When Less is More: Pruning, a Few Brief Thoughts

A few axioms: Prune new own root babies not at all for at least a couple of years. They need all their leaves and canes. Never cut across primary or secondary climbing canes, rather remove at the poin of origin. Cut lateral blooming canes back to three to five bud eyes to promote bloom. Peg or weigh down canes of arching shrubs for more bloom. Know the difference between pruning and training and the need for the year around practice of both. Train long canes when they are still bendable. Patrol your garden at least twice after temperatures that drop to the low edge of your zone. Go walkabout a few days after the freeze and again in about a week; leave dark purple wood, a normal cane color; prune piano key black freeze damage immediately back to green wood with a white center. Stopping black rot prevents freeze damage from traveling down the cane and stops the death of whole canes, and sometimes, the whole plant if the freeze rot goes into the root zone.

3 D COW, a general guide for selecting what to prune:
From our friend, Linnea Clark, see Linnea's Rose™

Dead, Damaged, and Diseased
These instances must be pruned, on even the babies, to prevent decline and death.

Crossed, Old, and Wimpy
These occurrences are debatable and the need to prune them depends on the type of rose, the wind, and whether wimpy is needed. Old canes require pruning only as they become less productive and when a younger cane is coming along as replacement.

POO or Pruning at the Point of Origin
This is an important concept when thinning out the canes of a climber or large shrub to avoid ugly star bursts of new canes that occur when canes are out across rather than where they emerge from the ground or another cane.

There is also pruning to maintain a certain size in a certain spot. Planting the correct size rose in the first place reduces the need for this.

Ordering with the Discounts and Specials
During the month of October buy 10 roses and choose 1 of our $12.50 bands as a free gift. At the end of the ordering process, a window will appear for you to tell us which free band you would like. In the same input box, you may let us know if you would like 2 free roses from us that have lost their labels.

If you are a member of the American Rose Society, the Heritage Rose Foundation, or a Heritage Rose Group, you may choose to receive a 10% membership discount on roses that you order in any quantity when you provide us with your membership number and expiration date. This membership discount does not go with any other specials or sales that we offer.

This is your chance to bring lovely Paul Barden roses into your garden and we are very excited to have them available once again!

	Contact us at: info@roguevalleyroses.com Phone and fax: (541) 535-1307

We are open to customers on Wednesday afternoon from 2:00 to 6:00 for pickup of orders previously placed online or over the phone.
Call or email us for directions or for an appointment to visit at another time.