Leggy Roses, how to resolve

Louise Ezzatvar

Hello everyone.

I have some rose bushes that are very "leggy".  In other words, they are about 5 feet tall and all the growth of leaves and roses flowers is at the top 1 foot of the plant.

Is there a way to encourage the bush to grow leaves and flowers lower down?  They look a bit odd with their zig-zag bare branches and top-heavy foiliage at the top.

Advice appreciated, thank-you.

 

Dovefromabove

Hi Louise 

Do you prune these roses each year?  If so, how hard?

Louise Ezzatvar

Hi Dovefromabove.

My husband pruned them.  I say pruned, more like massacred them in haphazard way.  They've always been like this since we bought the house and inherited what the previous owner planted.

Dovefromabove

Have you any idea what variety of rose they are?  If not, please can you post a picture of the flower and of the whole bush.

To post a picture on here you need to click on the green tree icon on the toolbar above where you type your post, and follow the instructions.  It doesn't work for phones - yet. 

Dave Morgan

To get to 5 feet they must be shrub roses of some sort. Bare stems are usually due to bad light or bad pruning or both. Next spring if they are pruned properly and fed you may get better results, but light does play a factor in foliage production. As Dove has said a picture of them AND their surroundings will help for more advice.

Louise Ezzatvar

It's the white one I am asking about.  The red one seems to be ok.  I have no idea what the third plant is.  It's very leggy and usually hs very small white flowers on it.  Anyone know what it is?

Dovefromabove

I think your white rose is a climber - to encourage it to bloom the stems or canes need to be trained as near to horizontal as possible - this will encourage sideshoots which are the ones which bear the flowers.  Have a look at this video which explains it very clearly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o-o_FHPoEU 

Louise Ezzatvar

Ok, thanks.