[catllar]

We bit the bullet and started to prune our rambler which covers a good portion of the house. Since it was planted 7 years ago it's only been lightishly trimmed to keep it from having your eye out. It has now got silly out of control - it covers a span of over 20 metres round the front of the house and is now making stealth moves up to the first floor terrace and across the garage roof.  It's never really seemed the right time to whack into it as it flowers almost all year round, only stopping if there is a prolonged cold snap.

Result so far is that I now have light in the kitchen and the first section of the plant has been cut right back to the framework and is now bald! Got to carry on now with the rest of it. Just hope it'll grow back. Still, it has two choices, doesn't it?

 It grows in a very small (about 60x60cm) concrete encased hole in the ground at the foot of a pillar, gets very little water, bakes in the sun, has never been fed and is resistant to every bug and disease known to rose. It has large single pale lemon flowers and is called Mermaid. On the down side it is very very very vicious.

Have I made a bad move cutting it back now?

[mumofstig]

I'm sure it'll be just fine  It's a beautiful monster of a rose 

[catllar]

Do you reckon I should change the habit of a lifetime and feed the beast or is it too late in the season now ?

[mumofstig]

I'd do it in the spring 

[catllar]

right. thanks.

[sunshineband]

It sounds a rose full of character, and with a brisk prune out will reward you even more next year, especially with a good feed in the Spring 


Having light in the kitchen now must be good though 

[catllar]

Thanks for the input. Just as a closure, we took out 3 large trailerloads of wood from the thing and it didn't want to give up even to the point of hanging on to the trailer as OH tried to empty it at the dechetterie - perhaps it could hear  the chomper licking its lips in anticipation!