Garden Q&A: Is it too late to prune my roses in February?

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

They will benefit from being cut back quite hard, ideally before the end of February. File pictures

Can I still prune my roses in February or is it too late?

ANSWER

No, it's not too late and even if it was, I would still recommend pruning as the old saying “better late than never” is certainly accurate when it comes to pruning roses.

 They will benefit from being cut back quite hard, ideally before the end of February. 

Prune back to a node which will be quite obvious on the bare stems.

It’s best to prune to an outward-facing node so that when it does burst into growth, the new shoot will be growing outwards and not into the centre of the plant. 

If the branches start growing inwards then this leads to congestion in the plant and crossing branches. This in turn creates the perfect situation for fungal infections to develop as there is poor air circulation. 

Furthermore, the crossing branches can rub against each other causing wounds on the stems, again another opportunity for infection to take hold.

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