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Have I over pruned my roses?
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Posted by
toughlove14 none (
My Page) on
Wed, Jul 16, 14 at 8:27
| I planted my roses 7 - 9 years ago. The first 2 - 3 years they were the envy of the neighborhood. I have never fertilized per se but only given epsom salt for magnesium. All but my knockout roses, I prune in February (zone 8) to the ground based on horticultural leaflets and research. The past few years my roses aren't as vigorous, bushes are smaller, less flowers. Have I maybe over pruned and if so, is this something I can fix? Thanks |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Have I over pruned my roses?
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| A soil test would be useful for figuring out whether anything has changed. |
RE: Have I over pruned my roses?
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| Do you know what kind of roses they are? Are they all hybrid teas? If so, it does sound rather extreme to me to be pruning them that hard in zone 8. Also, since you say you have never fed them, perhaps that is the problem - modern roses need feeding. I would start with a rose food (NOT containing any poisons - just food), and follow the directions. Jackie |
RE: Have I over pruned my roses?
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| Water, water, water. And horse manure is fantastic for me! |
RE: Have I over pruned my roses?
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| Pruning to the ground is wrong unless you have to do it because of subzero temperatures. If these are hybrid tea or floribunda roses, they could be pruned to 18" or 24" in February. If they are Knock Outs, you can prune the same or let them get bigger if you want. Then, expecting them to regrow from nothing year after year with no fertilizer is asking too much. Just give them any kind of normal fertilizer with a reasonably balanced analysis (no "bloom buster") and follow the label. Many people here use Rose Tone or Plant Tone, but Miracle Gro or cheap 10-10-10 will work. Most likely the weak growth was caused by a shortage of nitrogen. You should stop using the epsom salts unless a recent soil test showed magnesium deficiency. It's possible to harm roses with an overdose. If you fertilize tomorrow and water as needed you will see stronger growth in 3 weeks. |
RE: Have I over pruned my roses?
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- Posted by seil z6b MI (My Page) on
Wed, Jul 16, 14 at 17:36
| FEED them! Any well balanced fertilizer will do. And stop pruning them so short. They don't need that unless they have winter kill that needs to be removed each spring. You don't list a zone so I can't say. |
RE: Have I over pruned my roses?
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| Thanks so much guys. I will fertilize today and put my pruning shears under lock and key :) I'll check back in a few weeks with an update! |
RE: Have I over pruned my roses?
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| Great! And insufficient water could also be an issue, if this is a drier year than you are used to having. In the summer months, roses need either about an inch of rain a week or thorough irrigation. A rose 3' wide could use 4 gallons a week in zone 8 Portland, 5 gallons in zone 8 Charleston, or 6 gallons in zone 8 Dallas. Please do let us know how it goes. |
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