Re: roses

In a message dated 4/14/2003 11:02:46 AM Central Standard Time, 
gardenchat-owner@hort.net writes:

> Hey, if your roses bloom in January, when do you
> prune them?? And I would love more info on that
> 

Hi Pam, I'm not the person you asked, my apologies for butting in.
My antique roses bloom all year so figured I'd offer some info also.  And, I 
also had to prune my hybrids while blooming, the few years I was able to grow 
them.

I have to admit that it takes some courage to trim them back when they are 
blooming so nicely.  Since many of the antique roses don't need as much 
annual pruning as hybrids, there are some years that I don't prune them 
severly, just light pruning through the year to shape as I cut off spent 
blooms.   However, as in this year, they were just too big and needed some 
pruning...... I just bit the bullet, waited till the avg. last freeze date 
and pruned....knowing that they would be prettier in the long run, yet I 
would lose perhaps a month of blooms.  

Fortunately, it doesn't hurt the roses at all to prune them when they are 
blooming.
I believe it is a misconception that roses must be dormant in order to prune. 
 I think the concept is to wait until spring due to the fact that they don't 
want the new growth to freeze.....and in warmer climates, I think people much 
enjoy the winter blooms, and therefore wait until spring as well.....quicker 
re-growth and bloom.  I can't even remember when the last time was that the 
roses here went dormant.

Noreen
zone 9
Texas Gulf Coast

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