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Should all roses be pruned at the same time?
Hi
I am new to this and want to prune some roses but have 3 types and am also wondering if timing should change due to warm weather (am in Swindon).
Rose 1 - bushy pink rose still in flower but is unruly so needs taming. It's now about 6ft tall.
Rose 2 - standard roses (I guess) but just growing up and now out so again need to cut.
Rose 3 - a unique and special rose names after my grandmother. It is the first cultivated shoot which has survived form the main plant so am determined to keep it alive but is growing like the rose 2. Just up and not out but am scared to kill it!
So please advise me...for each rose, 1) When should I prune and 2) How much to prune?
Thanks
Winnie
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Posts
Winniej, have you got a picture of the roses? To post a picture, click on the green tree icon on the tool bar. Pruning isn't difficult and as soon as post a PIC, the advice will follow. You may have 3 different rose types and the advice will be different for each.
Thanks Dave.
Will try.....I can't work out how to rotate them sorry! i have attached a photo of rose 1 flower. Do you need others in flower as need to dig them out from summer. Also I have a new pot for Rose 3. Should I repot it when I prune it?
Thank you!
W
Rose 1
Rose 1 flower (yes in Jan!)
Rose 2
Rose 3
Thank you for your help!
Okay, bigger job than at first thought.
First rose, you need to renovate that one. You'll need a pruning saw and secateurs, about 20 metres of wire and hammer in anchors, about a dozen.
Firstly, cut out the three thickest stems to ground level or as Or as low as you can get. It actually looks like a rambler, not climber. There's a lot of dead wood by the base so cut that out as well. You only want to keep the green stems, not the brown. You'll lose most of what's there, but be brave, it will look bare but you need to encourage new flowering stems. Also you need those thick stems out from behind the down pipe.
Don't be shy with it, there will be few stems on the right but new growth will come. You need to create a frame behind the rose and you do that by hammering in the anchors into the wall and stringing wire between them. Space the wires 18 inches apart and go up the wall accordingly.
Cut back any longer stems by half and tie in as you go up. Again there won't be a lot left, but it will flower better for it. Do this for THIS YEAR ONLY.
New growth will come in spring, and when it starts give it a good handful of rose fertiliser and water it in well. As the new growth gets going tie it into the wires as it grows and keep doing this as it grows. As its a rambler (I'm 99%on this), it will flower some time in June. AFTER its flowered it can be pruned again taking out any flowered stems, new growth will follow which will flower the following season.
Rose 2, cut out any broken dead or damaged stems, it looks like a short climber, again get some wire behind it and tie in the newer stems which should be cut back by half for now. Again tying in at and angle will give you more flowers. In spring be a bit more careful and prune back to an outward facing bud. Again tie in new growth as it appears and give it a good feed as well.
Rose 3, I'm not sure that's a patio rose, it looks more like a bush rose in a pot, but it needs a good prune and repotting, a bigger pot with a John innes no3 compost will give best results and you can do that now. You can be quite hard with it so take out the very thin stem and keep the rest and cut back to an outward facing bud. You're basically treating it as a newly planted bare root rose, so add some rootgrow, bonemeal and some well rotted manure (you can buy it bagged) to the new pot. With the rootgrow, sprinkle it all over the roots of the rose and water it in well.
You'll have some manure left so mulch the other two roses with what's left.
If you've got any more questions don't hesitate to ask. It may sound daunting but once you start it will all fall into place.
Hi Dave do you mind if I join your post as I have questions about shrub roses?
I have some Roses that have been in the Garden for four years and this last year have produced an abundance of flowers up until november. My question relates to pruning, as the roses are quite thick stems at the bottom probably two inches thick up to the first foot or so. and I have concerns of how far down to take them. I know one is called Golden Wedding and they were al in pots when I bought them. I also have two old fashioned Roses that have been in this garden for years before we moved in but I've no idea of there name. Again are good growers and very scented. Your comments would be appreciated
Regards
Terry can you post some pictures, I'll be better placed to give you the best advice. Thanks.
Hi Dave sorry fro the Delay it's been a manic week. Please find attached pics 1 & 2 Unamed Rose flowered very well last year into November alot of wood sticking out the ground 3 old fashioned rose 4 Golden Wedding 5,6, & 7 Yellow Climber excellent through last year apart from it pushed the Guttering off the Bungalow at the top. I cut it back hard in October. Thanks for your help
Terry, the first three I'd not do a lot too other than tidy them up a bit. The pruning cuts are a bit high, maybe another quarter inch down an take away any dead wood. The climber is Arthur Bell, lovely rose, now that you can do something with if you want. The red stems at the bottom of the stem can be used to create a new set of climbing stems. It does take a while for them start going but they'll form a good stem in one season. You have to be careful though, the red stems break away very easily, you have to wait till they start to green up before properly training them so it takes patience, they'll still be flexible enough to tie in in a few months and will produce flowers first year, but be better second and subsequent years.
The thicker stem on the right, and you don't have to do this, but if you want to reinvigorate it ithen do so. You cut that back to about six inches, there will be dormant buds below it and they will produce new red stems which you can the train in as they turn green.
If you do decide to reinvigorate it the tie in at 45 degrees if you can, you may need to add some trellis to both walls to spread the stems out a bit more, but it's perfectly possible though to add another foot each wall to give you more coverage.
Hi Dave thanks for your help I really appreciate it. Can I ask one more question with regards the Golden Wedding Pic 4 It has been in for four plus years and only produces one or two flowers every year they only last for about a week if the don't rot off first due to rain. The plant is very 'spindly' and grows very near to my privet hedge about a metre away and the Pampas grass behind. Can you suggest what to do to improve growth would you move it or has it been pruned wrong? Lokk forward to your reply
Regards
Terry.
Terry the hedge plus the pampas grass will be taking everything from the surrounding soil, so I'd move the rose. It's the easier job. Dig a big hole, lift the rose with as much soil as you can, although I nearly always find the soil just falls away, add some rootgrow, bonemeal and FYM to the hole, plant and keep well watered in the first year. Prune it back quite hard after replanting, which will encourage new root growth. You won't get too much in the first year but subsequent years should see a lot more flowers.