Get Ready For Summer

Good Idea in Plantation.

- Ludwig Taschner

1 Secure the standard roses

The August winds can easily snap the heads off of standard roses if they are not secure. Make sure the stake is tall enough so that the end reaches into the crown. The ideal stake has a T-bar at the top, to which the crown can be tied to avoid any twisting. I like to use strips of shade cloth that are wrapped all the way up into the crown and secured. You can also use strips of pantyhose or any broad tying material, but not wire or cable ties, which can eventually strangle the stem. Make quite sure that the ties are not too tight.

2 Tidy up climbing roses

Climbing roses flower best on the previous season’s growth so they don’t need pruning back as other roses do. Banksia roses and some heritage roses only flower in spring, so they should only be trimmed after flowering.