Category: Shrubs and Roses

  • Young trees, shrubs, hedges and roses can suffer during a dry spell in early summer. Most of these recover when rain arrives but others can remain affected. These should be watered heavily to get water down to the roots.
  • Watering should be carried out about once every week or ten days if the conditions remain dry at the root. Very often, people notice the trees wilting and water them but do not apply enough to penetrate to the roots. The same happens with showers of rain that are not heavy enough to penetrate, but at least the plants get moisture through the leaves too.
  • Take summer cuttings of shrubs, including clematis and roses.
  • Check all young trees, shrubs and roses for signs of drought.
  • In dry weather, any plant put in during the past year might struggle for moisture as they may not yet have rooted out into the soil properly. Young hedges can be affected very quickly and standard trees too.
  • Early summer shrubs, such as weigela, broom and deutzia, that are finished flowering should be pruned now if this is necessary. If there is room for them to grow, they should be left to make size.
  • Spray roses for blackspot and leaf spot but only if the foliage is wet for a full day or two at a time.
  • Check tree lupins, birch, Japanese maples and honeysuckle for aphids, which can cause severe die-back of these plants.
  • Roses are beginning to flower – all the early kinds of climbers and ramblers will be already in bloom and the bush roses in beds start a little later.
  • Continue to spray roses against blackspot disease if the foliage is wet for spells longer than 12 hours.
  • Continue to tie in the new shoots of climbing roses so that they will be in the correct position for training later.
  • Young trees and shrubs should be checked for signs of drought, even if the weather is damp.
  • Sometimes newly planted trees and shrubs take off immediately, but it often happens that they do not get a great start, are slow to root out and are then very vulnerable to drought.
  • These trees do not die right away but fail to make enough reserves in summer to survive the following winter and die at that point.
  • Control weeds and grass around the base of youg trees to double the growth rate.
  • Continue to spray roses against blackspot disease, especially in the damper parts of the country, after wet weather.
  • Continue to spray roses against blackspot disease, especially in the damper parts of the country, and after wet weather.
  • Continue to tie in the new shoots of climbing roses so that they will be in the correct position for training later and are safely out of the way.
  • Even if it rains, young trees and shrubs planted in the last twelve months can be suffering from moisture shortage due to inability of the roots to take water. Water if the leaves are small and sparse.
  • Being to take cuttings of soft wood of current season’s growth of fuchsia, clematis and other shrubs.
  • If it is necessary to reduce the size of shrubs, ‘prune’ them as soon as they have gone out of flower.
  • Check that recently planted trees and shrubs are securely staked, if necessary, and have not run short of water. They are not out of danger until they have made some new growth at the branch tips.
  • Check Japanese maples for greenflies and also chestnut scale on the branches and control these with insecticide if large numbers are present, as both can cause severe dieback of branches.
  • Spray roses regularly against blackspot disease, especially in the damper parts of the country after wet weather.
  • Clip vigorous hedges such as privet, lonicera and Cotoneaster lacteus.
  • Continue to tie in the new shoots of climbing roses as they grow, for saftery reasons too.
  • Prune early summer shrubs as they go out of flower, if necessary, such as broom and weigela. Broom can be pruned by cutting back the flowered shoots to with in about 5cm immediately after flowering.
  • Otherwise, thin out shrubs rather than shorten back every branch. Thinning of branches achieves a size reduction but does not change the shape of the shrub or interferes with flowering too much.
  • Continue to prune spring shrubs as they go out of flower, if are growing too big and dont delay any further with forsythia, flowering currant, kerria and spring spirea.
  • Tie in the new shoots of climbing roses so that they will be in the correct position for training later.
  • Continue to spray roses against blackspot disease, especially in the damper parts of the country and after wet weather.
  • Water recently planted trees and shrubs in dry spells to encourage rooting out in to the surrounding soil.
  • Blackspot disease of roses can be very damaging, especially in the damper parts of the country and after wet weather.
