Question:
My climbing roses have finished blooming for the year. They are very dense, so can I prune them way back now?Answer:
- This is one of those yes, no, or depends on answers.
- You’d do your heaviest pruning on all types of roses during winter. They’re also pruned after every flush of flowers to shape the plants and control their size.
- It’s not unusual for many roses to bloom year-round, although the foliage isn’t pristine.
- Lady Banksia and Cecil Brunner are the exceptions because their spring bloomers should be sheared back after the blooming period. The spring flowers are not as dramatic when cut back in winter.
- With older Hybrid Tea varieties such as Peace, Chrysler Imperial, or Queen Elizabeth, you must carefully prune them severely as they bloom on the second-year wood. If you prune too heavily, you’ll get no flowers next year.
- If this is a variety introduced this century, these varieties mostly bloom on the new and old wood.
- So, it doesn’t matter what’s removed or left.
- The biggest concern with pruning all types of roses way back or severely during the summer months is sunburn. The green, exposed canes will be damaged from the mid to late afternoon sun.
- These canes turn black on those plants facing south, west, or in southwest direction. These damaged canes typically die. You protect them by leaving a fair amount of leaves.
- If you live inland where it gets hot, I’d wait till winter to prune while your odds for success are more significant along the coast. Again, this applies to cutting them back severely.
- You can thin out some of the growth now as long as you aren’t `exposed to many green canes.
- I could be more specific if the variety were known. If so, I’d consult a nursery professional at your favorite garden center for their opinion. They’re the best resource for what would be best in your area.
Question:
We have a beautiful Black Mission Fig started from a root cutting. It gets loaded with figs, but they dry up. My grandson read up on this and discovered we have a male tree to our dismay. Should we plant a female tree?Answer:
- Planting a second tree will not solve this problem. Fig pollination is a bit complicated because it is accomplished in several ways. It is variety-dependent.
- A gall wasp pollinates Black Mission Figs, and the male and female structures are found in each fruit. But pollination is not your problem because the figs do form. They don’t mature. Instead,
- I’d look to increase the water. A six-to-eight-inch watering basin should extend from the trunk to the drip line. Figs are watered twice a month, and you should fill the basin up multiple times.