Rose 'Iceberg' in February: monthly care

Prune Rose 'Iceberg' in late February or March, just as the buds begin to swell but before leaves fully emerge. Pruning at this time encourages vigorous new growth and maximises the long flowering season that runs from early summer through to autumn. Use clean, sharp secateurs and loppers; blunt blades crush stems and invite disease. Start by removing all dead, damaged or diseased wood, cutting back to healthy white pith. Then take out any weak, spindly stems thinner than a pencil—they rarely produce good flowers. Next, look for stems that cross or rub against each other in the centre of the bush and remove the weaker of the two to open up the structure and improve air circulation, which helps prevent blackspot and mildew. For the remaining healthy stems, cut back by about one-third to one-half of their length, making each cut about 5 mm above an outward-facing bud at a slight angle sloping away from the bud. This directs new growth outwards, creating an open, vase-shaped plant. 'Iceberg' is a floribunda rose and responds well to moderate pruning; cutting too hard can reduce the first flush of flowers, while leaving stems too long results in leggy, unproductive growth. Throughout the growing season, deadhead spent blooms regularly by cutting back to the first strong leaf with five or more leaflets. This encourages repeat flowering well into autumn. In November, lightly trim any very long shoots by a few centimetres to reduce wind rock over winter, but save the main pruning for late winter.