No. China's are twiggy and dense and very leafy by nature. Why did you want to remove that??

I don't think I understand what you were doing.

Jeri

Mine tends to climb one stick growing out from another. Quite a while ago, I read here about that issue. It was described as "assembled by a drunken plumber".

I hacked it down to knee high and it came back gangbusters. I liked the resulting form so much more I think I will be doing that periodically.

Gee, Floridarosez, any chance of a seeing a photo or two? I think I'd cut just enough weight off so his canes can spring upright, but you might cut a little and wait a few days to see what he's going to do as far as springing or not. Without seeing him, I really can't say more. Fear not. Go with your gut.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

OR... what Thonotorose said.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Jeri, this isn't anything I'm doing because I want to. Tropical Storm Debbie literally ripped them apart. Have you ever seen a woman's up-do come apart in the wind? They look like frizzy-headed women. Most of their leaves are gone also, I guess from the canes being whipped around in the wind. Two of them are laying on their sides with canes sticking out in all different directions. The others didn't tip over but have their canes literally pulled apart from one another. I don't think this would have happened if their twiggy bottom support hadn't been pruned away in an unfortunate gardening incident. None of my other roses were affected this way.

No pictures. Haven't gotten around to replacing dead camera.

Thonotorose, that's an excellent description, only now the drunk plumber's work has come undone. If it worked for you, I'm going to bite the bullet and do it. How long did it take yours to recover, if you remember?

Yes, but you said that all of the "twiggy growth" had PREVIOUSLY been removed. I was asking why that was done. Now, I see that THAT was not intentional, so I understand the situation more clearly.

Are the canes too stiff to raise back up?
I'm thinking that, if you made a low tripod, you could tie the canes to that, and they might return to normal growth.

Jeri

I just don't see how the two that tipped over will ever be able to reconstitute themselves to their former round perfection. I've decided to prune them. The others I think I will support for awhile and see if they can manage to grow themselves back together. If that doesn't occur, I will prune them also. I just am unsure how long it will take them as they've never been touched by pruners, other than the bottom growth that was not supposed to have been touched. He was supposed to be pruning dead wood off Belinda's Dreams which are in the same bed.

How long-established???

Jeri

floridarose - I think what you are doing will work. China roses are tough. So sorry your helper got carried away when he had no idea what he was doing.

I think china roses should come with warning signs on them, as all of the "conventional wisdom" about pruning roses is WRONG for china roses, especially "prune out any twiggy growth"! Just another example of how the modern HT afficianados have promulgated misinformation about how to take care of "roses".

Jackie

yep, cut it back as much as you need and then give it some slow release or organic fertiliser and a good drink. I have hacked mutabilis and cramoisi superiere down to stubs after a customer tangled with a ride-on mower, in the middle of the summer. For sure it will set it back but it won't expire - Jacqueline is quite right - these are tough roses.

Jeri, they're about eight years old.

Thanks, everyone, for your help and advice. I have decided to prune the ones that fell over. I'm just not not sure how long they will take to grow back. They're a hedge across the entire front of my landscaped area and the first thing you see when you drive up. I propped up the ones that didn't blow over, and they actually don't look too bad now.

I think that what's making things look even worse than they may be is the fact that most of the leaves were blown off, so they're nekkid and unwound.

If they're that old, and they're in that much distress, I might go for it.

My first move would be to TRY to stake them up. If that doesn't work or is infeasible, then try it. Better now, than in the winter, with Chinas.

I have seen old, old Chinas in old cemeteries, which have, clearly, been cut to the ground multiple times, and come back. If any of them can, Louis Phillipe can.

Jeri

Rosez9,

Mine recovered right away. I did give it a good dose of fert and prob alfalfa, too.

The two may look so good in a few weeks that you may decide to clip down the others. Let us know how it goes...

Veronica

Well, I pruned one down before I committed to do them all, and would you believe it's COVERED in tiny little buds. We've been getting lots of rain which I'm sure has contributed to the instant rebound. I think I'm going to prune the rest of them down.

Thanks, everyone.