Esteemed Experts: Why Is It Necessary To Prune These Seeming Healthy, Not As Woody, Even Blooming Shoots??? From A Thriving Miniature Rose. Will Appreciate Your Answer.gracias
You wouldn't cut shoots off that were the same variety, except maybe to keep the plant small. You would cut off rootstock sprouts, if you had one that happened to be grafted (many miniatures are grown from cuttings). As with other grafted plants, you don't want the rootstock to form its own top and take over.
There is a difference between new canes and suckers. It is my understanding that most miniature roses are not grafted, so what you are likely seeing are new canes, which should have the same blooms as the rose bush. If they are different, then they are likely suckers from the rootstock of a grafted rose, and they would be coming from below the bud union. The reason that you would want to prune these, is because they are more vigorous, and your original bush will decline with most of the energy going into those vigorous canes. A rose is typically grafted so that it will be on more vigorous roots. If the blooms, or even the foliage, on the new canes are different, and you want to keep them, then prune them off below the soil, and make cuttings and root them using the same methods as set forth in previous posts. I trust that you were quite successful in getting those cuttings to take - which would obviously mean that there was no rootstock involved - and you are now seeing the blooms on those bushes!
The question should be repraised "why won't you?" rather than "why would you?" The common rootstocks used in the the rose industry are either 'Dr. Huey' or Rosa multiflora, occassionally 'Manetti'. Rosa multiflora is preferred in colder climates, Dr. Huey supposedly for warmer climates. (Rosa fortuniana is used in the southern states.) All these roses have vigorous rootstocks, and along with that desirable characteristic, vigorous growth habit. Once suckers from these rootstocks form, the grafted ornamental rose variety isn't going to stand much of a chance of survival, unless the variety has had a chance to set it's own roots. When I buy a rose, I pay for the ornamental variety, and certainly would not like to lose it. None of the rootstocks are highly desirable as rose plants. Whereas Dr. Huey can put up a pretty mass early summer display, in my opinion, there isn't much else going for it. It's prone to blackspot, and the whole plant tends to remain a ragged-ty mess for the rest of the season. As for Rosa multiflora, in spite of it's ability to give a good fragrant display early in the season, this rampant climber is happier 20-30 feet up a tree. But Laurie is right. Almost all commercially produced miniature roses are grown on own roots (except for the standards or tree roses). Any vigorous shoots coming off the base are not undesirable rootstock suckers, but higly desirable basal breaks, the appearance of which is usually enough to make any rose enthusiast dance the happy rose dance.
Thank You All For Your Prompt Answers And Advice To The Prunning Off, Of The Miniature Rose. I Think I`ll Wait A While To See How It Develops Dont Want To Harm The Plant.gracias
