Question
Hi, One of the branches (starts at the ground) on my rose bush has a "wild" look about it. The leaves are thinner and packed closer together than the rest of the bush, the thorns are much more numerous but smaller than the others on the normal branches and although I see some buds forming from this wild branch they do not look as large or like they will produce a nice flower. At the ground level, this wild branch is about an inch in diameter. I plan on pruning this one out as the rest of the bush looks normal. What caused this and after I prune it out will it return or more like it?
Thanks,
Dave

Answer
All roses are budded onto what is called an rose understock. Sometimes this understock will grow a cane and it will look totally different from the top rose. However if you don't remove it it will soon take over the rose on top. Dig down alongside of the rose bush where the cane is coming from, yank hard on it, if that doesn't get it off, take your foot and ram it alongside where it is growing from the base. What you are trying to do is cause a wound that the rose will heal over with a scar. The scar will stop any other suckers from growing. If you cut it off, it is the same as pruning a rose and that will encourage even more suckers to grow.