PROPER FLOWER CUTTING

Proper Flower Cutting
Keeps Rose Bushes Blooming

Ed Perry
Farm Advisor
http://cestanislaus.ucdavis.edu/files/179.htm

As I enter my office each morning this time of the year, I’m greeted by a row of rose bushes in full flowering glory. Chances are you have been enjoying your own roses as well, maybe just admiring them in the garden, or cutting a few for the house. While most people probably don’t think much about it, the way you cut roses helps determine your plant’s future blooming and growth patterns.

If you look at a hybrid tea rose or any other rose plant that has one bloom to a stem, you’ll notice that the leaves nearest the flowers have three leaflets, or sometimes even one leaflet. As you look down the stem you will come to leaves that have five leaflets. The bud just at the base of a five-leaflet leaf usually has the greatest potential of developing into another strong, flower-bearing stem. With a pair of sharp pruning shears, cut the stem about a quarter-inch above the first five-leaflet leaf; the bud at the base of the leaf now becomes dominant, with ample sunlight and sufficient energy to develop into a flower-bearing stem. Often, the plant has enough energy to stimulate a second bud at the base of the next leaf down the stem, and two flowering stems grow where there had been one. Certain types of roses, like floribundas and polyanthas, bloom in clusters. You can keep these blooming by cutting off the faded clusters to a point a quarter-inch above a five-leaflet leaf.

Try not to cut much over a quarter-inch above the leaf when you’re cutting flowers; a long stub often dies back and looks unsightly. On the other hand, if you cut less than a quarter-inch, you risk injuring the new bud at the base of the leaf.

If you are interested in growing large blooms for flower arranging, allow the first bud to grow at the top of the stem. If any other flower buds begin to grow below this main bud, pinch them off when they are about a quarter of an inch long. With all of the stem’s energy going into a single flower, the remaining rosebud will grow larger than normal.

As you cut flowers, also be on the lookout for suckers, which are fast growing shoots that arise from the rootstock at the base of the plant. Suckers are usually very vigorous, and can outgrow the top of the plant unless you control them. Cut off suckers close to the rootstock whenever you see them. You may need to carefully pull soil away from the base of the plant to cut the sucker close to the rootstock. Shoots that grow above the bud union are not suckers, and should be allowed to grow.

Keep in mind that when you cut flowers, you also remove foliage that feeds the plant. Too much cutting can weaken plants, especially newly planted or old rose bushes that are low in vigor. If you have a plant that is growing poorly, stop cutting until the plant’s vigor improves. Also remember that a good irrigation, fertilization and pest control program keeps rose plants growing and blooming their best.

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Thank you Ed. I've given up forecasting.

BB