Monty Don has shared his monthly gardening blog, emphasising that pruning roses in February is a crucial task for ensuring vibrant blooms later in the year. He reassures gardeners that rose pruning need not be intimidating, noting that roses are tough shrubs capable of recovering from heavy cutting.
Don advises that pruning should be done in February for those in southern UK, while northern gardeners or those short on time can delay until early March. He stresses the importance of using sharp secateurs for clean cuts, which minimise damage to the plant, and always cutting just above a bud, leaf, or stem joint.
For hybrid teas, hybrid perpetuals, and floribunda roses, Don recommends hard pruning to remove weak, damaged, or crossing stems, shaping the remaining branches into an open bowl. Shrub roses require only light pruning, and Don suggests they can even be pruned in late summer or autumn. Climbing roses fall into two categories: true climbers, which need pruning in autumn or winter (February being the latest), and ramblers, which require light pruning now but should be trimmed after flowering.
Don's key advice includes cutting the weakest growth hardest and ensuring that a third of the oldest stems are removed annually for true climbers to encourage renewal. With these tips, gardeners can prepare their roses for a flourishing spring and summer.
