The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 1 Winter 2012 | Page 22

In the rose garden

After pruning care
Pruning stimulates new growth. It is
therefore important to follow pruning
with an application of nutrients and
a good soaking to sustain optimum
shoot growth and flower production.
This also presents a good opportunity
to incorporate some compost and
decomposed manure into the soil.
Spread fertilizer, compost and manure
evenly over the soil surface and dig in to
a depth of 10 – 20cm. Apply a generous
mulch to cover the soil and water well
to drench the entire root zone.
To protect the new young shoots from
the risk of disease or infection, apply a
full cover spray with a broad-spectrum
fungicide, such as Dithane M45 or
Mancozeb.

Helpful tips
• The best time to prune is towards
the end of winter when average
daily temperatures start rising and
become favourable for new shoot
growth. In practice, anytime from mid
July to early August is usually good
– earlier in warm areas and later in
cold areas.
• Position the thin blade of your
secateurs above a selected bud and
make a clean slanting cut.
• Selecting outward facing buds to
cut down to is good practice but not
necessary.
• It is not generally necessary to seal
all the pruning wounds. However,
this may reduce the risk of infection
and is therefore good practice.
Use a water-soluble paint (PVA) for
this – bitumen based tree sealing
compounds are not recommended.
• Disinfect your secateurs before any
major pruning with Jik, Dettol or any
antiseptic. Remember prevention is
better than cure.

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