Rose care guide: September

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Your roses should be growing fast and will need plenty of water and food to support their growth

 

From the middle of September the main task is finger or pinch pruning (see box, right). This encourages new basal growth, green leaves and root development. It spreads out the flowering cycle so that there is an almost continual supply of roses instead of one of two main flushes.

Sunset Panarosa

 This only applies to hybrid teas; as there is more leaf mass on climbers, shrub, groundcover roses, miniatures and larger cluster flowering floribundas they don’t require pinch pruning for a better performance.

Watering: Increase watering to at least twice a week. Make sure the beds are mulched to conserve water.

Fertilising: Support the increased growth with an application of Ludwig’s Vigorosa or other rose fertilisers. Apply 30g Ludwig’s Vigorosa per rose bush and 60g for climbers.

Pest and Disease Control: Apply Koinor or Merit as a drench around the roses if this was not done in August. Since this will not control fungus diseases start a fortnightly spray regimen with Ludwig’s Insect Spray and Chronos, Rose Protector or Fungi Free.

Other tasks: Disbud hybrid teas by removing the side buds so the main bloom is strengthened. Remove the central bud from candelabras to ensure an even head of flowers. Check the stakes and ties of standard roses.