In order for roses to grow vigorously, stay healthy and produce numerous flowers, pruning in spring is essential. Anyone who neglects this task will have to contend with woody shoots in just a few years. How can you save the plants and should you cut woody roses or just transplant them - we'll tell you that in the article.
Old, woody roses are not a pretty sight. But how can you save the plants? If you browse through 6 different gardening books and ask 6 different gardening experts, you're sure to get 12 different answers to this question. Opinions also differ among amateur gardeners. Some will recommend that the old bushes be cut back to the ground to encourage new growth and flowering. Others are of the opinion that old roses should only be pruned slightly because pruning too much could stress the plants.
Rejuvenate old roses with nourishing pruning
When it comes to pruning old rose plants, the following rules apply:
- Cut back the trees immediately after the end of the flowering period. For plants that bloom once a year, the right time is spring. Roses that have bloomed several times are cut back in January after the rest period has ended.
- The natural growth form of theKeep roses. The different types and varieties of roses have different growth habits. Observe your shrub - is it bushy, does it grow straight or perhaps the shoots droop slightly?
- If in doubt, it is better to do too little than too much. Once you have cut off the dead wood and all the diseased parts of the plant, you do not need to shorten the rest of the branches. The rose is specialized in self-rejuvenation and can recover well from a caring cut. After thinning out, the healthy shoots receive more light and grow quickly.
Cutting woody roses: instructions
Old, woody roses should be cut back very carefully. Proceed as follows:
1. First remove all diseased parts of the plant. Cut these back to a healthy pair of buds.
2. Dead wood is also cut off directly. This is cut close to the ground.
3. Partially woody shoots are cut down except for a healthy pair of buds. After a short break, the pair of buds will sprout again.
4. Branches growing inwards are cut off. They get little sunlight anyway and are in unnecessary competition with healthy shoots.
5. In extreme cases, if the entire rose is very woody, it can be cut back to just a few flower buds.
6. Pruning is also recommended for plants between 7 and 10 years old. The trees then produce healthy leaves more quickly.
7. In the summer you can also cut off any dead flowers to encourage renewed flowering.
Transplanting woody roses: Does this make sense as a rescue measure?
If the roses become woody, it is not necessarily due to age or incorrect care. Sometimes unfavorable growing conditions are to blame. The old location was perfect just a few years ago. The neighbors have now built a high garden wall that shades the bush. Or you have planted the flower bed too densely and the air cannot circulate freely. Or the new rose bush was planted in the place of the old one and soil fatigue has occurred.
Moving old roses
In all of these cases, transplanting makes sense. This should ideally take place from the beginning of November to the end of December. During this period the plant is still in the dormant phase. If necessary, old roses can be replanted before they sprout again until the end of April. If the plants have already formed new leaves or even flower buds have opened, then it's best to wait until next autumn.
Roses over 12 years old are not transplanted. It is assumed that the plants will not recover after the stress.
Roses between 7 and 12 years old are first cut back, then carefully dug up and transplanted. It is very important to damage the roots as little as possible. Furthermore, old rose plants should best be transplanted in late autumn. This allows the bushes to recover over the next few months before sprouting again.
Transplant young woody plants
Woody roses under 7 years old can also be moved in spring. In this case, the bushes are only thinned out and the shoots are shortened by a third. They then need a few weeks to recover and then go out again vigorously.
Saving woody roses is not an easy task. But with a caring cut and, if this doesn't help, with a transplant, the plants will recover quickly.
