March 2025
Tackle rose tasks for beautiful blooms
If you love your roses, now is the time to tackle a few tasks.
For those who haven’t already done so, then a good prune is in order.
Bush roses (which include floribundas and hybrid teas) can be cut back hard every year as they produce many flowers on new growth.
Modern shrub & English roses need an established framework of branching stems to flower well in summer. Very hard pruning of these will result in lots of leafy growth and not so many flowers.
Rambling roses are the exception, these should be pruned in the summer.
Here’s a few ‘best practice’ tips to observe:
Prune out the three D’s - Dead, Diseased & Damaged wood.
Cut to an outward facing bud for bush and standard roses to encourage an open centred shape.
Cuts should be no more than approx. 5mm above a bud and should slope downwards and away from the bud.
Make sure the cuts are clean to minimise chances of disease.
Clear away any previous rose debris from around the base.
Apply either a liquid or granular rose fertiliser around the base. Do not exceed the manufacturers dose.
Start feeding your roses now, when you see new growth appearing. This will give them a great start to the season.
Mulch around the base of the plant with garden compost or manure.
If using a liquid feed, then apply every couple of weeks during spring & summer.
Apply a granular feed again in summer, after the first flowers fade to encourage more blooms.
Watering your roses during a dry spell will help reduce stress (well, we all need to keep hydrated)!
Springtime lawn care
Now that the weather’s warming up and the grass is growing, it’s a good opportunity to prepare and re-seed any bare patches that you may have noticed over winter.
You may or may not have even got the first cut of the year in - but remember to keep blades high at first.
A spring feed will give your lawn a great start to the growing season - always follow manufacturers application advice. Apply evenly and water in if rain is not expected.
Spring is also a great time to get rid of any lawn undesirables such as moss, weeds or thatch.
For any bare patches that need re-seeding, rake over the area and apply top soil to level the ground. Sow according to packet instructions (seed is available for various conditions). Water in well and ensure any larger areas are netted to deter those pesky pigeons!
Depending on your gardening style, you may like to redefine lawn edges for a neat effect and to stop grass creeping into borders.
