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Austin Tea Clipper - Pruning question
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Posted by
mzstitch 7b (
My Page) on
Sun, Mar 10, 13 at 21:04
Late last year I posted a topic title My Tea Clipper is mean! I had purchased it in a one gallon pot in the start of the season, from Roses Unlimited. It grew four feet high, but never bloomed. It was suggested I try pegging it this year, but the canes don't seem long enough to peg. So now here is my dilemma. Should I prune it? It's canes are just over the top of my horse fence, at four feet high. I'm worried if I don't prune it, the canes will get too long, but if I do prune it perhaps being an Austin that may not like pruning it won't bloom again this year? I guess I could peg it later in the season if the canes don't get too stiff, but I'm not sure if they will since I'm new to this rose.
Suggestions anyone? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Austin Tea Clipper - Pruning question
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| I haven't grown this one, but based on the other Austins I do grow, I'd be inclined for the spring pruning only to follow the general practice of trimming it back by about 1/3 (or even a bit less)--plus taking out any dead branches--feed and water it well, and let it take off and hopefully do its thing for the rest of the season. It is not that unusual for a first-year Austin to bloom very little--nor is it unusual for an Austin to grow about 4x3. I suspect it will do better its 2nd and 3rd year. I'm assuming it is getting plenty of sun--at least 6 hours. If it is in too much shade, that will certainly stop it from blooming very profusely. If it gets quite hot in your region, dont' forget to water it. Austin's sometimes need a bit extra water to bloom well. As for pegging, unless this Austin's starts developing outrageous jolly green giant arms (evidently that is a problem in places like California), I wouldn't bother with it. I tried it once with Gertrude--lot of work for very little result, in my opinion. I think maturity plus food and water (and sufficient sun) will do wonders this year--and we'd like to see photos of it blooming! : ) Kate |
RE: Austin Tea Clipper - Pruning question
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| Thank you Kate, I'll go ahead and cut it back 1/3. Yes, it gets full sun and plenty of water. It's quite healthy looking it just didn't bloom. I planted three other Austins last year at the same time, Grace, Carding Mill, and Lady Emma Hamilton. They all bloomed but grew only to 1/2 the size or less of the Tea Clipper, so I think the Tea clipper had a mind of its own and just wanted to grow!! |
RE: Austin Tea Clipper - Pruning question
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- Posted by hoovb z9 Southern CA (My Page) on
Mon, Mar 11, 13 at 16:13
| I shovel pruned mine this year. Pegging helped a little, but I was still only getting perhaps two dozen flowers per year from a plant well over 6' tall. 9 out of 10 canes were blind shoots, and when the blind shoot was cut back, the new growth produced more blind shoots. I think I gave it at least 5 years, if not 6 or 7. Buh-bye! |
RE: Austin Tea Clipper - Pruning question
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| That's bad news hoovb. I will be heading down to Roses Unlimited next month to pick up my order. I plan to get some advice from them, as when I chose this rose they had one planted that was absolutely covered with blooms. I have to be missing something! It was really low to the ground, so I'm wondering if it was pegged, I'll check it out again. |
RE: Austin Tea Clipper - Pruning question
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| I have Tea Clipper. It did take about two years to really get going. I don't have mine pegged, but sort if free standing cascade. It's not the most prilofic bloomer, but it has 2-3 nice flushes a year. |
RE: Austin Tea Clipper - Pruning question
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- Posted by hoovb z9 Southern CA (My Page) on
Tue, Mar 12, 13 at 2:43
| Mine may have been budded from a blind shoot, producing a plant that produced a lot of...blind shoots. That's all I can figure. It had a stupendous root system, fluffy loamy soil to grow in, years and years to start blooming well. It never did. After all that time I realized it was a waste of precious and expensive water and gave it the shovel. 'Wildfire' right next to it blooms like crazy. I'd rather give the water to 'Wildfire'. |
RE: Austin Tea Clipper - Pruning question
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I used to have Tea Clipper...I have tried pegging it, but the tips turned brown and it didn't bloom at all.
I have also tried hard pruning it too but ended up with dead canes and slow growth. |
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