Question
Hi,

I have a number of rose bushes (antique?) in my backyard, which receives full sun most of the day. They bloomed beautifully the first year or two. Two years ago, I pruned them improperly, which resulted in far too many buds on the end of a single stem. Last year, I thought that by pruning them correctly, things would go back to normal -- but they had the same problem.

Can you help?

Thanks!
Kerri

Answer
Roses are like humans and have their own way of growing. Your roses may tend to get too many buds at the end of the canes and improper pruning just encouraged the bush to grow that way. If they have been pruned correctly and you still get too many buds at the ends of the canes, just rub some of them off so that only a couple will grow and be strong. If your roses are modern ones, then this way of growing is called a candelabra and some roses tend to throw up canes this way. Cutting them just under the large head also stops the many buds. Hope you don't have the disease called witches broom (rose rosette)which does look like a red broom at the end of the cane. Lynnette
http://logos.goodnews.net/~kkrugh/rose/rose2/rose_rosette/rose_rosette.htm