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My Francis Meilland has blind shoots

Sara-Ann Z6B OK

5 years ago

I’m wondering if Francis Meilland has a tendency to grow blind shoots. My newly planted last year FM had a pretty good spring flush. It has three buds on it right now, but also has several blind shoots. It is looking really vigorous, but this new growth is a disappoinment, unless there is a way to make it productive. I have about 120 roses and FM is the only one with this issue.

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Comments (3)

oldrosarian
5 years ago
The usual reason a rose gets blind shoots is because the tiny flower buds got nipped by a nasty spring frost. The other reason ( and there are a few of them) is a tiny rose midge tried to insert her eggs but the bud was too small so she moved on to a bigger bud. The other reason is that in a warm climate, when the weather is extra warm in the spring, the soil is rich and the rain helps things along, roses may make too many canes for them to support a flower. So they just don't make a bud. All you have to do is cut the cane back a few inches to the base of a leaf. Then the rose will make a bud. Of all the roses I grow, Francis Meilland was the most annoying. His flowers didn't last, he grew in an awkward way such as all directions. No matter how you pruned, he grew the way he wanted to. I got so annoying, that when I passed by I would swear at him.
Sara-Ann Z6B OK thanked oldrosarian
Sara-Ann Z6B OK
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you, oldrosarian!
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Sara, I have had similar results but for different reasons. I also planted mine, both 5 gal plants, in the last part of May 2013. Firefighter has been puny and not many blooms. But this spring (my plants think it's spring) it has a lot of new growth so I am hopeful. FM was fine for a while then went puny also. (Both FF and FM are in the same bed) But for a different reason. The canes started looking like they were dying. I looked closely and found a canker about the size of a lemon. It was not there long, I watch my babies like a hawk. My local Rosarian said that if it developed that quickly it was one of the more aggressive type cankers and that I should remove it and a lot of the soil around it quickly. (I put it in the trash so it wouldn't be composted). I did what she said and drenched the soil with a light bleach solution. Then several months later, used Physan on it. I bought another FM about 4 or 5 months ago and put it in a 15 gal pot to sit and grow (I hoped) till the ground was ready to plant another FM in. I just did that about one month ago and the new FM is looking GREAT!. Very vigorous and beautiful foliage. It's just a LITTLE warmer here than where you are. We are already having spring growth AND RAINNNNN!!! finally Hope your answers are as easy. (Well not exactly easy, but at least clear cut) andreark
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User
5 years ago
Oldrosarian, do blind shoots always remain blind? In your post you say " The other reason is that in a warm climate, when the weather is extra
warm in the spring, the soil is rich and the rain helps things along,
roses may make too many canes for them to support a flower. So they just
don't make a bud. All you have to do is cut the cane back a few inches
to the base of a leaf. Then the rose will make a bud." Now,in my garden, in my climate, in the very, very rare years when we are blessed with a rainy spring or better yet, summer, some of my roses just grow fantastically well and get huge, which I actually want them to do (I have a very large garden). But of course I want them to be able to flower well the following year. So, when it's time to prune, could I get away with just cutting back the youngest canes a bit? Or would you recommend a harder pruning?

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