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Hard prune a (I think) Dog Rose

nickoslesterosnickoslesteros Posts: 178
in Problem solving
Hello!

Like many things in my garden, my work meant lots of neglect over the previous years, and now I aim to get on top of it! I have what I assume is a dog rose which has grown unchecked - some stems must be reaching 10ft, and there is a heavy canopy slowly pulling to the ground under its own weight. I reckon once the hips start to set it will only get worse! Will this tolerate a good hard prune back? If so would this be in the usual early spring time? 

Many thanks in advance...:)


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Posts

  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    A good hard prune right now.  And again in spring.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited July 2023
    I don’t think it’s a Dog rose … could well be a variety of rambler from the looks of those leaves and hips. 
    Have you any photos of it in flower?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • nickoslesterosnickoslesteros Posts: 178
    Hmm sadly not. Had a look through my recent ones.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Are @Nollie, @Marlorena, @Busy-Lizzie about today I wonder ….

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • nickoslesterosnickoslesteros Posts: 178


    bédé said:
    A good hard prune right now.  And again in spring.

    How hard are we talking here? Down to a couple of feet?

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    It will tolerate a good prune, but it would have been helpful to know what sort of rose it is. It makes a difference if it only flowers once or if it repeat flowers. A rose that flowers once should be pruned after flowering and it will make new growth that will flower next year. You cut off the old thick and any diseased stems that have flowered. A repeat flowerer is pruned late winter/early spring and flowers on the new growth that it makes after the pruning so can be pruned hard.

    However, in the case of your rose, it looks rather a mess and may end up on the ground. I would prune it now to get it under control and attach some wires to the fence with vine eyes. Prune it to a fan shaped frame work and tie it to the wires. 

    There are videos on You Tube that could help. I think it is probably a rambler, maybe a climber, as it has got so tall.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • nickoslesterosnickoslesteros Posts: 178
    That's superb advice. Thank you. It definitely flowers only once per year. How far down to prune are we taking? Back to the thick canes a couple of feet up from the ground?
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Take back every flowered shoot to a new side shoot. That gets rid of the hips. Then take out the very thick old canes down to the ground.  That will rejuvenate it.  You may not get flowers next year it you  cut it all down to the ground.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I don't mean prune it all down to 2 feet. Assuming it's a rambler, the thickest, oldest canes are the ones to cut down to the ground, then prune the younger, strongest canes, by shortening side shoots, shortening the cane a bit and tying it to the wires.
    Like this -
    1. Remove all dead and diseased shoots
    2. Cut some of the old woody branches right down to the ground, keeping some young, vigorous stems that can be secured to the wires.
    3. Shorten side shoots on the remaining branches and prune back the tips by one third to one half, to encourage branching.
    4. Feed it and water it.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • nickoslesterosnickoslesteros Posts: 178
    Both - thank you. Although it seems I will be very busy tomorrow  :)

    Really appreciated!
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