Q. Last fall I planted five rose bushes and they appear
to being doing well. Three of the bushes have one large stem growing from the
the middle of the bush. Should I cut the large stems back….
There are
multiple buds on these stems as well as singular buds on the limbs which are
half the size of the big stem. My
question is, should I cut the large stems back to make the bushes more
symmetric?
rootstocks is frequently a sign that the rootstock has sent up a sucker.
This
type of growth must be removed or it will dominate the plant and squelch the
growth from the good part of the plant. In fact, if this growth is that obvious
it should be removed anyway.
Trace this growth back to its origin and identify
where the union is located between the rootstock and the top of the plant that
we value for the flowers. The union should be a swollen part of the plant that
may resemble, in looks, like a gall or tumor but it is not. If this strong
growth is coming from this spot or below it, remove it as close to the parent
plant as possible.
The cut does not have to be sanitized but your pruning
shears should be and be careful not to let your shears touch the soil before
cutting. You can transmit some problems from the soil to the plant on your
shears through the open wound.