Question I live in the mountains of western maryland and winter is fast coming.I trimmed my rose bush back last fall and over the summer it grew back 6 foot tall.It still has blooms on it (though weather is getting into the 50's lower at night).When and how far back should I trim it this year or should I trim it at all? My other bush didnt far as well and only grew one stem worth with very few roses over the summer(and only grew about knee height).. should I trim this one as well?
AnswerIf a rose is tall, sometimes winter winds will rock the bush back and forth and then it disturbs the roots. If the roots are moved during the winter, snow can get down in them and they can be killed. That is one of the main reasons it is a wisdom to cut back a rose in the fall. Cut your taller bush back to about 3 feet. Leave it at this height in case there is some die back during the winter. Then in the spring decide how tall you want the rose and prune it back about 2 feet below the height you want it to grow. It will then put out new growth which will grow tall again. I would just trim the smaller rose bush canes back even with the rest if there are some that are taller. If they are all even, then it is okay to go through the wine as it is. Sometimes a taller cane will wave back and forth and get snapped off. Just prune the smaller bush lightly in the spring. If you haven't try mulching your roses, this is a good idea to get your smaller rose to push out another basal cane. Using a cup of alfalfa meal and then covering it with a mulch, often activates the rose into new canes. Adding fertilizer tends to make the top grow but you want some more basal canes. You could also try Epson Salts. 2 tablespoons in a quart of water soaked in around the base when the rose is starting to grow should also help. Only use it once. You can use the Alfalfa meal as often as you want up to the end of July. You don't want the rose to make any new growth with the winter coming.
