ROSE PRUNING

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 139, 15 June 1933, Page 20

ROSE PRUNING

POINTS TO REMEMBER

The work of pruning the roses .should be done when the buds or edges begiu to swell. This, of course, varies according to the locality and climate. The operation is not a difficult one provided n. few first'principles are grasped. One of the first points to remember is that the rose is v flowering shrub or a climber, not a tree. Hoses are grown for their blooms, not for shelter; hence the need' for pruning. If allowed to grow without check, the bushes soon run to wood and become little xnoro than a tangled mass which can produce very few blooms and those of an interior quality.

j The first stop in rose pruning is'to I remove ell dead branches and twigs. Next cut out any branches that overlap. The bushes must be sufficiently open to allow sunlight to enter and air to circulate freely. As a general rule, the stronger the growth the less cutting'required, but usually for bush roses it is Aviso to cut to the third or fourth eye from the base of last year's growth. ■ In' selecting the place to cut, always remove surplus growth to an eye pointing 5n the direction the new growth is desired. As the aim is to keep the-centre of the bush from be- [ coming crowded, this is usually an eye pointing outwards. It is very important that all cuts should bo mado as close to the eye as possible without damaging it, as if a piece of stem' is left above the eye it will die, and in all probability the decay will spread down the branch. Another important point is to use only clean, sharp secateurs. Tor the. amateur these are preferable to a kniiie. The secateurs should be held so that die cutting blade is next to tho part retained. If used the other way, the rye is liable to be crushed and the stem bruised. To prune roses satisfactorily a good pair of gloves should bo worn.' Especially is-it necessary to protect the left hand, which lias to handle the waste stems, many of which are large and thorny.'" •"' In the ease of very old bushes, it may -be necessary to take- a saw and remove some of the old growths entirely. It is surprising ■ low much cutting a rose bush will stand. The aim should be to have young wood, as it is on this that the best blooms will be produced. Thick red shoots sometimes Borne up from the base of the bushes. These are known as water-shoots. They, usually run up without branches and produce a cluster of blooms at the top. Later, on ayes develop on the stems' and the growth may be shortened down to one of these eyes. From these water-shoots a practically new bush may be trained. Do not be afraid to cut away growth which is superfluous. You are far more liable to cut away too little than too much. -.

Some of the very strong growers, ■ «iu'.h as: ".Fvau Carl Druskc" and the "Dicksous," may have strong wands| nrched over and pegged down. They will then scud up blooms from each eyo along the whole, length of the growth. For siich treatment plenty of space is required, as the wands arc often uiany i'ect in length. ■ Most roses arc budded on to stocks of various kinds: very, seldom arc they on their own roots. It sometimes happens that the stock will send up a./troiig shoot, which, if'-allowed to remain, will soon kill the rose bush. These can always be recognised by the diftorent foliage, and abould bo cut riglit away as soon as noticed. These growths | usually spring from the toots be ov, tho surface, and to get rid of them it is necessary to remove the soil till >ou can get at them where they start. X is useless to cut them oft above the ground. After pruning, all prumngs Should be gathered up and burnt fhej tiro nasty things to catch hold ot when weeding.