Has anyone got suggestions on keeping a large Leontine Gervais & an old variety (New Dawn??) under control. They grow on a large stump & our fence in the Fraser Valley. If left unpruned they take over the whole place. Hard to prune since they are so big & prickly. I've considered the hedge trimmer, but been talked out of it (unfortunately). TIA glass brain
Will actually flower if sheared, just not so close as too cut off flowering growth. The long, reaching new canes don't bloom first year. After bloom each year, when these appear you could sweep over the whole thing to catch and shorten these, while mostly staying out of the rest.
Generally with ramblers you would leave three main cains and train them horizontaly to encourage flowering buds. With the Leontine Gervais and New Dawn a sport of Dr. W. Van Fleet a Hybrid Whichurana you would want to cut back these new flowers after they have finished. Sounds like you have a very healthy established plant best get your self some welders gloves and try training it on a fence. Any loose cuttings you could throw my way I would be happy to take off your hands. Heres a good link which should give you more information on your rose bushes.http://www.helpmefind.com/roses
What have you got to start off with and what do you visualise as a goal? If it's completely out of control, then I usually take drastic action, and cut everything back except for a few (3-5) strong canes from the previous season's growth. I will lose a whole bunch of flowers, but I know that it will be easier to control for the next few years. Once I have done the "rejuvenation" pruning, I try and keep on top of it by taking out all the three year old canes. A completely prickle proof glove is a must, as is an updated tetanus immunisation. But for this job, I prefer those long handled loppers - it's far easier to keep the prickles at bay. I prefer to work from the peripheral and advance towards the centre.
