Question
rose bush
I perchased two Henry Kelsey Rose bushes the end of May 2009 from a reputable nursery. I planted as recommended & trained them up a trellis. They bloomed briefly last year, and better this spring, but now they are growing by leaps and bounds and have not bloomed since early June. I garden in zone 3-4, and these roses are winter hardy for this region. What I'm wondering is if these roses have gone wild? Should I cut them back, or will the flowers appear on these new shoots next season? These bushes came with a 2 year guarantee, and I'm wondering if I have to dig them up and get new ones. Thanks for your help.
AnswerYour roses are growing the way they are supposed to. Climbers don't flower well for at least 3 years. The reason is because they make new growth at the expense of making flowers. Blooming always requires the most energy a rose has. I see by your picture that you have trained the rose correctly. The only thing I would suggest is that you prune back the long laterals which are coming from the sides of the large main canes, back so then you will keep the climber under control and get more blooms. Most of the flowers will come from these side shoots and if they get too long, the flowers will make them droop badly. Just cut them back to about 12 inches. Henry is known to have one main large bloom period, then he rests until the fall and then will have a much smaller amount of flowers. One of the best of the Explorer Series.
