It's rose-pruning season

TIMING: WITH FLOWERS LOOKING TIRED, TASK BECOMES A LOT EASIER

- Ludwig Taschner

In most regions, the window for pruning roses opens mid-July and closes in the first week of August, except in very cold areas like the Eastern Free State and Underberg when pruning can be delayed until the end of August.

But what if the roses are still flowering? It's no problem to delay pruning until early August, but then you have to steel yourself to prune. The last roses can go into the vase.

Delaying pruning later than that means the flush in October will be delayed as well, and nobody wants that. By the end of July winter really has us in its grip and most roses are looking tired, which makes it easier to prune. Stems are bare, leaves are turning yellow and blooms are few and far between.

For gardeners who like a neat and tidy garden, it is satisfying to see a neatly pruned rose bed with the soil newly worked over.