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Did I mess up - Pruned too early

last month

I did a 1st pass on winter pruning about 3 weeks ago. It's been a mild winter but the leaves finally dropped on them.

These things at 6 feet high or so and me thinking, let me just take about 2 feet off so that winter winds, any snow that can break them complete, let me shorten them a bit.

Anyhow, noticed all the ones I cut - showing dieback.

Normal due to time of year and the fact that I made a cut ?

And or no, don't do any pruning from November-March (depending on ones climate )

Featured Answer

Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA

last month

last modified: last month

Early, just light pruning like you just did never worked for me. Die back continued down the cut stems so that by really warmed up weather, a lot of the rest of thethe stem went black.

Now, I wait until the daffodils and forsythias are well into blooming before I prune. Watching these two spring bloomers and timing my pruning accordingly has been very successful for me.

Moses

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Comments (8)

Diane Brakefield
last month
What is your cold hardiness zone and where do you live? Zones aren't the only consideration. I live in zone 7 in the top tier of states, so my growing season is short thanks to latitude, though it doesn't get really cold here. Usual lows are the 20s, though an Arctic Blast can take us lower for a day. I prune every year in March. And I've never lost a rose to the cold and rarely have winter dieback, usually none. I bury the graft about 3 inches. Diane
a1an
Original Author
last month
7A - usual lows has really been maybe high 20's this year on average.

Winters just seem to be warmer in general and much less snow for sure.

It's just dieback on the tops of where I cut - I sppose top be expected.

I posted this as there was one new stem. Only about 6 inches high with a growth off of it - all from last year. There was some dieback on this (this one for sure I did not do pruning in jan). I did prune back the brown on this one , which spurned the post.

The others, all still at 4' high I know will be getting another haircut soon, so those dieback is kinda moot to some degree
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Mike, Earth Angel is experiencing moving stress. Normal during transition. Let it adjust on its own schedule. No fertilizing or pruning at this time. Let the damaged leaves fall off on their own. Both Frida Kahlo and Earth Angel are showing classic, normal signs of adjusting to their NEW growing conditions. Take it easy. Go with the flow. It takes time. They will do fine. That odd appearing bud is just a casualty of the change, 'collateral damage.' Even on well adjusted, well cared for roses, some buds are just duds, nothing to worry over. Most all buds open nicely, except for a very few. 101 possible reasons exist for those few: too hot, too dry, too cold, too wet, weaker lateral on which he bud formed to begin with, nutrient deficiency.......the list goes on and on. Enjoy your roses, Earth Angel is as personal favorite. I think in time EA, being very new, will rise to the top of the list of great garden roses. Moses
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a1an
Original Author
last month
Granted, we haven't seen heavy snow cover or a nor-easter wind whipper.

But in all other woody shrubs related, I've had snow load snap long ones . Sometimes they snap due to it being loaded from top vert down....Eh, with all this warm winter these days, maybe it's not a issue at all
Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
last month
So, you are in the East, a1an?
summercloud -- NC zone 7b
last month
I'm in 7b, North Carolina, and I feel like I've left pruning too late! They say "prune when the leaf buds start to swell" but while I wasn't looking my roses started actually growing little leaves. I've tried to tell them they're early (our daffodils and forsythia have NOT bloomed) but I don't think they're listening.

I've done 4 roses, only 21.5 left. I may or may not have lost count...
a1an
Original Author
last month
Indeed Shelia. With the bud eyes showing it's face already (all the bushes are showing almost the size of a rice grain + nub), if it wasn't for the cold snap coming through this weekend, I was going prune them to 2023 -height- to get rid of one last thing on the spring chore list.

The dieback was not my concern for the most part since I knew I'm taking pruning it down even further. But I wanted to post.....as the -new- cane from soil (in which I did not prune), it did show some dieback that I remove yesterday, hopefully to stop it.
a1an
Original Author
8 days ago
last modified: 8 days ago
It's the 1st time it's -snowing- to some degree this winter season this year....today.

We've had a very mild winter going into Mid Feb. Then around then it started to feel like winter

Note to self. I started at least 30-45 days too early. Next year, ignore the mild winter and start the spring cleanup, dormant prune, etc closer towards March - Mid March. Yes, I think I did induce some minorly extra dieback, when I pruned too early. What can I say. The sun was out, no jacket required.

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