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| I have a Graham Thomas that I have been growing as a bush for about 4 years. It's gotten pretty well established and has developed some nice thick canes. Over past years I have been doing minimal pruning and letting it get a bit wild. I normally keep it at about 6 feet high. But this has been creating a top heavy rose bush when it blooms and rain hits it. That being said, is it Ok to give it harder pruning? Like cut it back 50%? I'd like to try to encourage it to grow more full with a few more basal canes and take on more of a bush structure. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. |
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| I can't say if pruning it back will make it give you more basal canes or not but I have pruned mine quite deep several times and it grows right back. Sometimes with a vengeance, lol! Mine only has about 3 basal canes but they're huge and throw off a ton of laterals that bloom. Mine gets really tall too and I've put it on a trellis and wrapped the canes down. then it just throws more laterals even taller! |
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- Posted by jacqueline3 9CA (My Page) on Sun, Feb 16, 14 at 15:52
| Nicholas - what climate zone are you in? If you do not know, then what part of the country/world are you gardening in? I ask because if you are in a warm zone, you might want to treat GT as a climber - mine is about 8 feet tall, and in the Fall puts out canes that are much taller. If you want to hard prune it, go right ahead - mine has been hard pruned, but as seil says, that just makes it explode with growth, mostly up! Won't hurt it, though. Jackie |
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- Posted by nicholas.delo (My Page) on Sun, Feb 16, 14 at 19:50
| I'm in zone 6B. Basically, western, central NJ. I'd prefer not to grow it as a climber since it's not really in an area suited for growing it 8 ft+. I've had success keeping it about 6ft, with some canes probably being a bit longer but looping down. I really was just wondering if a harder prune is called for now that it's well established. Or it I should just clean it up, cutting back just the top third and shortening some of the longer, more lateral canes. |
This post was edited by nicholas.delo on Sun, Feb 16, 14 at 20:05
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| Or it I should just clean it up, cutting back just the top third and shortening some of the longer, more lateral canes. I say go for this option. Kate |
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| Graham Thomas IS a climber. You will be hard pressed to keep it as a shrub. |
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