  • Prune spring shrubs as they go out of flower, such as forsythia, flowering currant, kerria and spring spirea, but only if necessary, if the plants are getting too big for the position in which they are growing, or if they are becoming mis-shapen.
  • The pruning should remove the older shoots of shrubs and allow new wood to take their place.
  • Water young trees and hedging if there is a dry spell.
  • Continue to spray rose bushes against blackspot disease, especially before and after wet weather.
  • All young trees should be checked for water shortage, which can occur even with plenty of rain as it does not always reach the roots. Signs are listless small leaves and slow growth.
  • Control weeds and grass at the base of young trees to remove competition – young trees need weed-free conditions for about five years.
  • Ensure a weed-free circle of at least one metre diameter. This can be achieved with old carpet, plastic or suitable weedkillers.
  • Watch roses for a build-up of damaging numbers of greenflies, and spray for blackspot disease in wet weather if it was a problem last year.
  • Check the ties on all staked trees to ensure they are not too tight before new season expansion.
  • Recently planted trees, shrubs and hedges need to be checked for water shortage and will need to be watered during dry spells that last for more than five days.
  • Clip hedges that were not clipped earlier and those that have made early growth.
  • Spring shrubs, such as forsythia, kerria and spring spirea, should be pruned as they go out of flower, if necessary, but if there is plenty of space, let them grow.
  • Roses need regular spraying against blackspot disease which destroys the leaves. This is a key time to prevent the infection of the new foliage.
  • Check that young trees and shrubs planted last autumn and in recent months are beginning to show signs of growth and make sure they do not dry out in a dry spell, or have been rocked by winds. If this is the case, firm them well and use a stake it necessary.
  • Check the ties on wall shrubs to ensure they are not too tight as the shoots expand during the growing season.
  • Check newly planted trees and shrubs, which are breaking bud and trying to leaf out, to ensure they are not short of water and water heavily to reach the roots.
  • Spring-flowering shrubs, such as forsythia and flowering currant should be pruned as they go out of flower, if it is necessary to shape them or they are out-growing their space.
  • Roses will need regular spraying against blackspot disease to protect the new leaves.
  • It is now too late to move any shrub or young tree within the garden. Only container-grown trees or shrubs should be planted now.
  • Prune rose bushes without delay, as growth is underway.
  • Spray roses against rose blackspot disease if they are not resistant vareities.
  • Plant broad-leaved and coniferous evergreens now when the sap is rising and they will root quickly, but be sure to give a good watering at planting and in dry spells in the next few months.
  • Pot on any cuttings of trees and shrubs taken last summer and autumn if they are showing new growth.
  • Check young trees and shrubs planted in the last 12 months for water shortage, especially in dry spells.
  • There are still a couple of weeks left for planting root-balled evergreens, as most kinds will be coming into growth.
  • Water young trees and shrubs, as necessary, until they are settled in and making active growth.
  • The new growth on bush roses and repeat-flowering climbers should be sprayed against blackspot disease.
  • Magnolias can be planted now in flower as the roots are active about the same time. These are all sold in pots nowadays but a small palnt could be moved now too.
  • Check all young trees and shrubs planted since last autumn to ensure they have not been wind-rocked, or the stems rubbed against the soil and stake or tie as necessary.
  • Water young trees if the weather turns dry. Give a heavy watering at about 15 to 25 litres per plant when the leaves are expanding, and repeat if necessary.
  • Trees and shrubs in pots might need watering in dry weather.
  • Evergreens can still be planted as the sap is not rising yet.
  • Bush roses and repeat-flowering climbers should be sprayed now against blackspot disease if they have some foliage.
  • Bush roses and repeat-flowering climbers have been growing for some time and if they are not resistant to rose blackspot disease, as most varieties are not, they should be sprayed with a rose fungicide.
  • Pruning should still be carried out if not completed.
  • Rootballed evergreens can be planted as the sap rises over the next two or three weeks and watered afterwards.
  • Check all young trees and shrubs planted since last autumn to ensure they are not being wind-rocked and water if the weather turns dry.
