July 2010
A fresh start
By Ludwig Taschner

Winter pruning marks the end of the rose year. Instead of regarding it as a chore, rather see it as a fresh start, a way of preparing the roses for a successful new season.
The kind of performance you want from your roses is the deciding factor when choosing whether to prune lightly, moderately or severely. Keep the pruning process simple and don’t complicate it by worrying about cutting to an outward growing bud, what angle the cut should be or painting each cut with a sealant. Regardless of which way you cut, the rose itself will decide where it is going to sprout.

When to prune
There is generally a six-week window for pruning, from mid July through to the end of August. There are, however, regional differences in temperature so refer to the guide below for the optimum time for pruning in your area.

Summer rainfall areas – mainly Gauteng, Mpumalanga Highveld, North West and parts of the Northern Cape, Free State and Limpopo
Prune from July 16 until August 7, except in cold, low-lying areas where the procedure can be delayed until mid August.

Very cold summer rainfall areas – eastern Free State and southern Drakensberg areas like Underberg and Kokstad
Delay pruning until the middle or end of August. If the roses are pruned early there is the chance that they could shoot during a warm spell and this new growth will be tender to late frost.

Warm, frost free areas – Lowveld, coastal KwaZulu-Natal and Rustenburg region
Roses in these areas can grow and flower through winter if fertilised, sprayed and watered regularly. The roses can be trimmed in September when the days are getting longer and before the summer heat starts. If they have grown too tall pruning can take place in early August and they will be in bloom again by mid September.

Winter rainfall areas – from Cape Town to East London
The best time to prune is in the second half of July and this can be extended into early August. If you are going to be away until the end of August then rather prune before you go. If your roses are still flowering well delay it to the end of July.

A quick refresher
This guide refers to hybrid tea, floribunda and the bush types of the English and nostalgia roses. The methods can also be applied to standard roses, but bear in mind that you only prune the bushy growth that has been budded onto the ‘standard’ stem. Miniature and groundcover roses simply need to be shaped and tidied up with hedge clippers.
l Light pruning is best for bushes that are spaced far apart or growing in difficult compacted soil in a shady position or with tallish companion plants surrounding them. Cut the rose bush back to a height of between 80 cm and 1 metre, leaving several side stems on the main branches. Remove all the leaves. This forces the development of new leaves, which will give power to the roots.
l Medium Pruning is for gardeners who feel that their roses need more pruning than light pruning but that severe pruning is too extreme. Cut the rose bush back to between 80 cm and 1 metre. Inspect the remaining growth to see which main stems (this season’s growth) or branches (two years or older growth) should remain. Select three or four suitable stems and reduce their length by a further 10 to 20 cm. Remove or shorten the remaining side stems and forks.

l Severe Pruning is suitable for roses planted very close together, or those that grew very tall last season. This is also the best method for floribunda roses (except ‘Iceberg’). A word of warning though: only prune the bushes severely if you intend enriching the soil after pruning and if you will follow a regular programme of watering and fertilising during the growing season. If you know that your roses only receive sporadic attention then they should not be severely pruned because they will not rejuvenate satisfactorily afterwards. Rather opt for light pruning. Cut the rose back as you would for light and moderate pruning but then shorten the remaining stems to 40 cm. Remove or shorten remaining side stems and forks.
l After pruning: pull off all the leaves. Dig over the beds to the depth of 20 cm incorporating last season’s mulch and additional quantities of organics (homemade compost, if possible, and even some composted or decomposed pig or chicken manure). Bone meal or superphosphate and Vigorosa can also be mixed in. Water very well after digging over the beds and keep on watering at least weekly until September, when the watering cycle should be increased.

Ludwig will be giving pruning demonstrations throughout July; the details are contained in the advert below.