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Cutting back roses - too early?

  • 07-10-2013 1:12pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,477 ✭✭✭


    Hi all.

    I have a genreally herbacous border, that I usually cut back every spring, However to accomodate me planting some daffs/tulips over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to cut it all back now. There are several roses amongst the border which last year I left until the satrt of december to prune. Can I cut these back now? or is it too early? I'm not sure what roses they are (shrub/florabunda/tea etc). Some of them are quite leggy so leaving them isn't really practical. I also have a few climbing roses that have got quite tall. (well above the height of the party wall). I was hoping to cut these back/ tidy them up before the winter winds rip them down. Same question applies. is it too early?

    Cheers


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 90 ✭✭Bixy


    If you prune now, particularly with the current mild weather, the rose will produce new soft growth which will then be damaged once the frost comes. That is the usual reason for delaying pruning until into the winter.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,834 ✭✭✭Sonnenblumen


    I pruned my flower carpet roses hard 6 weeks ago and they're blooming away. I'll have no hesitation cutting back hard again in late Jan/early Feb.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,100 ✭✭✭Oldtree


    I tend to prune my roses as late in the winter as I can to try and avoid harsh frosts that could damage buds that I could have otherwise avoided pruning back to.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    I planted a climber earlier this year and it seems to be doing quite well. I can wait until mid winter to prune it, but how much should I take off? It's about 12' high at present.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,100 ✭✭✭Oldtree


    I have little experience of pruning rose climbers but this may help. you may need to start training it

    http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=189


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  • Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    Oldtree wrote: »
    I have little experience of pruning rose climbers but this may help. you may need to start training it

    http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=189

    Thanks for that.

    I've tried to put up wire to train it but the wall is pebble-dash and every time I think I have a nail driven in a pebble chips off and I'm back to square one! Am thinking I'll have to look at epoxying wire to the fecking wall.


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