A rose's reputation for being fussy mostly comes down to two jobs done at the wrong time of year — get the timing right and they're remarkably forgiving.
Roses are the classic UK garden shrub, and their care splits into two very different jobs: a hard structural prune while dormant in winter, and light, repeated deadheading through the flowering season to keep blooms coming. Feeding as new growth begins in spring supports both.
Sowing & growing calendar
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feed | Feed in March | Feed in April | ||||||||||
| Prune | Prune in January | Prune in February | Prune in March | |||||||||
| Protect | Protect in October | Protect in November | ||||||||||
| Job | Job in May | Job in June | Job in July | Job in August | Job in September |
Care details
- Prune January – March
Prune bush roses hard while still dormant, any time from midwinter to early spring.
- Feed March – April
Feed with a rose fertiliser as new growth begins.
- Job May – September
Deadhead spent blooms right through the flowering season to keep more coming.
- Protect October – November
Mound soil around the base in exposed gardens before hard frosts.
Growing tips & common problems
- Cut to an outward-facing bud when pruning, to keep the centre of the plant open and airy.
- Water at the base rather than overhead — wet foliage overnight is the main cause of black spot and mildew.
- Deadhead right through summer; a spent bloom left in place signals the plant to stop producing new ones.
Grows well with
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