Some of your thoughts please

Many of my roses are situated next to colorbond fencing, which (as some members know), causes my plants to grow really tall reaching for the sun. I have hybrids that are close to 8 feet tall. So my question is, after the winter prune and plants are starting to grow, what can I do to make them more bushy and not so leggy? Thanks peoples.

Paul, off the top of the head, two things come to mind, 
@ winter time pruning I would away from the fence, trying to give less reflected heat off the fence.
If you remember from posts that Gary(Balinbear) has given over the years, his pruning is totally different to the rest of us, you might have to adopt this, but in your own way. I would suggest that you might have to cut lower with all your pruning, some of the roses that you have "might" need to be pruned into some of last years wood to achieve this.

Thanks David, because of space, not sure if they can be moved. Can you point me to where Gary's describes his method? With my pruning I usually come down half way, would pruning down to a third be a better way to go? Thanks again

I would think that at any height you prune the canes will still tend to grow towards the light/sun....Have you tried pinching the top off when it gets to the height you want, so forcing canes to push out from below......

Pinching, can you describe on how to do this, some pickiest, would be of great assistants, no pressure, thanks

with your new growth canes, it will come with two small leafs at the top....just pinch these off....

Paul, I wasn't thinking of moving them, I suggest that you prune away from the fence, outward facing buds. As for height of pruning I would go down to about a third and prune thru out the season, but not quite so hard.
I think from memory Gary prunes sort of year round as he has no winter, I can't find exactly where it is mentioned.

Thanks peoples some good ideas, so with pinching as soon as a new cane grows you just keep pinching is that right.

paulh wrote:Thanks peoples some good ideas,  so with pinching as soon as a new cane grows you just keep pinching is that right.

Pinch at the height of the cane you want and before the bud appears...

Ok

The Lazy Rosarian wrote:Paul, off the top of the head, two things come to mind, 
@ winter time pruning I would away from the fence, trying to give less reflected heat off the fence.
If you remember from posts that Gary(Balinbear) has given over the years, his pruning is totally different to the rest of us, you might have to adopt this, but in your own way. I would suggest that you might have to cut lower with all your pruning, some of the roses that you have "might" need to be pruned into some of last years wood to achieve this.

David, thinking more on this topic I posted and reassessing the garden bed, I've come to the conclusion that I am able to widen the bed. I think I can gain about another metre in width, this would pull the roses forward away from the fence.

The thing is, will this be an advantage over where they are now! if so what is a good way of moving the forward with minimal stress to the plants and to me lol,
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neptune wrote:

paulh wrote:Thanks peoples some good ideas,  so with pinching as soon as a new cane grows you just keep pinching is that right.

Pinch at the height of the cane you want and before the bud appears...

thanks for the tip John.

paulh wrote:.....

David, thinking more on this topic I posted and reassessing the garden bed, I've come to the conclusion that I am able to widen the bed. I think I can gain about another metre in width, this would pull the roses forward away from the fence.

The thing is, will this be an advantage over where they are now! if so what is a good way of moving the forward with minimal stress to the plants and to me lol,...

Speaking from my experience of moving roses  plants all around - even 14 year old ones - the roses will love where they are the fence will act as a wind breaker shielding the roses radiating warmth protecting from frost and cold.  The growth will be equal all around. it is even better if the fence is a slatted wooded with gaps in between  the wind break and frost buckets all will be in a good balance and the rose  get the air through its body. It is even better you would get cut roses at the table even in the coldest winter... I do any way...

Alya wrote:

paulh wrote:.....

David, thinking more on this topic I posted and reassessing the garden bed, I've come to the conclusion that I am able to widen the bed. I think I can gain about another metre in width, this would pull the roses forward away from the fence.

The thing is, will this be an advantage over where they are now! if so what is a good way of moving the forward with minimal stress to the plants and to me lol,...

Speaking from my experience of moving roses  plants all around - even 14 year old ones - the roses will love where they are the fence will act as a wind breaker shielding the roses radiating warmth protecting from frost and cold.  The growth will be equal all around. it is even better if the fence is a slatted wooded with gaps in between  the wind break and frost buckets all will be in a good balance and the rose  get the air through its body. It is even better you would get cut roses at the table even in the coldest winter... I do any way...

Thanks for that Alya, the issue with the fence, it is white colorbond which reflects the heat. Here in Perth during summer the heat is extreme and for long periods, which tends to cause my plants to suffer a bit.

How many hours a day would the sun be on those roses...?

paulh wrote:

Thanks for that Alya, the issue with the fence, it is white colorbond which reflects the heat. Here in Perth during summer the heat is extreme and for long periods, which tends to cause my plants to suffer a bit.

Paulh,
I…Err..mm....to be honest I envy you having this dilemma in a way...I wish I had the same situation you are in now.. It would have been an excuse for me to first plant a sulphur ivy right against the fence to reduce the reflection of heat and then if this did not work perhaps fill that area with baking hot pippin heat loving roses like Monica Bellucci Mutabilis  Chesnut rose and so on. I would definitely have a go at growing Rosa Gigantea. I read that this rose has huge massive at least 30cm across flowers. I would do my best to find the rose that had flowers more than 30cm in diameter and so on.  

I would definitely take those roses off you and let you have the roses you like and suitable to that area.. I wish you all the best..

