Gardeners must do 5 'simple' jobs now to keep roses 'alive and thriving' this autumn

Those who are a fan of roses will adore the vibrant hues that they bring to garden spaces. Nevertheless, throughout the autumn and winter periods, maintaining these plants can prove challenging for many gardeners across Britain.

Graham Smith, a horticultural specialist from LBS Horticulture, has revealed how homeowners can care for their roses during the autumn season. Smith has outlined five essential gardening tasks that people must complete to prevent roses from contracting diseases and perishing.

By following these straightforward measures, roses will survive and flourish outdoors throughout the colder periods.

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Let's examine these five gardening responsibilities in greater detail, reports the Express.

Trim withered blooms

Roses can start to look a little lacklustre during the colder months of year.

Smith recommended: "Cut off any shrivelled flowers from roses before rot occurs. If you have a rose variety that produces hips, only remove the petals so that the hips are able to keep developing."

Eliminate leaves

As summer is gone, rose leaves tend to wilt and not look as green as they should be.

The garden expert said: "Remove any foliage that is showing signs of disease, such as black spots or mildew. Gather any infected leaves that have fallen onto the ground and dispose of these, as they can carry diseases over through the seasons."

Relocate roses

Smith explained: "If you have any roses in your garden that are in the wrong position, autumn is the ideal time to transplant roses.

"You can also try to plant new roses (provided that the ground has not frozen over or become waterlogged) so that they have enough time to establish before winter, and it can possibly increase the number of flowers that they will produce in their first year.

"For shrub roses, prune out any dead, damaged or overcrossing stems. Prune the plant with the aim of leaving behind an open-centred framework, as this will allow for good airflow through your rose.

"If your shrub rose is under two years old, then you should cut the plant back to around thirty centimetres above the ground. If the plant is over two years old, reduce its size by half and remove all of the foliage.

"For tall rose bushes, shorten the stems to reduce wind rock from any harsh winter gales, as otherwise this can loosen or damage the roots of the plants. Aim to cut just above an outward-facing bud where possible, and reduce the height of the rose by roughly a third.

"If you have standard roses, thin out the heads, as strong winds can catch these and potentially snap them off in storms. You can prune these in the same way as shrub roses, and any shoots that have appeared from the main trunk should be cut right back.

"If any suckers have appeared at the base of the trunk, these will also need to be cut back as much as possible.

"Young climbing rose plants do not need to be as aggressively pruned as older plants, and should only be pruned back by a couple of inches to encourage new growth.

"Mature plants should have their previous season's growth cut back to around a few inches above the main stem. If you have rambling roses, these do not need much pruning and only need to have their shoots thinned out if necessary to maintain their height and spread."

Mulching

Smith shared: "Although spring is the best time to mulch roses, it can also be applied during autumn if they have not been mulched before or the mulch has all disappeared," Smith explained.

"Ensure that the ground is free of debris, and then apply the mulch in a thick layer (between five to ten centimetres thick) around the base of the plant. Ideal materials to use for mulching include well-rotted manure, leaf mould or compost."

Cuttings

The expert shared that "late autumn" is a good time to take any hardwood cuttings from your roses to create new plants.

He said: "Select a healthy stem on the parent rose, ideally one that is eight inches long and has at least two buds at each end of the cutting.

"This is because one bud will provide the leaves for the new plant, with the other bud becoming the roots. Make a clean, slanted cut above the top bud and another at the bottom, before removing any leaves from the cutting.

"Place the cutting into a pot of soil, and water and then store over winter in a greenhouse, ensuring that you water it every few weeks. If the cuttings look as though they have been successful in spring, they can be planted out in May or June."