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Question about cutting back William Baffin

3 years ago

My William Baffin (about 12 years old) suffered a great deal of die-back this winter. I'm not sure why, because our winter here in Northeast PA was relatively mild. But a lot of canes died, and I removed them. I'm left with some thick, bare canes topped with thinner growth that's leafing out.

What's the best thing I can do for this rose? Should I cut it back? If so, how far down those leafless thick canes should I go?

Thanks for your help!

Featured Answer

Alisande
Original Author

3 years ago

Thanks, Flowers! I'll make a date with William for Saturday, when the storms ease up.

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Comments (7)

rosecanadian
3 years ago
Do you have pictures of what you've done and what's left? :)
Alisande
Original Author
3 years ago
I haven't taken any since it was in bloom last year (it's so unphotogenic right now), but maybe I can do that tomorrow if it doesn't rain again.
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I'm not familiar with CSH, mad, but in looking at it on HMF it seems like a pretty bright pink too. I don't mind a really bright one because that would actually show up better in the shade. Originally there was a Dublin Bay there but I killed it. It was very top heavy (because that was where all the sun was) and empty at the base so I pruned it down to the ground one fall hoping I would get some new basals. Big mistake! It didn't come back the next spring. My own stupidity.
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Ok, Thank You all for helping me. I just went ot help me find to check out Climbing CI only to realize I have an impostor! I think... I tried to take a picture of this octopus like rose. I have over 200 roses and this rose is not a good example but I like it because it is covered with blooms. Right now it is fading away, kind of like a red Persian Yellow complete with black spot. But when she starts to bloom she looks like a chandelier and the blooms are full and deep red. According to all you have told me this is not how CI should look. Any suggestion on which rose this is???
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Mine is 8 feet wide and will get 8 to 10 feet tall except that I keep him pruned back some so he doesn't wander out of the very large bed he's in. He stays green pretty much to the tips and requires no winter protection. I do have to remove a few inches of dead end growth on the younger canes each spring. This picture is when he was on a trellis, only a year old, and I was trying to keep him contained after his first winter.
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rosecanadian
3 years ago
Sure. :)
Alisande
Original Author
3 years ago
It was hard deciding on the best angle, but this will at least give you an idea of the bare canes and the top growth. Thanks!
flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I don't think you can hurt Wm. Baffin. Mine has been whacked almost to the ground, pruned leaving only 3 main canes, left unpruned for years, you name it, and it doesn't seem to care.

I would just clean it up, removing all the dead canes and prune the remaining canes to just above a good node or set of leaves, shaping it as you prune, give it a shovel full of compost or manure, and let it regain it's height. It'll leaf out again.
Alisande thanked flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
3 years ago
He'll love the attention and mine will be jealous because he gets none.

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