Hi due to lockdown my roses have not been pruned. Can I do this in early September? I realise that this is not ideal but is it more beneficial to prune late or leave it altogether?

Hi Brandon, yes, you can prune your roses in September, but the sooner the better as they will be bursting into life in warmer regions now we are into spring. It is better to do it than leave them because you can remove criss-crossing branches and stems, remove weak, dead, or diseased wood and create an open framework to improve air circulation around the rose to reduce the incidence and diseases. Prune to an outward facing bud, approximately five buds up from ground level, make sure you use clean sharp tools to make clean cuts and cuts should be sloping downwards from the bud at a 45 degree angle. Feed your roses at the same time, Tui Novatec is a great fertiliser for roses, and add fresh organic matter to the soil, such as Tui Compost, or Tui Mulch & Feed, this helps replenish the soil with nutrients as well. Lianne, Tui Team.