• About

Garden of Delights Blog

~ Thoughts on gardening and life

Garden of Delights Blog

Monthly Archives: January 2012

Rose Pruning — Too Much or Not Enough

11 Wednesday Jan 2012

Posted by ninagarden in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

pruning roses

Last weekend, I pruned my roses. There is always a certain amount of anticipation and dread in pruning, plus last year, pruning my roses resulted in a medical event for me (more on that later). I worry that I won’t do it right, then I go for it and chop the heck out of them. I alway have a certain feeling that it is me against them as I prune –you wouldn’t believe the size of the thorns on some of the roses and there is always a chance that one of the climbers will snap back at my face and stab me or I’ll get scratched or have a thorn embed in my knuckle, like last year, which resulted in some kind of arthritis that I battled for six months (I promise I will write more about that next time. I know I said that twice now.) Anyway, don’t let the thorns get you!

Of course, now I think I pruned too much, especially the climbers. Why I did not read my gardening books before I pruned, I will never know, but I waited and read the books the day after to see if I did it right. Then I realized that I over-pruned my climbers, which is what I did the year before. No wonder they look shabby! I think I pruned them too much the first year, too. Oh well. I have taken a class on pruning roses–learning to prune them is a personal evolutionary process. One day after years of practice, I will finally get it right. Anyway, the rose is an amazing plant, complicated and simplistic at the same time. They will survive my efforts.

Here are some of the things to remember:

–The three Ds of pruning: remove canes that are “diseased,” “dead” and some other “d” word that I can’t remember. No wonder I can’t do it right! The one thing that is cool about diseased canes are that in my roses I can see the hole where a beetle bored through it. You chop the cane down to where you get to good wood and no longer see the little black beetle hole.

–Try to cut crossing branches. Try to create an open “vase-like” effect–not my words. Those are from Pat Welsch. But if you leave crossing canes, you will soon see them attacking each other with their thorns and basically mauling each other, allowing disease to enter the wounds.

–You can actually see where the little buds will form and which direction they will grow. Clip 1/4 inch above those to determine where new growth will happen and influence its direction. Leave more than three little buds on a cane and clip above that. I love that I can determine the direction the canes will grow.

–There are lots of other important rules of thumb like 1/3 rules and whatnot that I can’t remember. I am a disastrous rose pruner. It makes me feel good though to go out and chop them.

–Next on the list: spray with dormant spray and add Ada Perry’s Magic Formula–but that’s next weekend’s job!

I took these pictures to help me see if I did it right once or wrong … in years to come, I will look back at this first. I promise. These aren’t all of my dozen roses just the main varieties.

Note to self: read this before picking up the pruning shears! Wear gauntlet gloves, too.

This all sounds horrible, but as I was pruning, a couple walked by and told me that they absolutely love my roses every year so I can’t be that bad at it!

Mary Rose pruned, Jan. 8, 2012

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Follow Garden of Delights Blog on WordPress.com

Posts!

January 2012
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Sep   Feb »

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Blogroll

  • 40pluswoman.com
  • Annie's Annuals and Perennials
  • Empty(ing) the Nest
  • Find me on Pinterest
  • Mrs. Lilien Styling House
  • Nadia Knows
  • Seed to Salad
  • The Germinatrix
  • The Grackle
  • theperfectpreschool.com
  • WordPress.com
  • WordPress.org

Archives

Recent Comments

ninagarden on Visit to the Old Ranch
Hot Rod Cowgirl on Visit to the Old Ranch
Marina on Visit to the Old Ranch
Marina on A Visit to Horse’n Aroun…
eastwestwriters on A Visit to Horse’n Aroun…

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Garden of Delights Blog
    • Join 51 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Garden of Delights Blog
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: