Why are my shrub roses growing so tall, and what to do about it?
Busy-Lizzie
Posts: 22,617
in Plants
Four of my shrub roses are trying to become climbers, but I don't want them to. They are Graham Thomas, Darcey Bussell, Oranges and Lemons and Westerland and they have all sent out tall stems, over 6 feet. They are supposed to be shrubs, although Westerland, according to Peter Beales, grows to 1.5m, mine is nearer 2.5m. Not all the stems grow so tall so the plants look uneven.
Should I cut the tall stems to the same height as the rest of the bush and will they flower if I do that?
Should I cut the tall stems to the same height as the rest of the bush and will they flower if I do that?
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
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It is very effective because it creates lots of sideshoots which will produce lots more flowering shoots (as with the lateral training of climbers) and opens up the centre of the bush and increases airflow.
💡 I've a feeling that some of the roses at Beales have been pegged.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Do you know if all roses can be trained sideways for more blooms, or only certain types (the naturally sprawling modern ones, or ones labelled "can be grown as a short climber", for instance)? Would an HT forced sideways with bamboo canes or whatever produce more flowers, or not?
I just wanted to know if it would affect flowering to cut back the long stems. @Eustace has answered that, that you, but it would still be helpful to know if anyone else has done it.
I suspect mine do it as they are backed by a tall evergreen hedge and they naturally want to reach more light.
In my Belgian garden, I had Queen of Swedenand Sceptr'd Isle which grew too tall andleggy for their position. I trimmed Q of S back and she flowered OK but still tried to grow tall. Here, cuttings from that rose have less lofty ambitions, probably due to the significantly drier climate.
I successfully pegged Sceptr'd Isle on year when I didn't get to orune it in time, bending the long stemsto peg them quite close to their own base. The results were magnificent, producing masses of flowers. You don'thave to oeg at a distance thattriples the width of the plant.
Sent you a PM a few days ago. Hope all is well with you and yours.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
If you have the room to train GT along the fence it might be easier to do that. It’s climbing tendencies are quite strong. Alternatively you could try it on an obelisk.
I can train GT along the fence and prune the others.