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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2006 17:00:10 GMT
William Morris is sending up what I think are suckers - but before I take the secateurs to them, how can I be sure that they really are suckers?
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Post by Rosefriend on Sept 19, 2006 17:07:56 GMT
Hi Rita,
William Morris - assuming that it is a Austin - don't know it. A sucker is always a lighter green - the old saying that it has 5/7 leaves and must be a sucker is rubbish. There is a Japanese Rose with 23 leaves.
Whatever you do - follow the sucker back to the roots - otherwise it will just grow again- scrape back the earth and you will see it growing from under the bud grafting. If you are not sure, leave it a little - you will soon know - they grow fast as well. However if you do not take it off, the rose will suffer a bit.
Any chance of a picture - then I can tell you properly.
Rosefriend
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2006 17:11:34 GMT
I will post a photo tomorrow rosefriend
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Post by Rosefriend on Sept 19, 2006 17:12:18 GMT
Hey Rita - look forward to it.
Rosefriend
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Post by anneliesje on Sept 19, 2006 21:09:52 GMT
sorry to intrude. I read somewhere you don't have to cut back suckers (assuming this is the now flowering, wild growing stem or twig on a rose) but it is better to tear them off. This prevents better that this unwanted growth is coming back. be sure however to wear some gloves when you do this! Anneliesje
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2006 9:16:06 GMT
Here's a couple of photos. The sucker doesn't have any side shoots at all, this sucker is getting close to about 1 metre long. These 2 are quite red at the base getting greener nearer to the tip.
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Post by Rosefriend on Sept 20, 2006 11:07:38 GMT
Hi Rita,
Difficult to say - however I would say that these are NOT suckers. They are too red for me - I would have expected light green foliage. At this time of the year you can notice a lot on new growth on all roses. Due to the rain in August a lot of roses are higher than they would normally be.
Personally I wouldn't cut them off - leave them.
Anneliesje is right about suckers - it is better to tear them off - very carefully although it isn't always possible. If I feel that I may damage the rose plant then I cut off as near to the root as possible and accept that it will probably grow back at some point.
I hope that this has helped a bit Rita. There is a trick that you could try - cut the "suckers" back a little as though it had flowered - this will induce the plants to want to make flowers in that shoot. Once it does you will easily be able to tell what it is. Once again I do not think that these are suckers - they are normal shoots.
Rosefriend
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2006 11:11:01 GMT
Thanks Rosefriend - very helpful - how much do you recommend I cut off these long shoots?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2006 11:12:50 GMT
be sure however to wear some gloves when you do this! Anneliesje I always wear gloves - I have never known roses as prickly as these before.
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Post by Rosefriend on Sept 20, 2006 11:27:07 GMT
Hi Rita - prickly shoots does tend to go into the "sucker" theory again. However cut a good 6 inches off - somewhere by a leaf joint as you normally would.
Having ruined a beautiful rose years ago I always work on the basis that I can always cut it off but I can't stick it back on.......
Rosefriend
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2006 7:03:29 GMT
Rosefriend - I should have said very thorny
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Post by Rosefriend on Sept 21, 2006 7:22:53 GMT
Some roses really do have the most incredible thorns - I have often ripped myself bloody on them.
Try to wear gloves but prefer to "feel" what I am doing.
Rosefriend
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