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Mon, Nov 11, 13 at 16:44
| Here is Schonste up against the fence. The canes are 10 ft in each direction and the laterals are going up the pig wire supports. Will it be 3 years before it blooms? Is it that long for most ramblers? Thanks. Susan  |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Schonste is described in rose books as growing like a large bush with loads of blooms on it. Because ramblers are very vigorous growers, they use all their energy in making growth so not much left over for making flowers. I would give your rambler a couple of years to become large and then you will be rewarded with lots of blooms. Go easy on the nitrogen because at this stage the rose doesn't need any as there will be enough in your soil. You want growth to be slow and steady. |
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- Posted by poorbutroserich none (My Page) on Mon, Nov 11, 13 at 20:04
| Lynnette, I've noticed that my more vigorous growers seem to bloom less...I guess they need to achieve monster size before putting on a show? I haven't fertilized Schonste other than compost. I just keeping bending laterals and then sublaterals and then sub sublaterals etc. Is that what I should do? I haven't done any pruning either. Susan |
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| You are on the right track in regards to bending the canes. So many gardeners start off with good intentions about bending the canes then get busy, forget and when it comes to pruning, they have a Chinese puzzle instead of a rose. Now is not the time to prune because it sounds like the rose is just about at it's mature height. Make a decision on how much you are going to allow it to grow and then cut it back. Even prune it back in the summer if a cane gets out of control. I have kept ramblers down to a large tall bush by getting mean with the clippers. |
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- Posted by poorbutroserich none (My Page) on Tue, Nov 12, 13 at 10:14
| Ok. So in late winter I should chop a few inches off each main cane and lateral? For some reason I have difficulty "envisioning" how to make this puzzle into a bush. Maybe it will be easier when it defoliates. My Zephie is shooting 10 ft basal canes and 3 ft laterals. I'm intimidated by it. I've thought about having a consulting Rosarian come at pruning time but I'm afraid I would get an old-school chopper who would whack it back! Susan |
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| keep the greenest canes on Zephirine and cut all those laterals back to a bud (or about 3 inches from the main canes). Aim to keep a good half dozen basals, bend 3 on each side in opposing directions and cut out all old gnarly canes. Easy-peasy. |
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| Climbers do look like their canes are not making sense like the rose books tell you. It won't hurt the rose if you want to wait until it starts to bud out and then you will be able to understand the climber better. Bear in mind that cutting a rose won't kill it. You are the one that should tell the rose just how much space will be allotted to it. Then simply cut back the main canes to that space. In the spring when all the leaves are off, tie something to identify the main canes cut them to the space and then tackle the laterals. Cut those back to about 3 to 6 inches from the main cane they are growing from. Many climbers don't make a lot of basal canes so cherish the ones that are made. You have made a good start and because of it your climbers will be much easier to handle in the following years. If you let a climber grow without pruning, you won't get as many flowers or as perfect ones. It will too busy putting on new lateral growth. |
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