[Novice]

As much as I'm a novice vegetable gardener....I'm a total "know-nothing" about Roses.
We have several types in our garden, and despite annual pruning ( as per various books and In-Law advice ) every year the same thing happens....they get ver leggy, and although they do flower ( quite profusely in some instances ) when the flowers come, they weigh the whole thing down, and they just bow over looking a bit sorry for themselves.
What am I doing wrong ??

[hermon]

are they climbers?

[Novice]

No, they're shrub roses ( is there such a thing ?? )
Someone told me to use a feed specific for Roses, as generic plant food contains too much ( or was it not enough ? ) nitrogen.
Does that sound feasible ?

[wellingtons]

... like you've getting too much growth which is quite weak.  Do you feed at all?  What kind of soil? How much sun do they get?

[James]

Prune them harder.  Much harder.

The nitrogen will make it create more green and less flower, but I'm not convinced that it would give you WEAK stems.

[becky]

Hi there, If you are pruning them as "the book" says, then you are encouraging blooms, and they will weigh the stems down. Roses are surprisingly hardy, you could probably take a hedge cutter to it, and it would still come back! I'm with James on this one, prune them really hard, like pretty much to the ground, but not below the graft, if you can see it, it may be buried. As for feeding, I just mulch ours with horse manure, a really thick layer in the autumn, then another thick layer in the early summer. I wouldn't have thought the kind of feed would give weak stems, I would put that down to the variety of rose.

[James]

I was just wondering what sort of rose it is.  A big floribunda like Queen Elizabeth can as Becky says have so many blooms that it flops.  You could try cutting off some of the buds as they form if it worries you that much.

[flymo01]

Pruning shrub roses

What are you trying to achieve?

What you are doing is to cut out some of the old flowering wood from last year to encourage fresh new flowering shoots to grow.

What do you do in the Spring?

First, take out any dead or weak shoots.

Then remove any that are growing into the middle or rubbing against other shoots.

Then remove about 25% of the old shoots (cut to about 6in from the ground).

If your rose flowers twice per year, you should cut all the remaining shoots to about 1/3rd of their height.

Remember, always try to cut just above an outward pointing bud.

What do you do in the summer?

If you are growing a rose for its hips, then leave the faded blooms on.
Otherwise, to encourage a second flowering, snap off any fading blooms.

Feeding your Roses

Why?

If you feed your roses properly you will get much better growth and flowers. And a well fed rose is more able to resist diseases.

When?

After pruning in the spring (Feb-March) and again immediately after flowering (end of June).

How?

It's easiest just to use a special rose food, such as TopRose or a  balanced fertilizer that doesnt contain a high Nitrogen content.

Hint

For spectacular results, spray every fortnight when your rose is in leaf with a Foliar-Feed, such as Phostrogen or a Tomato Feed. All container grown roses will need this additional feed to thrive. Remember, never spray plants when the sun is shining strongly - wait until the evening otherwise the sun will burn the leaves.

Mulching

Roses' feeding roots are close to the surface, so they can dry out in the summer. That's why it helps to put a 3-4in layer of well rotted compost or manure around the base of your roses during the growing period to keep them moist.

Watering
If you want your roses to be healthy, don't let them dry out, especially if they are newly planted or next to a wall where they don't get much rain. Don't water when the sun is shining brightly otherwise you might burn the leaves. Soak well, do not just spray the surface.

[chutneymaster]

As much as I'm a novice vegetable gardener....I'm a total "know-nothing" about Roses.
We have several types in our garden, and despite annual pruning ( as per various books and In-Law advice ) every year the same thing happens....they get ver leggy, and although they do flower ( quite profusely in some instances ) when the flowers come, they weigh the whole thing down, and they just bow over looking a bit sorry for themselves.
What am I doing wrong ??

The gardeners at RHS Wisley now prune with a hedge trimmer, straight across the top of the plant (hybrid tee and florabunda) I usually cut about 8 inches above ground level, works for me. Keep the bottom of the plants covered with compost or grass cuttings to retain moisture.

Hope this helps