She's already spent all that energy forming those fat buds, so I wouldn't.

Or, interrupt the cycle and pinch off those buds to stimulate the plant to generate more canes, leaves then buds. You should be pleasantly surprised how much faster that plant will grow if you prevent those buds from opening and keep future ones pinched off until it's the maturity you want. Best part is, the only thing it can "hurt" is depriving you of the flowers for a while. Kim

Thank you both! Kim, suppose I delay, let these buds bloom, and then pinch off future buds untill it matures. Will that have the same effect, albeit delaying the progress a little? Or, am I exhausting the poor little thing by allowing these first blooms?

Where are you? If it's going to be hot soon, I would enjoy the big flowers and then pinch off further buds for a while. The first roses are always so beautiful. As soon as they are half open, take them in ( leave lots of stem on the plant) and enjoy them inside.

That sounds good! I am in so ca., near, not on the coast. Could be in for "May gray", or " June gloom"....never know. Thanks so much for your input. Ditto to florida.

That sounds good! I am in so ca., near, not on the coast. Could be in for "May gray", or " June gloom"....never know. Thanks so much for your input. Ditto to florida.

Maturing and carrying the flowers uses energy. Permitting them to open then not letting any more buds set and mature will have the same effect, as you suggested, along with the delay in maturity. If you do let them open, break them off at the point of abscission, leaving all the foliage on the plant. It makes a different. Each leaf you remove reduces the food the plant can generate. Back in the seventies and eighties, the ARS funded floral research. One study I read stated for florist varieties, it required thirty-five perfect leaves for each perfect bloom. While it might not be precisely that ratio for your garden rose, I'd suspect it has to be similar. And, "nah, it ain't necessary", but it can make a WORLD of improvement if you do it. Kim

Completely agree with Kim. But, confess Kim, to not following your advice! I've bought handfuls of HD and Lowes roses covered in buds at this size, and I've let every one bloom. Guess I'm a glutton for instant gratification. Yes, they'll grow slower. But these HTs, Grandifloras and Floribundas you get in this state from these places mature so darned fast - I go for the blooms!

I understand, harmony, they're so full of buds at such small sizes because they fertilize the devil out of them to push them into bud and bloom. It's the way mass producers have moved culls from the dump to profit for years. Kim

Kim, I've learned that when the question is asked here about removing buds on new plants (even if they're tiny bands), it's a losing battle to speak the truth. (By relaying that observation, I am NOT absolving you of your responsibility to speak your truth on the matter again and again and again . . .)

Yesterday five bands arrived from Vintage. Included, at long last, was a rose that Vintage has been trying to root for me for a very long time -- the small Bourbon, 'Queen of Bedders' (I asked for two to be custom-rooted, they could deliver only one). Among the five roses, there was one solitary bud, a nice plump one. It was, of course, on QoB. I have to confess that I did hesitate for more than a few seconds before I followed your sage advice and pinched it off.

This post was edited by windeaux on Fri, Apr 5, 13 at 14:00

Ah... This does make me think now. Unlike the HT/Lowes guys, despite being culls, they do have some age on them. Now, I'm watching with huge excitement my February bands from Heirloom, and I have a handful of misc. buds on them. They are still very small. And this thread reminded me that pinching off the buds and letting them put their energy into growing is the right thing to do. So ... thanks for this thread. Buds on my bands will be gone today.

I always removed buds from bands but then I got a different rose from Vintage than what I ordered and after so much time went by, I was too shy to say it was the wrong rose. I kept it though and it's pretty good. Here it is years later and it multiplies fast and is thornless.

Another look

They really do grow very well

Hmmmm, the voices of experienced rosarians vs. greedy rank amateur me. What will it be? Okay. Off ( cringe) with their ( sob) heads it is. Thanks again!
Marti

Removing the buds from a new rose is best for the health of the rose. Because everyone here is so well disciplined, we always disbud for the benefit of the rose.

Whenever I go to a party, I employ the same discipline when refusing any alcoholic beverages or fattening hors d'oeuvres..... for the benefit of my health.

NOTE: When I grew Chicago Peace, I thought the bloom color(s) was the most beautiful of any rose I had ever seen.

I thought this picture of Chicago Peace would help you muster up the discipline to "Just Say No".

{{gwi:253034}}

Aw, thanks , harrry. Gorgeous pic. Hope to post the same in a couple of months. . Query: why do you no longer grow? My old CP was not as healthy as others....just joey, for example, but i loved the color so much i wanted to try it again.

The one and only time I managed to grow the blue poppy (Meconopsis baileyi), I ignored the advice to remove the flower heads....and sure enough, it became monocarpic, failed to set any future growth buds and never returned. I grind my teeth in rage (which is why they now spend their nights in a glass) every time I make another (doomed) attempt at rearing meconopsis.

What's another year, compared to a decade or 2 of healthy lush growth from a beautifully developed rose?

Marti, I really had to smile at your picture of Chicago Peace with its buds sitting forlornly and decapitated in the front. But, you did the right thing and will be rewarded with a bigger and happier plant much sooner. I've done this with hundreds if not thousands of buds, and now I have to actually force myself not to take buds off even when it's not necessary because it's become such a habit!

Ingrid

Oh, thank you for the pat on the back, ingrid. Yes, they do look amusingly.....only somewhat!!......pitiful, don't they? Perhaps you should put up a big warning flag in your rose garden as a reminder not to go disbudding crazy. :>)

its even worse, picking little apples off a new fruit tree.

Thanks, Marti. I went out and disbudded and deflowered my two new little bushes. I knew to do it, do it with daylilies all the time, but it is hard to forgo the instant gratification of the blooms. Sigh.
kay

Martinca,

My Chicago Peace had no vigor. It never got started. Quickly overwhelmed by black spot each spring even though it was sprayed. After four or five years I sp'd it.

I had the same experience with CP. I had to try a few before I got one that wanted to grow. After that, I took some good advice someone gave about Peace and didn't cut it back much. Then it grew the best.

Well, here's a piece of heresy: I don't disbud mine. One, I want to make sure it's the right rose. Two, I'm not really in that big a hurry. They do what they do.