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catsarerathersilly

Should I cut the top of my rose off?

My rose bush was looking green and beautiful until our 6" snow. The top of my rose bush was not covered in snow and it turned this odd brownish color, like it got sunburned. Do I need to cut if off before spring? The north side is not as bad as the south side, which is part of why I think it's some type of sunburn. You can see in the picture there's a kind of "line" separating the area that's worse than the other (the "burn" goes further down). I would post more pictures, but I don't know how.

Comments (9)

  • dublinbay z6 (KS)
    10 years ago

    What gardening zone are you in, Randy? That would determine when you should begin to do your early spring pruning to prepare your roses for the new growing season.

    A lot of people (like myself) go by when the yellow forsythia starts blooming. In other words, right now would be too early for my part of the country (I'm Zone 6).

    When it is time for early spring pruning, yes, cut that cane back to just above where you see that little swelling (a new bud forming). Check and make sure the inside of the cane is all white. If it has a brownish/tannish center, cut back even further--to the next little swelling (preferably on the outside of the cane). Keep going back until you get a white center for the cane.

    Hope that helps.

    Kate

  • Rosecandy VA, zone 7
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I'm zone 7, and yes it does help! We've had crazy weather this year, and I don't know when to cut it back. I assumed I would do so after the last frost or when the rose started to put out new leaves.

    The rose is barely over 6" tall and it only has three buds. In the picture I've just uploaded the bud in focus is the one that seems affected by the browning. You may be able to make out two fuzzy red dots below it on the bush, those are the 2 other buds. What you're saying is to cut just above the second bud, and if the inside isn't totally white cut it back to just above the third bud, right? The top of the bush is white, as you can see in this picture. Is that a good sign? Should I go ahead and try cutting it back only to the top bud?

  • seil zone 6b MI
    10 years ago

    A couple of questions, what rose is this and is it own root or grafted? Also, how deep is that mulch around the rose? Is there much more rose underneath it?

    I brightened up the photo so it's easier to see and marked the three places to cut, I think, that third ones really hard to see. Start at the red line and snip it off at about a 45 degree angle about 1/4 inch above the bud eye. Look at the center of the cane. If it looks moist and a greenish white or creamy in the center it's OK. But I have to say that one, although nice and fat, looks iffy because the cane has died back awfully close to it. If it's tan or brown and rather dry looking go to the next line, yellow, and cut again. That one looks like it's good but if not then go to the green line. At that point you aren't going to have a lot of rose left if there's nothing below the mulch. Don't be fooled by that white tip. That's just dried and bleached from the sun. The wood itself is dead.

    Depending on whether or not it's own root or grafted the rose may not survive that deep a cut if you have to go to the green line. Or if it survives it may never be a strong healthy plant again. Own root roses have a better chance of survival and revival because they will send up new canes from the roots. Grafted roses not so much. We call them one cane wonders and they rarely come back to be strong bushy plants after dwindling this far. And if it is grafted and it appears to send up new canes from below ground those will most likely be the root stock sprouting and not your rose. I hope this helps and I really hope your rose survives!

  • Rosecandy VA, zone 7
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    It's Midnight Blue and own root. It was a band from Heirloom and I cut too much off at fall (I misread cut back 1/3 as cut back to 1/3), thus it isn't very large. There is no mulch as when I tried to mulch it the mulch kept dissapearing, so I gave up and the rose seemed to do fine. The last bud is maybe an inch off the ground.

    This is one reason I wanted own root; I knew I'd end up nearly killing the first one, haha! The rose seems vigorous, though, so I think (hope) it'll do fine once I cut off the dead wood.

  • seil zone 6b MI
    10 years ago

    Own root is great! It should come back fine for you. Just a hint for next fall, don't prune it. Leave as much cane as possible for the winter and do your pruning in the spring when you can see how much has survived. Unless the rose gets to be 6 feet tall and will sway around badly in high winds all winter you really don't want to take anything off. The rose stores energy in those canes for the spring and cutting them back in the fall just gives them that much less to work with. It you're worried about wind rock you can always stake and tie them for the winter too instead of pruning.

  • Rosecandy VA, zone 7
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I always read that you prune in fall to keep the rose from dehydrating during winter, as the more top growth and small canes it had, the faster it would dry out. Is that incorrect? Is my only concern wind rock?
    Thank you very much for your help!

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    10 years ago

    Prune in the Spring as Seil states...
    Only concern is wind rock... yep

  • Rosecandy VA, zone 7
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Awesome, thank you!

  • angel-face
    10 years ago

    I have newly planted a own root blushing iceberg. But 2 days after potting, many of its leaves have turned yellow. Some of the buds are dropping too. We have enough warmth here in tropics even during this part of the year, so that is not the problem. I have ensured that i am not over/ nder watering the plant. What else could be the reason...Remedy?????

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