I recently moved into my first home, and I've got two rose bushes that are seriously overgrown—about 7 to 8 feet tall and blooming nicely, but lots of branches are protruding and even leaning into my neighbor's garden. I want to trim them back but I'm worried about losing the flowers. I read that autumn is a good time for pruning, but I'm not sure if that means now or later in the season. If I cut them down to half their current height, would that be too much? Also, some stems seem half-dead, but there's new growth on them; should I remove those or leave them be? Plus, I've got a lot of weeds around the base. Can I just put mulch directly on the soil, or should I layer plastic sheeting down first? Any additional tips for keeping the roses healthy would be really appreciated!
1 Answer
For mulch, you can just put it straight on the soil. Normally, I'd recommend using paper or cardboard under the mulch to reduce weeds, but since you’ve just moved in, you might not know about any spring bulbs that could pop up. I'd suggest waiting until next year for that. Your roses sound beautiful—enjoy them!