Garden Q&A: Should we prune roses still flowering in winter?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

My roses are still flowering; should I prune them now or wait?

ANSWER

Roses can be given their annual haircut any time during the winter months, which means that you can cut them back from now until the end of February or early March. 

However, if you still have some blooms and it is not unusual to still have some roses in flower at Christmas, then why not leave them and enjoy them for now? 

Once the last of the blooms have passed, then cut them back and they will benefit from being cut back hard, leaving three or four main stems all facing out from the centre of the bush. 

Remove any crossing branches to ensure good air circulation through the plant and thus reduce the risk of fungal diseases next year.   

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