How To Prune Roses

I prune A LOT of roses at work; I get asked how to go about pruning them properly. In the spring, it's important to prune to encourage good air circulation; to cut out any dead wood and remove any suckers or weak branches. Doing this will encourage new growth that will produce many flowers.

Use: sharp, clean tools:  like : Felco Pruners for thinner stems and Stihl Loppers  for hard wood, dead and branches from the ground level.

For the most part, roses flower on new growth. With the exception of climbing roses, be aggressive with pruning varieties like Hybrid T's, Grandifloras, Floribundas and Shrub roses. Especially after a winter like the last.

Don't prune back roses too early. Wait for buds that are robust. Cut the stem back to just above these buds.

At the base of the woody stems and the crown of roses, you may see new, tender shoots emerging in early May. If you have considerable dieback from winter damage, these shoots are crucial to examine. The above photo shows the new shoot is emerging from above the grafted crown of the rose. This growth is true to the cultivar that you want to see bear flowers. The photo below shows shoots coming from the soil...

In the above photo, shoots that are emerging from below the soil surface are not good. These are suckers emerging from the rootstock.

Let me explain: some of the most beautiful roses (Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, David Austins...etc) are grafted plants. They have a rootstock grafted on scion stock. Scion stock bear the beautiful hybrids that wouldn't grow in cooler zone hardiness areas. The graft makes growing such beauties here in Ontario possible. When you see rootstock shoots emerging from the ground, they are a different rose than the growth above the graft. If left to grow, these shoots may take over, suppress the grafted stock and you will have a completely different rose bloom come June. Keep your eye on this throughout the growing season. Especially on older roses, where the grafted union of the crown may be heaving or sinking too deep into the soil.

I've pruned more than half of this grandiflora back. Having removed any overlapping, cross over stems, decayed, weak and dead branches.

Be sure to cut back to buds that are facing outwards - so that new growth will not be too concentrated in the centre of the plant. This keeps air flowing and gives it a more open habit.

Please don't leave stumpy, long ends to your cuts. Cut 1/2 inch above the bud (node). The is ample distance from the bud to prevent damage from cutting. Reducing the amount of stem between the buds will help engage the bud to produce more terminal growth.

In the above example, I didn't cut this rose back to the ground like some gardeners do as a general practice, as I prefer to have a taller habit and bigger show. Grandiflora roses have larger flowers. If left to flower on only tender, green pliable stems, the flowers can make these stems flop over from the weight.  Making for a weak, unattractive shape to the overall plant. Leaving woody stems with robust buds will give the rose strength and help boost flower production.

Be sure to remove all leafy debris from the base of the plant and give them a top cover of mulch or a perennial ground cover (like the Gallium plants above). This prevents the soil surface from drying out.

Come mid summer, I will post how to thin a rose bush; to create a better habit and increase bloom.

Perennial Geraniums -Taking Cuttings

Perennial Geraniums are a gift to the perennial border. This one, 'macrorrhizum': grown primarily for its foliage (turning red in the autumn), is a great blanket for the foreground and has been a great weed suppressor for the garden. It has exponentially grown in diameter with little or no intervention on my part. Drought tolerant and super hardy, I decided to take cuttings and spread the joy around a bit more.

Some geraniums, like this one, produce thick, segmented chunky stems. Which can begin rooting on their own, if the ground is friable and there's adequate moisture through the growing season.  In the autumn (September), I chose sturdy segments, that had at least 6 inches worth of fleshy stems for my cuttings. I wouldn't try doing any later than mid-September: this way roots have a chance to mature before heavy autumn frosts.

If you don't see any roots, take a closer look: on some, you can see little bumps where roots will easily develop. I took my pruners and simply cut this segment out - closest to where it was attached.

Behind this pole, a lovely Clematis thrives. I buried three Geranium cuttings (insuring adequate spacing) around the back side. Leaving just the leaves and an inch of stem above ground. As you can see, I didn't hoe, turn over or add any amendments to the area. All three cuttings took well. Hoping their mature growth will help shade and keep the clematis robust during the summer months. 

This could be as easily done now (spring) as well. Just keep the cuttings moist during the hot summer months. 

Earth Day

I get the need for these designated days. Honestly though, we need to make everyday an Earth Day. Live to make change.

Gardener's Back Pain

When the spring blooms begin to return, so can my 'gardener's back'.  "Winter flub": my spare tire doesn't help matters. It's hard. Now that I'm in my 40's, some preventative practices are a must.

Thankfully, because of these stretches and some common sense, I have so far obverted any down time due to back pain.

#1 : Standing straight with legs straddled, bend one knee at a 90° angle and lean down sideways, stretching the apposing leg. Hold for as long as you feel the stretch work. Repeat on the other side. 

#2 : Bending forward on one 90° bent knee, keep your weight centred on the apposing leg which is also bent to 90° under your bottom. Hold, switch legs and repeat several times.

#3 : Using a step, or anything elevated 18" or higher, place one foot on the step (I use the truck door step for this), keeping the opposing leg straight. Lean into the bent knee and press down, continuing to keep the back leg straight. Switch legs and repeat 2-3 times.

I do #4 & #5 at home before going to work.

#4 : Laying flat, I bring one knee to my chest and leave the other down straight. Holding the knee to my chest for at least 1 minute. Switching legs and repeating several times. Crossing the knee over the top of your body towards your opposing side, really stretches the lower back. Repeat on both sides and HOLD for about a minutes. What a huge release of strain. This really works.

#5 : Bringing both knees to the chest. Holding for one minute. Bring them back down and repeat several times.

#6 : Standing with straddled legs, slightly bent, shoulder width apart, twist your shoulders and arms towards your opposing leg. Twist back and forth keeping legs straddled. This really helps stretch the lower back before or after you lift heavy objects or if you have been in weeding for a long while.

Other helpful hints:

• Bend at the knee when lifting and make sure your centre of gravity is in the hip area, not your back.
• Don't let your lower back get a cold draft after sweating.
• Stretch after a heavy lift (always ask for help instead of lifting on your own).
• Make many trips with lighter loads, instead of one heavier load.
• Do not wear a tight belt or anything overly constrictive on your waistline. This is imperative. Constricting your waist impedes your muscles from working normally, due to pressure. Here's one way to avoid tight pants constricting your waist:

I made this, but I believe maternity clothing stores sell an elastic version of this. I put it on, when I know I have a lot of bending and lifting to do in a day. This is simply a stretchy band of elastic fabric. I doubled it up and used a sturdy button. I sewed up the hole so that it wouldn't fray.

It works like a charm. Once I get back doing pruning or something else which requires less movement, I remove it and tuck it into my pocket.

End the day with a great epsom salts bath and a stretch before bed. I cannot get up in the morning without a thorough stretch anymore. These tips truly make the difference.