July is the time to undertake your rose pruning in your Gold Coast garden. You may find that some of your roses are still flowering, but this is the time of year when you need to be ‘cruel to be kind’, to maximize spring flowering.
Make sure you use sharp secateurs and that they are sterilized to mitigate the spread of disease.
Ensure you remove all clippings from site and rake up spent leaves on the ground, as this will stop fungal spores overwintering and infecting your bushes, when the conditions are warmer.
A protective spray of Lime Sulphur, on the bare branches and on the ground, will help with scale control and fungal disease. The smell is a little off putting, but does a great clean up job. Always ensure that you only spray on dormant plants, as the higher concentration used in Winter can burn evergreen shrubs. It is prudent to give the bushes another follow up spray in a fortnight’s time. Once the spring flush arrives, you will need to keep up the spray regime, to control pests and diseases.
Aphids have still been evident on the roses (see below), so be vigilant, as this pest can spread virus and get out of hand very quickly. Pyrethrum, or Confidor give good control.
At the end of August star your fertilizing regime, as roses are gross feeders and thrive on plenty of food and water.
Put on your gumboots this weekend and start your rose pruning, it will be Spring before you know it!