Hello Teeming Milliions,
I have a fairly large wild rose “bush” in my yard. Currently it is about 3 feet in diameter and approximately 7 feet tall at its highest point. Last year, I removed many dead bits from the bush. This year, I am considering cutting it to the ground so that next Spring it grows back full and healthy.
Question: Is this a wise thing to do? Is the Fall the best time to do this?
Best regards,
MeanJoe
In Houston, we prune our roses on Valentine’s Day. Probably you’ll need to prune later–check with local rosarians. Wild roses are tough & generally require less upkeep than “domestic” modern roses. But I’ve seen bush roses die after radical pruning.
The Antique Rose Emporium (in Brenham, Texas) has some info that might be relevant. Fall pruning can encourage growth that will be nipped in the winter.
Again, look for some local advice.
Don’t prune it now. The new growth won’t have time to harden off before winter.
Come spring you can prune it back pretty hard (the old rule of thumb is to wait until the forsythia start to bloom), but I wouldn’t take more than 1/3 of the growth at any one time. Prune it back the canes to an outside facing bud. You want the interior portion of the plant to be open so it gets good air circulation. Damp or humid conditions can lead to black spot or other diseases.