John or Paul, can you fella's place a link to your position in Western Australia relating to the weather, I understand Ayla's idea as I have seen this in England, so the conditions are opposites.
To be honest Paul, with widening the beds, I agree, think  on this idea for a day or so.
 
How about you leave the plants where they are and prune them away from the fence and encourage the growth to where you would have planted the bushes, might take a whole season, you will get the same airflow behind them and lessen the heat from the fence, just my way on saving you some work.

Paul

I have made time and look at the Colorbond fencing and I learn that Colorbond is a steel structure fencing. Here in the UK this type of structure is very very expensive. the price is almost equal to buying an "affordable house"...if I was able to afford it I would definitely choose to have the colorbond fencing indeed..

In the summer you can fry an egg on this steel structure. I now see your point of view. ..still I envy the dilemma ...the heat in a way..

If you don't mind me asking  Why have you guys in Australia given up planting heat loving climbers plants against such steel structure?  I am sure some of you must have tried?

because I know in the Mediterranean area where the temperature is continuous above 37 degree for at least 3 months with no rain whatsoever –from May till November to be precise - people - that’s we - cooked and -still do - delicious grape wine wrapping and ate the grapes, enjoyed the Lady Banks Rose and throughout the summer enjoyed the flowers of the Bougainvillea.  It was cheaper and easier to the eye to plant against such structure...

It would be interesting to hear the reason …apart from the obvious reason that this fencing is too expensive to maintain… paint... and so on. Or is it a completely different pricing and reasons compared to England?

The Lazy Rosarian wrote:John or Paul, can you fella's place a link to your position in Western Australia relating to the weather,

David, Paul is just north of Fremantle and I am just south of Fremantle.....

Alya wrote:

paulh wrote:

Thanks for that Alya, the issue with the fence, it is white colorbond which reflects the heat. Here in Perth during summer the heat is extreme and for long periods, which tends to cause my plants to suffer a bit.

Paulh,
I…Err..mm....to be honest I envy you having this dilemma in a way...I wish I had the same situation you are in now.. It would have been an excuse for me to first plant a sulphur ivy right against the fence to reduce the reflection of heat and then if this did not work perhaps fill that area with baking hot pippin heat loving roses like Monica Bellucci Mutabilis  Chesnut rose and so on. I would definitely have a go at growing Rosa Gigantea. I read that this rose has huge massive at least 30cm across flowers. I would do my best to find the rose that had flowers more than 30cm in diameter and so on.  

I would definitely take those roses off you and let you have the roses you like and suitable to that area.. I wish you all the best..

Thanks Alya

Here is a map of Perth metro area, disregard the red triangle, hope this helps David. Not exactly sure where John lives.

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Alya wrote:Paul

I have made time and look at the Colorbond fencing and I learn that Colorbond is a steel structure fencing. Here in the UK this type of structure is very very expensive.  the price is almost equal to buying an "affordable house"...if I was able to afford it I would definitely choose to have the colorbond fencing indeed..

In the summer you can fry an egg on this steel structure. I now see your point of view. ..still I envy the dilemma ...the heat in a way..

If you don't mind me asking  Why have you guys in Australia given up planting heat loving climbers plants against such steel structure?  I am sure some of you must have tried?

because I know in the Mediterranean area where the temperature is continuous above 37 degree for at least 3 months with no rain whatsoever –from May till November to be precise - people - that’s we - cooked and -still do - delicious grape wine wrapping and ate the grapes, enjoyed the Lady Banks Rose and throughout the summer enjoyed the flowers of the Bougainvillea.  It was cheaper and easier to the eye to plant against such structure...

It would be interesting to hear the reason …apart from the obvious reason that this fencing is too expensive to maintain… paint... and so on. Or is it a completely different pricing  and reasons compared to England?

Thanks Alya, point taken about climbers for the fence, my problem is that the bed isn't very wide to accommodate other plants. Bougainvillea is a very hardy heat resistant dry weather climber, however, from past experience I've found then to be quite lethal with there thorns and tend to want to overtake. Also is you mentioned the colorbond fencing is expensive so you want to look after it.

The Lazy Rosarian wrote:John or Paul, can you fella's place a link to your position in Western Australia relating to the weather, I understand Ayla's idea as I have seen this in England, so the conditions are opposites.
To be honest Paul, with widening the beds, I agree, think  on this idea for a day or so.
 
How about you leave the plants where they are and prune them away from the fence and encourage the growth to where you would have planted the bushes, might take a whole season, you will get the same airflow behind them and lessen the heat from the fence, just my way on saving you some work.

Now David, if one was feeling up to it, would it be a bad idea to move them forward, eg: would the cope with the move, having to cut through the root system etc.

"Now David, if one was feeling up to it, would it be a bad idea to move them forward, eg: would the cope with the move, having to cut through the root system etc."

David I am looking forward to your answer too.

So far I believe I moved about 500 roses in my life time. A have been chasing the roots and  lifting the roses  as a bare root the same way you buy bare root roses. This is causing me lots of time.

Once I was mad enough to spend almost 7 hours in December - the mid of the winter for us  - to move a 45 years old rose. But it worked.

I wouldn't mind reducing this time.

paulh wrote:Here is a map of Perth metro area, disregard the red triangle, hope this helps David. Not exactly sure where John lives.

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And I live bottom left