Rose Suckers Taking Over

Catherine Joyce

Hi

I have a border with two Blanc Double de Coubert roses with several Escallonia Peach Blossom in between.  The roses have suckered terribly and completely smothered the Escallonia and generally made the border look spikey and dreadful.

I'm wondering if the whole border needs to come out, including the roses?, They flower pretty well and smell heavenly, but the suckers make the border look a terrible state.

Any ideas? Thanks

nutcutlet

I assume these are wild rose rootstock suckers, not the roses you bought.

Cut them out, right to the rootstock

dannyboy10

Remove the soil around the suckers and pull up the suckers but do not cut, you need to twice the break the sucker from the root

The roots on your roses may be damaged which is the cause of your suckers.

Dovefromabove

Are you absolutely sure that these are suckers - Blanc Double de Coubert is a Rosa rugosa type which is often used for hedging - they are quite rampant and will grow five feet high and probably more across - they have a superb scent but really are very strong growing roses.

Catherine Joyce

Hi

Thanks for the replies.  I didn't plant the roses - I inherited the garden 2 years ago, and was left a plan, so I know what most plants are.

The things that are causing the problem are little thorny spikes which stick straight up from the ground around the roses and stretch about 2 metres away from it too,   They are about 1m tall, hence why you can hardly see the escallonia.  The spikey things don't flower.

Pulling or cutting out the suckers is going to be really tricky as they are all mixed in with the three escallonia shrubs (and their roots) planted in between. 

The garden got a bit much for the previous owner, and its been rather neglected - its taken me 2 years of clearing other overgrown areas before getting to this bit - its now its turn for attention at last. 

 

Dovefromabove

I think it's the wrong type of rose for that space - it's great if it can be left to grow into a thicket but that's obviously not what you want just there - I don't often say this, but I'd take the bull by the horns and remove them and plant something else.  

These roses may be on their own rootstocks or they may be grafted but either way it'll be a rugosa rootstock which will continue to throw up shoots from the roots - it's the nature of the beast - a rather lovely beast in the right place but not there. 

nutcutlet

I'd agree with Dove, it's not what you want there so have them out and plant something more to your taste. Or something with single flowers, more to the bees' taste