Pruning Roses

Kathryn Bradley-Hole encourages gardeners not to be shy of cutting their bush roses quite fiercely, for a hard prune at this time of year will encourage strong growth.

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Using clean, sharp secateurs, remove all dead, damaged or diseased stems, and cut away the thin, spindly twigs. Remember that hard pruning encourages strong growth, so cut back weak shoots hard, cutting above an outward-facing bud and leaving about 2½cm of last year's growth. On stronger stems, leave about 5-7½cm of last year's growth.

Shrub roses require less radical pruning than some other roses. Using a pruning saw, take out about one third of the oldest and thickest branches at their base. Tidy up the remaining stems by using your secateurs to trim off the top of the shrub, and reduce the stems' height by about 10cm.

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