Question:
My roses haven’t been pruned in several years and are now seven feet plus. When will it be too late to prune as the new growth is starting to emerge? If not, how far back can I prune them? I’ve heard that roses will go into shocked if you remove more than half the growth.Answer:
- The winter pruning season can extend into late March.
- The appearance of the new growth does not signal the end of the pruning season, as roses are pruned year-round. Most gardeners don’t think of it as pruning, but deadheading the spent flowers during the summer and fall months is a form of pruning. Late season pruning, let say mid-March on, will only delay when the first flush of flowers are in bloom. In addition, it’s just a ‘gardening myth’ that the bushes will go into shock from pruning. The more I think about it, it just doesn’t make any sense. You haven’t disturbed any of the roots, just reduced the length of the canes. Roses are very resilient plants. They can take a lot of abuse from a pair of hand pruners and or neglect. They response nicely with improve cultural practices.
- Different pruning techniques are used with the different seasons. The cool winter months allows you to cut the bushes back exposing the bare canes. If with we’re to do this in August, the green canes would turn black and die from sunburn. At that time of the year, you would have to cover the plants with shade cloth until the new leaves develop. The leaves shade the canes from the harsh sun. During the growing season, your goals are to remove the spent flowers, reduce the height and bring in the sides. I’d have no problem cutting the bushes down to three to four feet looking for an outside bud. An outside bud or shoot is one that is growing away from the center of the plant. If you don’t find one, wait a couple of weeks and then finish the job. You may have to alter this because of a pathway, or a barrier like a fence of the side of the garage. In addition, remove any dead wood and eliminate the rubbing and crossing branches along with those canes that are growing close to one another. The remaining canes at the base should be spaced about the width of your pruning shears. There is no reason from shying away from pruning today.
Question:
My Fountain Grass has turned brown. How far back can I prune it? Also when will be nice and full again?- Fountain grass is pruned down to the ground. The new growth will appear at the base of the clump, as the days get longer and warmer. After Memorial Day, the growth rate will accelerate and the plant should reach full size by mid-July. Now, this all depend on the weather. You can encourage the new growth with a hand full or two of a balanced fertilizer around the drip line in March.