Picture Of The Week (POW) Information & Submissions

thistlebloom

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Also do you have any tips on pruning them?
I have never pruned a rose (I know I should but I'm scared incase I do it wrong)
When should I prune and how would I do it with a climbing rose.
Thank you very much,
Fionn.

Roses really aren't tough to prune, and they are also vigorous enough that if you do make a mis-cut they will grow anyway.

First of all take care of the four basics, any cane that is dead, diseased, broken or rubbing on another cane (crossing over) should be removed. (Down to the base, don't leave a stub.)

Then prune for a pleasing shape. Any cuts you make on a healthy cane should be taken right above an outward facing bud at a 45 degree angle. That includes when you take some blooms for a bouquet. That is also a type of pruning so where and how you make the cut matters.

Different types of roses have their own small variations in pruning, hybrid teas as opposed to climbers for instance, but if you take care of the basics first you'll be on the right track.

I don't prune climbers too much, other than to thin out the very oldest canes from the base. Particularly if they appear to have wounds in the bark or dead patches. Those you will cut off as close to the ground, or graft as you can. Pruning out the old canes encourages the emergence of new canes. but don't take out more than a fourth of them, unless there are a lot of diseased ones.

This is probably a good time of year for you to prune them where you're at.

Here, where we can have tougher winters and late freezes I usually wait until the buds have broken and the new growth has just started. That way it's easier to see what has been winter killed when I make my cuts.

Give them a good fertilizing once the leaves have emerged and have a little growth on them.
Your roses are beautiful, so you're already doing something right Fionn! :)
 

catjac1975

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A green throated red spider daylily. One of my newest cultivars. A reminder of the summer to come.
red spider with lime green center.jpg
 

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