Your roses will bloom longer if you do one thing in August

Rhiannon Odey, gardening expert at Easy Garden Irrigation, says removing dead roses and other summer flowers is a very important late summer gardening task to keep your garden looking beautiful.

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Removing dead or damaged flowers from the plant is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes in the morning. All you have to do is look for the first set of healthy green leaves, in clusters of five, just below the blooming flowers, as this is usually where the new buds appear.

Then simply make the cut at an angle just above the lichen, as this will prevent moisture from accumulating on the surface of the cut, which can also prevent the formation of rot or disease.

Be sure to collect your used flower cuttings and dispose of them properly, as using the leaves not only breeds pests, it can also release excess nitrogen into the soil and affect the health of your plants.

Over the next few weeks you should start to see the first signs of growth and have a stronger, healthier, more vigorous rose bush that blooms longer.

It is important to avoid doing this immediately after rainfall or during extreme weather conditions, as the plants are most sensitive during this time. The ideal time to prune roses is before 10am on a dry morning when the weather is much cooler. High temperatures can stress the plant and cause the flowers to wilt or drop prematurely.