When to prune roses so they bloom for the Melbourne Cup

Roses run on a timetable, and once you know it you can make them flower almost to order. Here is the timetable, including the trick the Flemington gardeners use to have the roses blooming for the first Tuesday in November.

When should I prune roses in Australia?

Winter, while the plant is dormant. In most temperate areas that means June to early August. If you get hard frosts, wait until late July or early August so the tender new growth that follows pruning does not get burnt. In frost-free subtropical areas any time across winter works.

Winter pruning is the big annual haircut. It clears out the old wood and sets the bush up to throw strong new stems, and it is those new stems that carry the spring flush.

How do I get roses to flower for the Melbourne Cup?

Prune 56 days before you want the flowers. Roses take roughly eight weeks from a cut to an open bloom, so count back eight weeks from the date you are aiming at. Melbourne Cup day is the first Tuesday in November, which puts the prune in the first week of September. Take off the spent growth and any thin twiggy stems, and the bush pushes out a fresh flush that opens right on race week.

The same sum works for any date. A wedding in the garden, Christmas lunch, a milestone birthday: count back 56 days and prune then.

How do I prune a rose bush properly?

• Use clean, sharp secateurs. Blunt blades crush stems instead of cutting them.
• Take out anything dead, damaged or diseased first, cutting back to healthy wood.
• Remove stems that cross through the middle. You are aiming for an open vase shape that lets air move through the bush.
• Shorten what is left by about a third to a half, cutting 5mm above an outward-facing bud. The new stem grows the way the bud points.
• Strip off any leaves left on the bush and clear fallen leaves from around the base. That is where black spot waits out the winter.

What do roses need after pruning?

Feed, mulch and water. A handful of rose food or well-rotted manure around the drip line, a fresh layer of mulch kept clear of the stem, and a deep drink to set it all working. The bush does the rest.

Can you grow roses in a raised garden bed?

Yes, and there are two real advantages. Roses hate wet feet, and a raised bed filled with premium potting mix drains the way they like it. Pruning is also far kinder on your back at waist height, because secateurs beat stooping every time. Compact and patio varieties suit our 41cm deep beds best. Give a full-sized shrub rose the deepest bed you can and it will reward you for years.

What else can go in this month?

Roses are only part of the picture. Our Garden Calendar shows what suits your climate zone right now, from your postcode, and our raised garden bed builder will size a bed to the spot you have in mind.

Bring the garden up to you.