  • If deciduous trees or shrubs are to be moved, this needs to be done in the next two weeks, or it must left until next winter. Bare-root planting of deciduous trees now is an increasing risk and will more than likely need a lot of watering in the early summer.
  • However, evergreens, both broad-leaved and coniferous, can be planted as the sap rises over the next two or three weeks. Water well at planting and watch closely for watering, especially in dry weather.
  • Bush roses and repeat-flowering climbers are in growth by now and should be pruned immediately, if not already done.
  • Although growth has begun, rose bushes can still be planted, but only from pots.
  • Apply a dressing of rose fertilizer to all bush and climbing roses. Manure and rich compost tend to make soft growth with an increase in blackspot disease.
  • Evergreen trees and shrubs, both broad-leaved and coniferous types, can be planted or moved as the sap rises over the coming month or so.
  • A good watering at planting and two weeks later is usually all they need, but young trees and shrubs need to be watched during early summer dry spells.
  • Deciduous trees will soon break bud in some cases and that spells the end of the bare-root planting season but pot-grown plants can still be planted, of course.
  • Check all young plants planted in recent months and re-firm them in the ground, if necessary.
  • Bush roses and repeat-flowering climbers are leafing up now and should be pruned in the next two weeks, if not already done.
  • Rose bushes can still be planted too, from pots.
  • Apply some rose fertilizer to all bush and climbing roses.
  • Deciduous trees begin to swell buds about now and the sooner they are planted the better as they run a increasing risk of failure.
  • In an early year, the closing date on planting bare-root trees will need to be brought forward accordingly to avoid a lot of watering.
  • More time is available still with evergreens.
  • Bush roses and repeat-flowering climbers should be pruned in the next two weeks, if not already done.
  • Rose bushes can still be planted, from pots ideally, as the new shoots are already started.
  • Check that young trees are securely tied against spring gales so they do not get rocked in the ground.
  • Check that young trees have not formed a fork with rival lead shoots – remove one shoot if necessary.
  • Bush roses normally show some growth by now and they, and repeat-flowering climbers, should be pruned in the next two weeks, if not already done.
  • Rose bushes can be planted at any time. Most roses sold now have been potted up – they cost a bit more but get off to a better start.

 

  • Finish planting any bare-root or root-balled deciduous trees in shelter belts or hedges within the next month if the ground has dried out sufficiently – aim to get it done before the middle of March.
  • Any deciduous trees or shrubs to be moved should be lifted soon. There is still plenty of time with evergreens.
  • Bush roses and repeat-flowering climbers should be pruned in the next two weeks, if not already done.
  • Rose bushes can still be planted from pots.
  • Bush roses, and repeat-flowering climbers, should be pruned in the next two weeks, if not already done.
  • Deciduous tree planting can continue if the ground is not too wet.
  • Deciduous trees and shrubs can be moved at this time, if they were planted in the wrong place – even quite large shrubs move well mostly.
  • Gather fallen twigs that may have blown from trees during gales.
  • Hedges that have grown too tall or too wide can be cut back hard to old wood now, but not cypresses as these do not re-sprout.
  • If deciduous hedges such as beech were not clipped since the ideal time in late July, this must be done at any time up the start of bud break.
  • If bare-root trees have been purchased, and the ground is too wet for planting, the trees can be kept for weeks before planting by being heeled in to a trench, after opening out the bundles so that all the plants have access to the soil.
  • Rose bushes and repeat-flowering climbers can be pruned now.
  • After gales, check all trees and shrubs for signs of wind-rocking, whether staked or not.
  • If a young tree, a few years planted, has been knocked sideways, but not quite out of the ground, it is sometimes possible to straighten it up. First dig out the soil under the lifted roots to allow them to fall back into position. Then pull or push the tree back into position and anchor it with three steel wires or cables, or prop it up with three posts.
  • The lower branches of garden trees can be pruned up to allow light to plants underneath. Rose bushes can be pruned at any time.
  • Any tree pruning that needs to be carried out can be done now, but not the cherry family.