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ROSES - Spring/Summer 2023...

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  • Another question for all you experts 😀
    I bought a climbing rose last year, Idigoletta, that is growing away just fine. However, it has thrown up 2 rather vigorous, thick thorny shoots. It looks way different to the rest of the canes (which are almost thornless). One was growing from the base, just above the soil so I cut it off thinking it was a sucker, but this cane is about 18 inches up the plant! With me being a novice rose grower and the plant fairly new to me I am not sure what to do.  Do I cut it off or leave it?
    Thankyou in advance for your wisdom.


  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    @Emptyheadtime
    No, not suckers.. that is a good shoot to keep.. I suspect the one you cut off was good too..
    East Anglia, England
  • Marlorena said:
    @Emptyheadtime
    No, not suckers.. that is a good shoot to keep.. I suspect the one you cut off was good too..
    Thankyou @Marlorena, it probably was 🙈, rookie mistake. It’s growing well so hopefully it won’t miss it 😀. If my other half asks I will just say I was thinning it out😉. 
    So is this fairly normal, getting thornless/thorn canes mixed? And as long as the new canes are coming from higher up then I don’t really need to worry if they look a bit different?
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    @Emptyheadtime
    Yes, it's not uncommon to get a thornier shoot on a rose that normally has fewer thorns..  remember, in the wild, a rose would use these thorns to climb through other shrubs and protect itself from being devoured..  new shoots like that are like gold dust and should be nurtured and protected as they provide the best blooms later on..

    Rule of thumb.. if the new shoot is reddish/purple = good
    if it's green, with matt leaves and comes from soil level = a sucker.. 
    East Anglia, England
  • Marlorena said:
    @Emptyheadtime
    Yes, it's not uncommon to get a thornier shoot on a rose that normally has fewer thorns..  remember, in the wild, a rose would use these thorns to climb through other shrubs and protect itself from being devoured..  new shoots like that are like gold dust and should be nurtured and protected as they provide the best blooms later on..

    Rule of thumb.. if the new shoot is reddish/purple = good
    if it's green, with matt leaves and comes from soil level = a sucker.. 
     really good advice. Thankyou. Kicking myself for cutting the other one off now. 
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    No worries,.. we've probably all done it at some point .. 
    East Anglia, England
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