Question
QUESTION: We live in zone 6 and have a 16 year old Paul scarlet climbing rose.  It blooms heavy and beautiful whether we let it form naturally or if we cane it.  The problem is that it now has taken over our driveway/sidewalk and we would like to divide it.  What is the best way?  Should we just cut it down the middle or try to find some natural separations, do we treat the cut side with something (we prefer organic gardening) when do we do it and is just two divisions possible or could we get many?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated, Thank you for your time, MJC


  ANSWER: Roses are joined  by budding onto the base of another very vigorous rose. Then the top rose grows on top of the bottom one. So what you have is two roses joined as one. This join is at the top of the roots and is very thin. Even if you are very careful and split then join in half, it is very possible you will kill the rose. The reason is that you are killing the understock by splitting it. If you kill the understock then the top rose has no roots. A long answer to a simple problem. If you want to move the rose them depending on where you live, dig it up, cut it down to 6 feet and then move it in the spring. Here is a picture so you can see the think join between the top rose and the understock.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much for your quick response my husband wanted to dig it up now but we will wait for spring.  Had another idea...The elderly neighbor who gave us actually both of her Paul scarlet has passed away and it would deeply sadden me if I destroyed the plant.  Would it damage the roses if we just bent them all to one side?  We are very careful not to let rose limbs cross but there would be some of the growth under the top growth if we bent them away from the sidewalk.  The other P.S. rose is on the street corner and some rural neighbors have very nicely hinted that it obstructs seeing around the intersection.  Thanks again...oh, we live in S.E. Kansas.  MJC

Answer
No rose has ever died from pruning it back, Instead of bending the canes I would cut them back to where you want them to be. That way you will get a better looking rose as well as activating healthy new growth in the spring. Even if you cut your climber right back to three feet, it would in time just grow right back up again.