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| I'm such a newbie with roses and this is probably a no-brainier but I want to ask.... Strawberry Hill is in its first year as an own root plant and its shot straight up like crazy. It grew 5 feet this spring ad bloomed on the tips, then I cut it back by half and it shot right back up (no blooms all summer after that cut-back) and now it's blooming again. I want a shrub in this spot but I'm wondering if its just determined to be a climber?! Should I move it somewhere it can climb? |
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| Ahh, this is a classic case of the "octopus arms" which Austins often throw out in the states. Mostly due to the difference in climate, the "mannerly" shrubs Mr. Austin describes often become rather large here. Heck, I saw 6 The Generous Gardener plants here in Texas that were easily 12 feet tall and 5 feet wide. I would suggest moving it to a spot where it may climb. Trying to fit a rose into a spot where it will not fit only serves to "frustrate" the plant and you are ultimately and unfortunately fighting a losing battle. If you would like a mannerly shrub I would highly suggest Sharifa Asma, which barely breaks 4-5 feet and is rather upright. Plus the scent is heavenly. Best of luck! Josh |
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| You might also try gently bending the canes to a more horizontal position and tying them to the wall. That way the cane, instead of just blooming at the top, will put out new shoots all along the cane which will bloom and you'll have lots more flowers. That's assuming, of course, that it won't get in the way of the plants you have near it. It seems to be a very pretty rose. Ingrid |
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- Posted by melodyinz8a none (My Page) on Sat, Sep 14, 13 at 16:15
| So I have a young apple tree in my yard in full sun. I wonder if it would work to plant strawberry next to the tree. As the tree matures it will get less sun.... |
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| In my experience, I would keep the rose away from the trees. I have two large Bradford pears which eat up the sun once their leaves grow back in. As a result, the roses bloom great before the trees fill out but then languish and are spotty with their blooms the rest of the year. |
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| Roses don't compete well with trees, and the rose will eventually lose the contest, growing "backward" and blooming less and less if they are shaded out and "outrooted" by a tree that's growing too close by. I have plenty of roses, not necessarily Austins, that throw out candelabra, or "octopus" arms, particularly this time of year, the worst being Sisters Fairy Tale which is a Kordes rose. I usually let the blooms open on the end of the cane, and at the end of the season, cut the cane back. Other times, I cut the cane back on a mature, big rose, such as Golden Celebration when it starts to bug me, even if the buds haven't opened. Or, the final option, which i really dislike, is when the deer do the cutting back for you, as they did two nights ago with my Princess Alexandra of Kent. Diane |
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- Posted by RabbitRabbit 9 CA (My Page) on Mon, Sep 16, 13 at 0:26
| Hi Melody, This is my 3rd year with Strawberry Hill in the SF bay area and so far, it has remained a fairly mannerly shrub. The first year (when I had it in a half barrel) it threw out some octopus arms but I cut them back hard in the winter. The next year I planted it in the ground, and to my surprise it has remained shrublike and blooms reasonably well in flushes. The advice about tying it horizontally sounds great. You can also experiment and see what happens if you cut the octopus arms back hard after blooming (when it goes dormant), as I did. Also, whenever the flowers are spent, I cut them back to the second 5 leaf junction, rather than the first 5 leaf junction. I was given this advice by the previous owner of our house, and so far rebloom has been good and my roses have stayed at a reasonable size. Hope that helps! :) |
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- Posted by poorbutroserich Nashville (My Page) on Mon, Sep 16, 13 at 9:41
| Melody, in the DA catalog he suggests summer pruning for some of his roses that are grown in warmer climates than England... I weight the canes of the Austins I have that actually are vigorous and get some pretty good laterals. I also have done a "hard prune" after the spring flush. I think Rabbit's deadheading process sounds like something I will try. Some suffer from the hard cutback and some thrive. Fan out the canes and see if you like it. You can always move it.... Good luck. |
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- Posted by melodyinz8a none (My Page) on Mon, Sep 16, 13 at 10:22
| Thank you everyone for the feedback! I think I will leave it there for now and prune it hard this winter. I do like the blooms and they smell heavenly! Right now I have no place for another climber. |
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- Posted by racin_rose 8a PNW (My Page) on Tue, Sep 17, 13 at 0:41
| That reminds me of my Jubilee Celebration. It tries to grow a cane or two straight up and then...octopus arms flopping out. It's really a terribly shaped rose but it constantly blooms, and for all their nodding I still love them. If you figure out how to manage that Strawberry Hill I'd love to hear what worked for you. |
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