After the main flowering fertilize roses

Opinions on the right way to prune roses are as varied as they are - often - hotly disputed. But at least as far as the right time is concerned, there is a simple, quite objective rule from the Phenological Garden Calendar (which can be used to set dates for regular gardening work based on natural phenomena): Roses are pruned in the spring, when the forsythia bloom.

In autumn there is still some work to be done in the rose bed: To protect the grafting site from severe frosts, mounding is done and, where necessary, long shoots are shortened somewhat.

Many wild roses such as apple, potato or dog rose produce rose hips after flowering, which ripen in late summer and autumn. The rose fruits have a very high vitamin C content and can be processed fresh into delicious jam, juice or puree and dried into refreshing and healing tea.