How far can you cut back a rose

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Posted by Brody36 8a PNW (My Page) on

Sat, Apr 19, 14 at 1:05

I have a William Shakespeare rose that is now 2, when I decided to prune it had already leafed out so I just cut it back a bit even though I couldn't see any buds. Now it has bad canker that is spreading from the tips and is killing all the remaining new growth. I am wondering if you can back a rose with no buds really far and still have new growth. I am hoping someone can give me some advice on what I should do.

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Posted by buford 7 NE GA (My Page) on
Sat, Apr 19, 14 at 13:59

You can cut back to the graft (if it's grafted) or to the root ball. This winter was very hard on my roses and even after pruning off what I thought was all the dead stuff, I would see new brown and black on canes that looked healthy before. Just keep cutting back until you see white pith (the filling in side the cane. Anything brown or black or reddish should come off. Roses are very resilient. Some that I cut down to nothing a few weeks ago pumped out new growth and have buds already.

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Posted by socks12345 Zone 9 (My Page) on
Sat, Apr 19, 14 at 21:04

I cut a Tropicana down as far as I could, thinking to dig it out since it's such a miserable mildew magnet. I did not have the strength to dig it and just left it to rot in the ground, which of course it did not do. Instead it sprouted healthy new growth. It's not sucker growth either, its Tropicana. Give it a try.

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