Keeping Your Roses Happy

Ruth makes sure her plants stay healthy into autumn

- Ruth Hayes

TIP -You can plant containerised roses now if you really want to or have to, but it’s better to wait and buy bare root between November and late February.

SO far it has been a really good year for our roses. They have suffered from less blackspot than in previous years, and have grown and flowered beautifully.

I think the reason for their success is largely down to a more consistent care regime during winter and early spring. A large, old floribunda was cut right back to ankle height (with some trepidation, I must admit, as it seemed rather drastic!), but it produced lots of strong new shoots as a result.

Two other border roses, a climber and a bush, were potted up over winter, and their soil renewed and replenished lots of well-rotted manure before replanting. They had suffered badly from blackspot in previous years, but have barely been touched with it this year.