses have given up flowering, tucked themselves up and will be expecting some care and attention. Here are my tips to achieve a riot of colour in Spring Summer and Autumn.

Pruning

Prune roses when they are dormant. June or July is normal, but in cooler regions such as Central Otago or Southland, it would be wiser to wait until August. The plants should be dormant. Choose a sunny day as wet weather can encourage the spread of disease.

My secateurs are kept nice and sharp so that stems are not bruised when cut. A clean cut prevents die back, a bacterial disease affecting roses. I dip the secateurs in bleach or meths as I am working, to reduce the chances of spreading disease.

I always keep my garden bag handy to collect all the cuttings and debris that may have fallen on the ground. This never goes into the compost to spread disease but goes out with the rubbish or is burned in the incinerator.

Don’t be concerned if your roses are still flowering when it is time to prune. A few flowers are an acceptable sacrifice to ensure next year’s performance.

After removing any weak or diseased growth, I need to encourage new growth and shape for spring. I choose 3 – 4 main leaders forming a cup shape, and cut these back to 4 – 5 buds from the base of plant.

Select an outward facing bud, and make a cut which slopes away from the bud about 5mm above the bud – the angle is not critical.

Watering and Feeding

Roses do not need watering in winter as they are dormant and not growing. However, they require plenty of water in summer. Now is a good time to install an irrigation system to make sure your roses get the regular, deep watering they require.

For a colourful display in summer, roses require regular feeding with a balanced fertiliser specially blended for roses. Because they are dormant in winter, feeding is not required until buds start to burst in early spring.

As roses love cool, moist, rich soils, and do not like competing with weeds for food and water, mulching is important. This can be done using compost, mulch, lawn clippings, and well rotted animal manure in late winter / early spring, while there is still plenty of moisture in the soil.

Spraying

For all of their beauty, roses do require regular spraying in order to remain pest and disease free. Winter is a good time for spraying - to catch any over-wintering insect eggs or fungal spores. A good general clean up spray to apply now is Copper Oxychloride or Champ DP and Protector Oil (or Conqueror Oil). I mix these together and spray until droplets start running off the plant. Super Copper is a protectant that controls black spot. Protector Oil helps control mites and scale insect. Both are organic and safe to use.

If spraying is not your thing, you may like to consider planting some of the new disease resistant varieties that are available now. Ask at your local Mitre 10 Gardener for more information on availability.

I have quite a few patio roses in pots on my deck, which I will clip to shape with hedge shears. Some will need re-potting – I will use fresh potting mix and make sure that I include Saturaid. Saturaid will encourage efficient use of water by channelling it to the plant roots.

I cannot over emphasise the importance of regular watering and feeding of roses to ensure top performance. They are a bit like racehorses, but more reliable, and in my experience, more rewarding!