Are these big red shoots normal???

catman

Sorry for this possibly stupid question but I'm a complete novice gardener and sure everyone has to learn somewhere. For one reason or another I haven't been able to get out to the garden for the past week or so and when I did tonight I noticed these large red shoots on a climbing rose I planted at the end of March. they weren't there a week ago or at least if they were then they were too small to notice.

I moved into the house 3 years ago but have only this year tackled the garden. I have 4 climbing roses which I am training and which were all planted at the same time. They are all doing great but these red shoots are new to me. They are a completely different colour to the rest of the branches and about twice the size at approx half an inch thick.

Are they normal or should i snip them?

James Kilkelly · Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 12:34 am Post subject:

They look like suckers growing from the rose graft catman.
They will require removal.
More here..... Rose suckers

catman · Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 10:44 am Post subject:

So the roots and the plant above ground may be two seperate plants grafted together and these suckers are coming from the root, hence the different colour??? Have I got that right. I'll get at them later on with the snips. Thanks GPI.

James Kilkelly · Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 12:34 pm Post subject:

As far as I can see yes catman.
The suckers growths grow to the detriment of your originally selected rose.
They may have a totally different flower type to what you originally wished for as well.
Time for a snip I think. Wink

Liparis · Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 3:30 pm Post subject:

Don't just snip them off at ground level, you'll encourage more. Clear the soil away until you find where it emerges from the root stock and cut it off clean and close.
Bill.

michael brenock · Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:17 pm Post subject:

i hope that I am not too late to offer my suggestion and i have good reason to believe that this is not a sucker shoot from the rootstock but an extra vigorous shoot from the rose itself. Suckers should be traced back to source and then pulled off.
i hope i am right. give it another 2-3 weeks.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

catman · Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 9:04 pm Post subject:

Just too late Michael, they got the snip this evening. Embarassed

I dug down to the source and it was hard to see were they coming from the root or not so I just decided to give them the snip anyway just in case. Thats novices for you!!!!

frengers80 · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:09 pm Post subject: rose suckers

hi,i know its a bit late to save these particular roses,but maybe will help in the future.Most rose suckers will appear green as young shoots and usually have 2 extra leaves when compared to the normal rose leaves and thes should be removed as sugested above.hope this helps

forest flame · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:18 pm Post subject:

as above normally roses have 5 leaves and suckers and wild roses have 7 leaves and the red is a sign of vigorous growth as michael said

catman · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 10:36 pm Post subject:

Have had lots of these red shoots all summer and have left them grow. The rose bushes are huge now : ) Have one particular shoot 7 foot tall and huge gorgeous red roses on them. There are ramblers so just waiting till they stop flowering to cut them back. How far back should they be cut?

frengers80 · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:09 pm Post subject: rose pruning

hi,you might still get another flush of roses this season,i have roses up till christmas on one particular variety(tequlia sunrise)so i wouldnt prune back to hard just yet.as the flowers fade remove them,i would take it back down to just above a leaf node 5 0r 6 leaves from the top,to an outward facing bud.some varieties might already have sprouted a new side shoot on the flowing stem,if so prune to that point.a sloping cut at 45 degrees away from the bud is best.later in the year you can reduce the stem a lot futher to reshape the bush and to remove weak/diseased shoots.this will also stop the wind rocking the plant loose during the winter.