who dreads pruning

One of the hardest things about caring for roses is knowing how when and what to prune. I’ll be the first to admit that pruning is not my idea of fun. Studying the subject only confused me and rows of regimented nude sticks didn’t appeal. It wasn’t what I had in mind when I decided to plant a rose garden. I expected happiness and pleasure not torture and disease. So as not to lose enthusiasm or enjoyment for growing roses I decided there and then to ignore most of it. Figured there was a world of difference between practical application and theory and had nothing to lose except a few plants that could be easily replaced. This was way back when roses were sprayed with every chemical known to man and were expected to succumb to every disease nature had invented. I wasn’t having any of that either LOL

Maybe I would have lost the war except I chose to grow old-fashioned roses and by trial and experiment found there were some that could live and bloom happily in my hot arid climate, without me stalking them with secateurs in hand. By default I learnt they actually preferred to flower through the cooler months rather than through the heat of summer. Not much point pruning heavily in autumn then.

Have found if you watch a rose grow to maturity it is much easier to judge how the rose will grow in a particular climate and soil. Manners can be taught then if required and the mature plant is more likely to survive the stress of any pruning because roots have developed and there are many more canes and leaves. Roses need their foliage and their canes when not dormant. Taken away they are deprived of nutrients and lose energy. It weakens the plant so disease can take hold. They are toughing it out anyway in my climate - why add to their problems. That's the way I look at it - or my excuse LOL

Though I love roses my first requirement is that they fit into a sustainable garden. They must survive without undue fuss and attention just like any other plant does. I don’t exhibit and don’t expect perfection at all times. I am particular about removing old or diseased canes but that is only sensible. The payoff for me has been an easy care garden without a lot of combat wounds LOL.

So how do you cope with pruning matters in your part of the world

I love it, well hate getting pricked etc..... but I do enjoy pruning anytime of the year

here is a great link for rose pruning

http://www.magicgardenroses.com.au/

click of the growing tips area

I love pruning... I see it as a cleaning of the season...... and the start of a new one.

Don't study - just get out the secateurs and go for it.
I don't know why I enjoy it som much. I think it is nostalgic. I spent many hours at the knees of my grandfather and father as they discussed the finer points of pruning. Something must have sunk in, along with all those botanical names, although I was only a tiny girl at the time. Later I was too busy doing other things.
My policy is - pick a freezing cold day when it is far to cold to do anything else outside, but not wet. Rug up and glove up. Get the secatuers, loppers, pruning saw and wheel barrow. Pick your first victim.
Now stand back and look at the rose. If it is really tall just start hacking away at the top stuff until it's about waist high. Look for old twisted branches - you can easily tell the old from the new. Cut them out as close to the graft as possible. Wrench them out and put them on the growing pile of rubbish. Now look for dead bits and do the same. The bush should be starting to open up. Take out inward growing branches and trim what's left back to an outward pointing bud. Some roses don't show these buds until later, so just choose a final height and snip them all to the same height.
That's about it. Pat yourself on the back do a few more, then go have a warm shower, put your feet up and enjoy a glass of red.
Oops - forgot - rub some soothing skin lotion on your hands, and dab some teatree oil on those nasty thorn wounds.
Cheers, Jan

according to the link above, most of that is not neccesary Jan Have a look and tell me what your opinion is

I think he did pretty much what I do. There wasn't a lot of top growth on the plant in that example and there was no old or dead stuff to cut out, so it wasn't a terribly good example. I think Peter Cundall shows it better on his DVD or video because his is a more realistic scenario - overgrown roses, with only 1 prune per year, so lots more to be done.
The best way to compare is to look at your own roses, and see if they look like his rose BEFORE he started pruning. Mine certainly don't. LOL

I decide what is coming off and staying on when I do them

last years pruning of one bed.





you can see the back fence

I dread it so much that I put it off for a couple of years then do a savage prune and the roses come back bigger and better.
Its always easier to remember that roses are related to the blackberry and you just can kill them.
Thats my philosaphy anyway and my roses have been thriving on neglect now for about 8 years.

LOL, I have just finished again for this year, makes weed a hell of a lot easier to for a few months and I can get in and mulch and feed the garden as well

I was in the local botanic gardens the other day - wanted to see how it was faring - had a quick look at the rose garden - everything pruned back - a mess of sticks. Shook my head - could have been a mass of colour and foliage- all they needed were the right roses. A planting of teas, chinas and noisettes would give year round display for everyone who visited. I just can't understand the fascination for endless rows of HTs in our public gardens.

maybe they take less tending to ??

They make beautiful shrubs Thee - luscious flowers - may not grow so well down south. But that's my beef - up here where they do grow well no one seems to grow them. Pruning does put people off and if the Botanic Gardens grew at least a few of the old fashioned roses that suited our climate here, then those who hate the look of pruned sticks would know there are other beautiful roses they can grow that don't require a commitment to pruning.

Taking a deep breath - today's the day. Only 200 roses to prune. I figure i can get through them by the end of the month :-)

Have fun

Just to illustrate what can be grown through winter here in the subtropics here's a china rose in full bloom today - all extravagant abundance and it will repeat this flush over and over again all year. Stems are twiggy and easy to cut if I need to but doubt I will ever have to give it a major prune because it is in gravel and shouldn't make a great height.

Hard to capture it's extravagant beauty on camera - the colour washes - blooms are on the small side but beautiful as you can get - the colour is outstanding and really make a show.

Easy as to propagate from cuttings so I'm going to make a hedge of it

forgot I can't post an image - having one of those weeks.

Believe me the china roses are extravagantly beautiful - maybe one day I can show you