It´s all about pruning and training of those lanky roses
cupshaped_roses
16 years ago
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cupshaped_roses
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Pruning A Never Before Pruned Rose of Sharon
Comments (4)Ken's right (as usual)- you can cut it to a couple of inches and it will grow back. I have several Roses of Sharon, and I love them, but they are, with all due respect, weeds. There are many flowering shrubs that need special pruning, but these aren't the ones. ROS bloom on new growth, and to keep the flower count high, you need lots of new growth, which will only come with ruthless pruning. I usually cut the strong upright branches in half or more, and the more lateral branches pretty much to stubs, as I need them columnar where they are planted. We have a row planted along our neighbor's driveway (with their concurrence) for privacy for both of us, and those I let get bigger and don't prune them as much unless a branch gets in the way. Since you are in MA, your ROS is probably not fully leafed out yet, so prune away....See MorePruning/training Newly Planted Mrs. Dudley Cross
Comments (11)I would say it was planted too close to the house, and I would move it farther away, leaving room for it to do its thing which includes growing canes quite a bit longer than 3'. If you don't move it now, you'll be chopping it forever, and it will be grotesque. Sorry to sound so mean, but a newly planted rose is easy to move. And if turning it the other way makes it hang over the grass, then your bed is too small and should be widened. I've heard that this Tea rose can get pretty big. Please don't cut it. Even though these are basically temporary canes that won't matter in a couple of years, they are all this rose has for now. Let it become the rose it wants to be on its own terms (like maybe 6x6?). In 3 or 4 or 5 years you'll be amazed with this beautiful plant. Be patient with teas. Look the other way and forget it's there, because it's going to look pretty unorthodox for a good while. This is a real live case of "walk by faith not by sight." Sherry Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation......See MoreClimbers out of control
Comments (8)Well, my experience is limited, and my climbers are young and not Austins. (I have noisettes and climbing teas.) I have found that the job of tying them up in a tidy fashion on wires or trellis looks like an insurmountable job when you start. You do have to have a big enough structure and space to accommodate them so they don't bunch up in a clump. You have to have some place to lift them up and out to, to give the canes some separation and room for the new growth to go. I can't see dealing with mine on a railing. That would be too small. In the growing season I probably should have been tending to mine every 3 weeks but I procrastinated. Tying them up takes time and patience, steadiness on a ladder, and a tolerance for getting pricked up to your elbows, but the result is positive and worthwhile. And I think when they get too big, ya lop 'em off. I hope I still feel like it's worthwhile when they get to be real monsters, but by then I will be using nice sharp hedge clippers on the laterals - I think. Sherry...See MoreThoughts on pruning? I'd love to see photos of your roses post-prune!
Comments (20)Thank you everyone, and especially those of you who have posted photos. I have been on a little hiatus because I had some minor surgery, and to be honest I forgot that I posted this! I truly understand what most of you mean when you say that you should not prune until the roses are about 3-4 years old, I know they need their energy stores, I know that they have awkward teenage stages (hey, who doesn't?). The thing is that most of the ones I am having troubles with are Austins, and just judging by how much growth they put on last year, if I went this whole year without pruning them I think by fall they might be gathering up mailmen and loose dogs that wonder on to my porch. I suppose I am of the same mindset as Lori_elf, to help inspire new growth I want to get rid of some of this awkward growth that will not support strong, large canes, even if they seem a little young for it. I always get a little confused when talking about the ages of some of my roses anyway, Munstead wood for example is going into it's second year in my garden, but I purchased it as a large (4' at time of purchase), grafted, 3 gallon plant from my local nursery, so it obviously spent at least a year with them, if not more, so would you consider him to be 3 years old at this point? or still just going on 2 because that is how long he has been with me? Not that it really matters all that much because when I judge them, I don't really consider their age as much as I consider their overall size and the vigor that I have witnessed under my own care. For example, I have two Jude the Obscure plants which I got last spring, both have been living in pots that are 12" across since their initial transplant. One plant was a band from from Heirloom and it was purchased earlier in the year, the other was a gallon sized plant purchased from Chamblees purchased a little later in the year. The band from Heirloom really took off and put on a lot of growth last year & is now about 3' tall, he is the one with the odd candelabra situation. Even though the Chamblees specimen was supposed to be a "gallon sized plant", he has grown much slower, but has retained more of a pleasantly round & even shape, it is a little over 1' tall. I feel comfortable pruning the Heirloom specimen because the largest cane is very thick & long, the plant is tall and seems very healthy. I would however not prune the Chamblees plant, it is still very small and looks very young at this point. I think this is due to the unusually small root ball it had upon arrival, both plants I bought from Chamblees did (the other being Molineux) which is why I probably won't be ordering from them again, they were puny as gallon sized plants and have been surpassed by every single band I purchased from Heirloom at this point. I did prune both the roses that I mentioned in the original post, but I did it gently, not removing the entire candelabra, just a few of the smaller branches here and there, or the most awkward growth on the cane in question, so that the new growth that they put on this spring will help them evolve into more balanced, rounded shrubs. I don't have many roses large enough to prune, so these two being some of my only decent sized shrubs (3-5ft tall) I really wanted them to be presentable, even if it sets them back a tiny bit, I need something pretty to look at while I'm waiting on my herd of 1 year old gallon sized babies to mature. I really don't think it will cause them much of a problem, because as I said, almost all of my Austins have grown very quickly and vigorously so far, and I already see Jude swelling into large buds in all the places I was hoping he would, so I think he will do great this year, still waiting on MW, but I think he will do great as well. I'll try to snap some photos today. Thanks again for all your responses! Jessica....See Morehomenovice
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