What are Bush and Shrub Roses

Bush and shrub roses are totally winter hardy and grow to a compact size of around 60-90cm making them easily manageable. Repeat flowering from May to October each year, they are incredibly easy to grow and will provide a mass of flowers in varying shapes and sizes against bushy, glossy green foliage. The pure mass of flowers and dense foliage makes them ideal for use as small hedges or screening and, as with lots of other roses, they can be cut to bring inside and create stunning displays in vases on the windowsill.

Bush & Shrub Rose Care information

When planting, it is often best to use a Rose & Shrub Feed instead of Fish Blood & Bone, although either will do. Roses should be planted about 1-1.2m (3-4ft) apart, although they can be pruned to size quite easily. You should prune roses annually in early spring, before the new growth starts. Remove old and thin stems, cutting them down by about 60%, using good quality secateurs. Full details on how to do this are below.

Start by removing any dead or diseased stems. You can do this with a pair of secateurs, loppers or shears. If there are any stems that are weak or spindly, you should remove them first, as they can rob energy from the bush.

Next, determine which stems need to be trimmed back. Generally, you want to keep the overall shape of the bush intact and aim to cut back no more than one-third of the plant. Having said this, don’t be afraid to be quite brutal, as any growth trimmed off will grow back as part of the plant's natural cycle. Use sharp shears to make clean, angled cuts.

Small leaves on the plant usually indicate a lack of nutrients in the compost, so don’t be afraid to get rid as this will help encourage new, better growth, and keep the plant looking healthy. When it comes to standard roses, you will want to prune so that the foliage is in a lollipop shape.

When should I prune my roses?

As a general rule, the best time to prune roses is between late winter and early spring.This will give them enough time to establish new growth ahead of the main growing season.

However, this is not always the case and if it doubt, it is always best to consult the care instructions provided with the plant or on our website. In our video below, Peter shows you how to prune your roses. 

Aftercare for Bush & Shrub Roses

If your rose is in a tub or pot, you should repot the plant every couple of years.  Your pot should be around 40 - 45cm diameter and deep. To do this simply turn it upside down and ease the root ball out of the pot. Trimming any long trailing roots that you see is a good idea as this will encourage the plant to make new, more fibrous roots.

When you are done, then add a little bit of fresh compost to the bottom of the pot. Some people at this stage like to add a bit of gravel or broken slate at the bottom to provide a bit of excess drainage. However, this is not necessary with modern composts such as premium professional varieties. Whatever you decide to add, when you are done, place the plant root ball back in the pot.

Push some fresh compost down the sides so that the plant stands nice and straight. Then add a bit of compost on top and pat this down; don’t firm it up too much though, you don’t want to stop water from finding its way down to the roots.

An optional step is to add mulch on top. This is not absolutely necessary but will protect the roots from frost in winter, ensure that the roots stay nice and moist in drier times of the year and dissuade weeds from growing.

Finally, give the plant a good watering so that the soil is damp but not soaking.