March is Rose Pruning Time...

or so the article I have in front of me says. I have always been lax in this department, but I 've decided I am going to give it a try and pray I don't ruin my roses in the process. But, Elaine or anyone else who has had expereince doing this, I need some advice. According to this particular article, they mention how to prune, Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, Climbers and Miniatures, all of which I have. The one thing that they mention a lot is pruning the canes at a certain distance from "the graft". I hope I am not showing to much of my ignorance when I ask...what are they talking about when they say "graft"?

I am prettty nervous about pruning, but according to this article...

Whatever am I going to do? I can't FIND my roses.

Get a shovel and start digging,

You first.

Donna, I just hack away with wild abandon at mine and they grow like crazy the next year. I wasn't aware there was a "proper" way to cut them back. Shows how much either I or my rose knows....lol.

The graft is where the plant was grafted on to the root stock. Most roses are grafted onto root stock, with the exception of "own root roses".

OK Jeanne, I 've got that. Now, how do I tell where the plant is grafted onto the root stock?

I'm with you Christine, I wasn't aware there was a proper way either. Heck, I've never pruned them before at all. My daughter keeps giving me heck for that.

You should be able to see the graft, look closely.

Ok, I'll go right now, and report back.

I don't know! Could tell. Time for pictures, maybe you can see something I can't.
First:

Second:

Third:

And finally, a climber that I am continually cutting shoots away from and canes that grow in every Willy Nilly direction. Pretty clusters of dark pink flowers though. The rest are similar to this climber and to the other three Tea's. Can you tell...please?

This will be interesting to watch, I have pruned my roses in the fall, one of them quite severely because every year it grows over the roof top of the second story. The other one, I prune only a bit, but more for dead wood and for shape. I was told that you want to prune for the shape of a vase.

Elaine??? where is your expertise?

Donne, can you get closer shots of the bottom of the plants? That might be where the grafting is.

Linda

I have to admit Linda, I have pruned my 6 climbing roses in the fall. But I read on a rose forum that you can/should prune a bit then too...

usually the graft is right at or just below ground level when planting. If the roses are old the graft knot can get quite sizeable.

I've got roses I prune back more or less regular and one Pleasure Rose Bush I let go until I can no longer even think of pruning it back. It's about seven feet wide and five plus tall. Not bad for a floribunda.

Blooms

Thanks Blooms, I have another look. That Floribunda of your sounds wonderful. You'll have to take a photo of it in bloom sometime and post it for us. :D

Here's the only pic I could find this morning of my Pleasure rose.

In two years time of taking digi-photos I have never worked out a system for finding them that works for me. In 25 years of accumulating 35mm prints and negs I never worked out a stystem that *really* works for them either.

See a pattern here? the only filing system I really have is brain cells, and I seem to be losing them too.

Meanwhile it's time to pull on the elbow length rose gloves Wanda sent me and go prune the little Pink Fairy that grew totally lopsided last year. ~Blooms

Ahhh, I was correct in my assumption, Blooms. It is gorgeous! Thanks for posting.

Ok..you found me! The more modern roses, such as the HT's, Floribundas, and the Grandifloras,(which, by the name is another name for Fl's., if, more than two yrs old, you can take them down to an outside facing bud by two thirds! Shrubs, Rugosas, can be pruned down to open up the centre of the plant...so what you take away...........you might want to give back to the rose, such as some Epsom Salts, maybe a cup for the well established ones, and a quarter cup for the newer plants....scratch into the soil, when it's workable and water in...Foremost, it is a good idea to remove all crossing canes, or DDD....dead, diseased, damaged!, then take on the hard pruning...some growers, prune down to the second outside facing bud, and the roses still come back........don't worry about the graft! It, no 1 should be buried, say two inches for colder climes, at the time of planting...nothing's written in stone, when pruning, or otherwise........just try your best! good luck, E

Knew you wouldn't let me down, Elaine...But (she says ,whimpering..) can you come over to my house??!!) Sounds like a daunting job, but I've made up my mind, tomorrow's the day. Pruners in one shaky hand, and two sets of instructions in the other, Imma gonna do it! I will treat them with some Epsom Salts, and plan on getting some Alfalfa pellets and make them some tea in the next week ot so. Thanks for sharing your expertise, Elaine. I'll make you proud. You wait and see. :Donna