Pruning a Tea? Help please.

My Frances Dubrueil has been in the ground for a year now and I'm seeking advice on whether/ how it needs to be pruned. This is the only Tea I've grown so have no experience, but I know help is at hand here. From my reading, I gather that no pruning should be necessary for the first 3 years, apart from obvious dead or damaged stems. Is this right? Frances still has a few blooms and only a few leaves, about 2ft high, same width. What do you recommend?

Do we really have Francis Dubrieul in Australia, or is it actually Barcelona (as in the States)? If it's Barcelona, I would assume it would be OK to prune as for other HTs.

(Disclaimer: this girl actually has no roses, but rather spends too much time on the internet).

I will consult my Tea book re: the above when it finally arrives later this week, but hopefully someone more knowledgable can chime in before then.

OK thanks Muscovy. As far as I know, this is really a Frances, she's delicate and growth is quite spindly but very healthy and looks like a tea to me, but then I have limited knowledge of Teas anyway.

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Yes, where is Gary when we need him?!

Silky, if it looks like a tea, I can't help you! But that's great news! It's awesome if we have the real Francis here, not the HT imposter that those poor souls in the States have

Silky I'm sure Gary will give u an advice either way , but with mine I don't prune them till at least three years old ( teas)

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Hi Guys I am here and sorry I missed this post last night.

Asking me for pruning advice is probably like asking me something about watching  AFL. I am simply not interested in doing it. However, I do some every now and then so I will share our experiences.

We have found that pruning Teas is a bit of hit and miss. Some can take a good hard prune (Comm de Labarthe, Mons Tillier) while others (Mme Lambard and Rosette Delizy) will hate you for it and eventually pull up stumps and pass away. Also let the plant grow for a couple of years before you cut them back too much.

All can take a light/moderate prune without too much damage to them but be careful. Cut out the dead stuff and trim them back a little. You have to remember generally Teas are big bushes not like Hybrid Teas etc which are grown specifically for flowers. I was talking to a fellow in California who is using Teas in landscaping projects. They are nice large shrubs that flower most of the year.

Our couple of "Francis Dubrieul" have been disappointing. Very small with not a lot of flowers. We have never really needed to prune them and don't think they would like it all that much. I think they prefer the cold.

So anyway have fun but be careful.

 

The advice is very sound with the point being different roses require different pruning so knowing your roses is very important.

Knowing your roses is also important when judging roses.

Thank you so much guys for your advice. I will now be able to relax and let Francis be, without thinking I should be "doing" something. My little tea doesn't have much congestion at this stage and no dead stuff so I won't touch it. Thanks again.

If in doubt - don't, particularly with Teas. As Balinbear has so eloquently described, prune with caution, or not at all.
I have pruned a couple of teas (and Bourbons) as for HT's with disastrous results...Lady Hillingdon is still sulking.
My 12 ms old Francis Dubrieul (Tea lady's question if a true tea) continues to offer it's dark red, deliciously perfumed flowers - I would not dare prune it!