|
Fri, Apr 20, 12 at 15:32
| I see a lot of blind shoots this year, possibly because of temperature fluctuation (one day 15 degrees above normal; the next, 15 degrees below normal). This early, is it advisable to cut back blind shoots? |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| Like everything else about pruning, it depends on the size and health of the rose. Good leaves - even if they are on a blind shoot - are going to provide nourishment to the bush. So, if you have a weak one or young one and you're interested in getting it started out strong - be patient. There will be plenty of shoots with buds later on. If it's a strong bush with plenty of buds and the blind shoots are anomalies - then by all means - cut back to the next 5-leaflet leaf and command that thing to produce! |
|
| I hope the answer is yes because I cut mine back today! Same problem here. We were in the 80s in March and April has been chilly. The roses grew like crazy really early and then zip. They've slowed down to a crawl and all the cane ends had big blobs of leaf growth and no buds. I took them all back again in the hope that new growth will bring some buds. I figure I'm about 8 weeks out from my first rose show in June so now was the time! |
|
- Posted by mike_rivers z5 MI (My Page) on Fri, Apr 20, 12 at 20:15
| What to do about blind shoots would be more obvious if the name were changed to "blind tips". "Blind shoots" implies that the entire shoot is flawed and should be removed. The truth is, only the tip is flawed and you can treat it as if it had just finished flowering, meaning deadhead the tip and expect the rest of the shoot to send out new flowering stems. Deadheading now should be perfectly safe in your zone. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Roses Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.