SUMMER TRIMMING - Part 1

Articles In This Section:

· SUMMER TREATMENT

· WATERSHOOTS

· WATERING

· MANURING

· SUMMER TRIMMING - Part 1

· SUMMER TRIMMING - Part 2

· CARE OF CLIMBERS

In Melbourne, roses trimmed about 14th February will usually be in full bloom in mid-April, about eight weeks later. This trimming is commonly called "summer pruning", "summer trimming", or "autumn timing". Roses grown in very light soils respond to the stimulation of watering and manuring more quickly than those in heavy soils. Consequently they should be trimmed a day or so later-say 17th February instead of 14th February. The accuracy of the timing will depend on the date of the trimming and on the season. In an average season, pruning done four or five days earlier will cause blooming about a week earlier, and pruning done four or five days later will correspondingly delay the blooming. If the season is warmer than the average, the blooming will be earlier than expected, and vice versa, but one can never forsee such variations.

The heavier types of roses, such as Frau Karl Druschki, Molly Bligh, Crimson Glory, Sir Henry Segrave, Mrs Charles Lamplough, and Mother's Day, mature and open more slowly than average types. They should be trimmed two to four days earlier than the others. On the contrary most Pernetianas and very light-petalled varieties mature quickly, and so should be trimmed two to four days later than the others. If you have several plants of the one variety it is well to attempt to spread the blooming period by pruning some of them two or three days earlier than the time appropriate to the variety, some on the normal day, and some two or three days later still.

If you desire your main crop of blooms between : 2th April and 19th April you should prune on or about 14th February; a day or two on either side is of no great consequence. If the blooming is to be planned for 5th to 12th April, the pruning day should be about 10th or nth February. If the flush is desired between 19th and 26th April, the pruning should be done about 19th or 20th February. In climates warmer than that of Melbourne, the interval between the trimming and the blooming will be shorter, or the dates chosen for shows will be later, and vice versa. Melbourne's autumn rose show is held near mid-April and Perth's is held near the middle of May.

Many people are afraid to summer-trim their roses because they have never seen it done. They should not attempt the process without fully realizing that it is vastly different from winter pruning. The whole thing is very simple if people would only curb their desire to cut, and cut, and still cut. It is hard enough to curb them in July, which is pruning time. This is only trimming time, and the term summer pruning is very misleading. All the cutting required is that each shoot be treated as if it had a bloom on it, and one were gathering a bunch of roses.