Garden Column on American Rose Society and rose pruning

 by Peggy Case

 Bonica

   
One of the newer award-winning roses selected by American Rose Society,
 a hardy shrub rose that requires little pruning and reblooms over the summer.

All over the United States, members of the American Rose Society (ARS) are available for presentations about rose-growing. One of their members, Anita Solarz of the Cleveland area, presented a wonderful program about roses at the recent meeting of the Huron County gardeners and members of Dirty Bloomers Garden Club.
Besides giving information about garden conditions necessary for growing roses, Solarz gave a few rules about pruning roses. The first step is to cut off all damaged, spindly and diseased canes and those canes that rub against each other. Do this any time.
If your roses only bloom once a year, after blooming, cut the canes which have bloomed to the ground. Several new canes will grow to replace them for next spring. If the roses in question are older types but bloom more than once, first trim the very oldest canes to the ground and then during the season, cut off all the dead blossoms back to a five-leaflet leaf and they will have better second bloom.
If your climbing roses haven’t been pruned regularly and need a lot of attention, be brutal. Cut off the oldest canes to the ground. You may cut off some of this this year’s bloom, but next year they will be wonderful.
Hybrid teas, not Solarz’ favorites, are the most difficult to keep flourishing for a long time and are best left covered until you are sure the temperature is settled and things are starting to grow. Then cut down the canes to about 12 inches. If the bush has many, many stems take a few out at the base.
After each bud blooms, cut back to a five-leaf leaflet to promote the emergence of another blooming shoot. Cut with the remaining buds facing out so new growth will form a vase-shaped hybrid tea. This provides air circulation and keeps the center open to avoid crowding.
Miniatures should be pruned like hybrid teas, unless they are miniature climbers, then prune like the climbers. Miniatures are hardier than hybrid teas, and you can usually root all the cuttings and make more roses when you prune, as miniatures are on their own roots.
The newer roses, ground cover roses, pot roses, landscape roses, hedge roses, pillars, are sometimes repeat bloomers. Prune them as you do the old-fashioned repeat climbers if they are really big and taking over. If they remain polite and bloom their heads off without getting too big, just trim to fit the space and keep them the size you want. Bonica, an recent shrub ARS winner, needs little pruning, grows on its own roots and is very hardy.
New roses come out every year and each has its little differences. After caring for them several years, you will be able to judge for yourself if you should take off a little more or not as much, but always cut out the damaged or broken canes and the ones that are too old to do much. Near the end of the growing season do not prune off dead roses, as you want your roses to go into natural dormancy. This is true about all types of roses.
Solarz said the rose became America’s national floral emblem in 1986 which spurred an interest in growing roses throughout the USA. A rose society publication, “2008 Handbook for Selecting Roses,” is available to the general public at five dollars which includes shipping and handling. To order a handbook write to The American Rose Society, P.O. Box 30000, Shreveport LA 71130-0030 or call 1-800-637-6534.
For information about having a speaker on roses for your group, in Region 6, 14, 15, contact Bonnie Ritchey of Huron, president of Forest City Rose Society, bonnieofb@verizon.net or visit the national website www.rose-2002,org.