RENOVATING ROSES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20306, 13 July 1929, Page 27 (Supplement)

RENOVATING ROSES.

PERIOD OF PRUNING. Tlio pruning of roses should bo started Joward 1 Jio middle of this 'month, and continued-for several weeks, pruning somo now, and reserving others until about the second week in August in order to obtain os early and as prolonged a blooming seaEon as possible. Much depends upon climate and situation. This season roses havo continued to supply flowers almost up to the present time. A few of the bushes being still with flowering shoots. iAil roses when first planted should be Uiore or less pruned in order to ensure ptrong, vigorous growth.

The amount of after-pruning will chiefly (depend upon the individual variety, its habit and tlio class to which it belongs, nnd the style of training. general rule, can bo laid clown. As in the pruning of fruit trees, tlio operator must be guided by tlio habit and condition of each individual plant, and to bo most successful mus: possess some knowledge of its requirements. As a general rule the juoro vigorous fho variety the less it should be cut back, but all are more or Jess benefited. It is better to over-prune jtlmi not to trim at all. All weak and decayed shoots must be removed as well as those that crowd the plant and cross each other, preventing the access of light and air. Another important point to be observed in the cutting back i*.s to regulate it to leavo the Likl below the cut pointing outwards, or iu the direction the new shoot is intended jto take, the aim being to produce a symmetrical and evenly-formed bush. Hybrid pwpetuais, with tlio exception of Frau Karl Druschki and a few other strong growers, require harder pruning than thosa belonging to other dwarf-growing sections. A good general rule is to cut them back to within from four to eight buds or eyes from tlio ground, according to the strength of the plants. Weak growers should be cut back to within three or four buds.

Hybrid tea roses are by far the most popular and extensively planted of all roses. They are vigorous growers, hardy, and extremely fioriferous. With the exception of the most vigorous growers such as Red Letter J);iy, iieneral Macarthur, etc., which should ho more sparingly pruned to produco huge bushes and an nbundatiec of blooms, the majority should be treated similar to, hut less harshly than the hybrid perpetuals. Tea roses such as Lady Hilliugdon, Snfrano, and jMario Van Houttc. rcquiro to ho more sparingly pruned, all that is necessary being to slightly shorten back and remove dead wood and thin out delicate and weak shoots that crowd the hushes. Dwarf polyantha, Ttugoia. moss, hybrid sweet briars, mid the varieties belonging to the single-flowered section, should be treated similarly. THE CLIMBING VARIETY. Climbing roses, excluding the. Hybrid iWichiiriiinu and rambler sections, which receive their general cutting-back after completing their flowering to "enablo them to produce vigorous shoots for next year's flowering, require different treatment to Iho preceding sections by pruning hack the lateral growths to within one or two e>'es from the leading branches and having all dead wood removed, as well as shoots that crowd the plant:-. When new shoots arc- wanted to replace any that have- heroine too old, hard cutting-back is necessary. Pillar roses should be treated similarly. Thoso that aro growing over arches and pergolas should havo the projecting branches cut back. Climbing roses in tho iicdgo-row may bo gone over and trimmed Jvifh a sickle.

In addition to winter and spring pnin(lio rose bushes should ho occasionally rjono over in tlio summer, and any shoots that havo outgrown the others ti'iould bo cut Lack to induco a more « - f(ual distribution of tap throughout the "jvholoplant. .At tlio time tlio pruning is beitv,' dono r.'ny suckers limb have grown from tlio base of the [ilants must be cut aw,-iv.

Budded rases are likely to sucker from the stock, but by careful selection, plantingand after-attention and by keeping tlm plants in a healthy condition, little trouble v.ill be occasioned by this. In removing these robbers bare tho base of tho plant by drawing away tho soil and cut t h(j wildings off close to tho point from where tlify start so as not to leave any "yes at the base to produce after-shoots. Nothing looks more unsightly than a rose bush surrounded by suckers. Burn all I'l'unings and suckers. FLOWERING CLJMBEK. Wgnonia vormsta is one of the few climbing plants at present in flower. A great profusion of orange-coloured biosRorns makes thorn conspicuous objects, oomo splendid specimens may be seen ?" the Ileum Bay district. Planted >n suitable warm positions, with a northerly aspect, against' the side m a house, or closo to a wooden fence, it is, when established, one °f tho best of nil olimbors. Spring is tho best timo to plant. Woll-grown plants from pots, planted when tho feather becomes warm, succeed best. ACACIA BAILEYANA. . y The Cootamundra wattle of Australia .;» a flowering shrub or tree : that is worthy of special notice at the present ; time, Coming in after the luQuha. has completed its flowering,, it provides,''a ..useful succession both/ for flowers ;for .cutting and garden and -'shrubbery decora- ; iion. Splendid Rpedmens.'of,thisvacacia / £ at intervals along .the Great South: , ;, ;i .•■'•-. in ; th<i.utmost pro-; fusion of flowers, .they »/givO a r goldeti •welcomo to travellers. ' '