Gardening expert Monty Don has given his latest tips and advice for the end of September as the season changes and gardeners look to ensuring their plants bloom next year
September has always seen seasonal shift in the garden marked by new season and jobs to do.
Dawn comes later and dusk earlier before summer disappears by the end of the month, says garden expert Monty Don. He explains there has been a last flurry of roses after brief flowering which reminds gardeners that pruning must be done soon and time is of the essence it they want a “healthy display” next year. On his tips and advice blog Monty says: “I know that some gardeners are anxious about pruning roses but the many shrub varieties such as the gallicas, ‘english’ roses, albas or Hybrid Perpetuals are best simply trimmed with shears any time this month.
“Do not worry about the position or angle of the cuts but clip away all long, straggly shoots as though you were trimming a hedge, leaved a compact, slightly domed bush that is about two thirds of its former size.” He adds that “a simple shear in September is enough to keep it healthy and packed with flower next year.” The Mirror reported earlier how the 68-year-old shared his advice on his gardening blog and urged them to tackle the chore this month before the weather worsens.
He said: “Prune climbing roses. Climbing roses flower on shoots grown the same spring so they can be pruned hard now.” Pruning, he said was is vital if you want your roses to flourish. This involves removing dead and dying branches and stubs, making way for new growth. It can be done by getting rid of parts of the plant during the non-flowering season.
“Always use really sharp tools for pruning,” Monty said in an earlier post. “Not only does it make life much easier but it also makes for much cleaner cuts and therefore causes less damage to the plant, sharp tools are also much safer.” He added: “Always use a tool that is operating within its capacity, so never strain. Use loppers for stems too thick for easy cutting with secateurs and a sharp saw for anything that strains loppers.”
Monty emphasised the first crucial first steps to pruning climbing roses and said: “Start by removing any damaged or crossing growth or any very old wood which can be pruned right back to the ground. The main stems should be fanned out at an equidistance as horizontally as possible, tying them to wires or a trellis.
“Then all the side shoots growing from these main stems – which produced this year’s flowers – can be reduced to a short stub of a couple of leaves.” The cutting technique, he said was important: “The effect should be a tracery of largely horizontal growth with pruned side-shoots running along their length.”
