Summer Roses 2013

Dr. Hon & Others

10 July 2013

Dr. Hon: Dear all, Roses for our Canadian & US friends for their National Holidays.

Stella Tse: Thanks Dr. Hon - beautiful roses!

Philip Yan: Dr. Hon, these gorgeous Summer Roses,I bet, are not you’re your garden !

Dr. Hon: Philip, Oh, come on, it isn't fair to pull my legs like this. Of course they are roses from my own garden, ha ha! They are the results of blood, sweat and tears. I've pruned them twice before going to Portland in February and Malcolm, my gardener hard pruned them again in March, hence we've an excellent crop this year. Then there have been regular feeds and sprays to get rid of black spots. My hands are still covered with scratches from the thorns. 

Stella: Dr. Hon, my roses are doing better this year, partly because of your advice, to fertilize more often, I do that about once a week now.

But they can still do better, when you say pruning, how do you do it?

Philip: Dr. Hon, I don't know how to pull your legs, hehe ! My guess was made upon the fact that the big variety of species and the different dazzlingly splendid colors of roses beyond the garden enthusiast's expectations. Also,it couples with your long absence from home( staying overseas). It seems they are the one from the professional flower show. Your blood and tears are not in vain. They are rewarded in your Summer Roses. 賞花是樂事。Well done.

Stella, In the amateur garden seminar, I was told roses can stand ruthless pruning so that it saves the food to feed those redundant branches; the new shootings will be stronger too. This includes the trimming of those in-growing small twigs which will compete for the sun shine later. This is the theoretical aspect. However I'll leave the practical secrets for the expert who has a successful crop again(Dr. Hon) to reveal.

Dr. Hon: You are correct to say that there are a variety of species featured. Indeed there are all together eight/nine, from the three shrubs and the trellis in the attached photos. Of course, they are nowhere near professional standard, however it hasn't been a bad year despite the uneven rainfall and cold weather.

Stella, again, Philip is right about being ruthless in pruning roses. For shrub roses, I prune them right down to knee level to encourage vigorous new growth. Deadheading will help to produce a second crop. It's all try and error. Pruning won't kill roses, the harder you prune, the bushier they will grow back. 

BBC and the Royal Horticultural Society have web pages giving clear instructions on rose pruning:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/htbg/module5/how_to_prune_bush_roses1.shtml

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/AdviceSearch/profile.aspx?pid=186

Happy pruning!