If it's a new rose, you don't need to cut any canes off. It looks like you are growing her as small climber. You could cut back some of the smaller canes that are coming off the main canes, that is what you would do with a climber. I also planted LOS last year, so I'm not sure how she will be yet. I am probably going to let her go for a few years and then shape up then.

Since the Lady is capable of growing 6 or 8 or 10 ft tall, I trimmed her back to about 5 ft tall at some point during her second year--to keep her more bush-like. Unfortunately, all I accomplished was causing her to lose her fountain shape. She also resented the trim of 1-2 ft off the top--wouldn't bloom decently for all the next year! She is starting to bloom again, but her not-fountain shape is not overly attractive.

This summer I'm going to have to figure out what to do with her. I want a bush--but I may just let her grow as much as she wants. Maybe she will get back her fountain-shape. At any rate, she is in a spot where I could allow her to grow in a wild and woolly manner--even though that was NOT how I imagined her looking in that spot.

Kate

"Grows like a large spider"

"Bad hair day"

"Wild and woolly manner"

My, my, my. This Lady does not seem to behave in a lady-like manner!

In the catalog it said she would be 3 ft - 4 ft. A shrub or bush.

Well, it will be an adventure to see what happens.

Thanks so much for your advice. I appreciate it very much.

I think I shall just tidy her up a little bit and see what happens this year.

Barbara

Keep in mind that most of the descriptive info. on the Austin plants is based on their performance in England.

It is well known that many of them go rather wild or at least grow considerably taller and wider when they are planted in the USA--with its greater heat/sun and longer growing season (at least in the southern portion of the USA).

I find that Austin's estimates are usually fairly accurate for my region (Kansas, zone 6), but areas like California and others have been known to complain mightily at how grossly Austin estimates sizes in their regions.

Kate

Mine in the frozen north grows 8 foot canes or longer that go up then fountain out. So she ends up 5 to 6 feet high and 10 to 12 feet wide. I tried once like Kate too trim it back but then I got super long laterals and lost the nice shape. So I moved her too where she can grow as she wishes and I"ll leave her be. I was expecting maybe a 5 foot shrub.

Very interesting, Kate and Patty W.

I saw a picture of her in a container, I think in a David A. brochure or someplace and thought she looked good.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. . . that's why I love this forum!

This could be way off base. I've wondered for a while if pot culture can influence the growth habits of a rose. My LoS is on her own roots she was moved in her second year. She had already formed a massive root system. I've moved many rose bushes in twenty years. Mostly due too unpredictable sizes. This large a root system seldom develops so quickly. So for me this should be a very good northern rose and most likely quite large. Well, she already is!

As an own root I'd think she'll bust her way out of the pot. I don't know anything about grafted in a pot.

Yes, I believe pots, even my large containers will affect the size and life of a rose eventually. But until that time I sure enjoy my roses.

The only time I've lost any was a couple years ago when I used "Water Saving" pots and the pots were too small. Four of the rose bushes drowned that winter. Now I've changed to Home Depot's half barrel plastic pots and I drill 8 holes in the bottom.