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Rose suckers?
Lyn Plant-Wells
Posts: 338
I have a fairly new (planted 3 months ago) Ballerina rose in a large container. It is growing well with numerous buds - some just opening. There are two shoots with 9 leaves, taller than the main plant, with large thorns. Are these suckers? (I thought suckers had 7 leaves)
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Probably, Lyn.....are they growing from the base? If so they will be from the briar rootstock to which your Ballerina was grafted to.....best remove them.
Not so sure David - Ballerina is one of the David Austin roses and many of them throw up shoots from below ground - they're not suckers. Another member of the forum removed just such shoots only to be told by a member of DA staff that they were not suckers.
David Austin staff are very happy to give advice and can be contacted here http://www.davidaustinroses.com/english/Advanced.asp?PageId=1989
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I take your point, Dove. Ballerina is a very old variety that I grew 40 years ago and I can't recall any undue base growth....it should be easy to identify if it is above or below the graft.
Hi David
You'll see from DA's website that they recommend planting so that the graft is 3" below the soil surface - consequently if the OPs rose has been planted in this way there may well be strong shoots coming from below ground, yet from above the graft.
http://www.davidaustinroses.com/english/Advanced.asp?PageId=1989
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Another good point, Dove....but when I grew mine the trend was to plant with the graft on the surface, unlike now when (as you rightly say) the trend is to plant (for stability reasons) the graft below.
I know I'm bit old-fashioned, but I still plant mine the old way, as I can only see problems with suckers with this new-fangled way.
Yes, I remember being taught to keep the graft clear of the soil, but I've adopted the new way and now I bury it beneath the surface, as it makes sense to me.
In my experience the most likely cause of suckers is wind rock, and if the bush is planted deeply then hopefully it shouldn't rock and therefore shouldn't sucker.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
....spose was a bit of a rocker in the day!
On reflection and by way of a confession, I have to say that the rose I grew 40 odd years ago was in fact 'Prima Ballerina' not 'Ballerina' ....the observations remain the same though.
Thanks very much for all your comments and suggestions. I have emailed David Austin and await their reply. It has been quite windy of late but I think it was after the appearance of the shoots. They certainly don't seem to 'match' the rest of the plant, which doesn't have large thorns and thick stems - just slightly 'bristly', finer stems.)
...it's unlikely to be sucker... Austin roses are known for throwing up a long shoot, almost octopus like... most roses grown in this country are grafted onto a briar rootstock called rosa froebeli 'laxa'.... it rarely suckers and is very hardy... I expect there are countless people pulling out shoots they think are suckers, but are not...