Q. The bottom branches of my tree roses are extending out into the walkway. I’d like to prune them back so they don’t interfere with the entrance to the house. How far back can I prune them without damaging the tree rose?
A. Tree roses can be pruned back aggressively to keep them in bounds, just like a bush rose. Before pruning, locate the point where the rose is budded to its roots. This is called the bud union. With tree roses, you could have one or two bud unions. One is close to the ground while the other is three to four feet off the ground. The desired rose variety grows above this point. Any growth below the bud union should be removed and is referred to as sucker growth. How much you cut the rose back is a judgment call on your part. It can be twelve inches to twelve feet depending on the situation. I’d cut it back to leaf bud that is pointing away from the walkway. If you strip away last year’s leaves, you should find it on stems or rose canes. In the spring and summer after flowering, you can keep the walkway accessible by pruning back these canes heavier than others.
Q. The leaves on my dwarf lemon are a yellowish color, wrinkled, and some are torn. I’ve looked online as well as in some gardening books and don’t find an answer. How do I green up the leaves and what do I spray for the curly leaf diseases?
A. It’s common for lemon leaves to curl, turn yellow and sometimes even defoliate with the winter from the cold temperatures. So, you do not have any type of leaf curl disease that requires treatment. Also, the ripped and torn leaves are not a big problem. Also, the leaves can take a battering with strong winds during major storms. You just remove the severely torn ones before the flush of spring growth in February or March. The green leaf color returns when the days get longer and warmer. I’d encourage the new growth along with the green leaf color, lemons by feeding them with Citrus Food monthly, starting in February/March through October.
Q. I planted a Deodora Cedar in my front yard, and its already about twelve feet tall. I do not want it to grow huge, maybe around twenty feet tall. How would I go about doing this? Could I cut off the top to keep it under control?
A. With a healthy tree, you really can’t stop it from growing. When it gets too large, you’ll have to either live with it or replace it. I don’t mean to be critical, but why in the world would you plant a tree that wants to grow to forty to sixty feet tall (or more) and expect to maintain it at half that height? 98Topping a tree to reduce or restrict its size is never a good solution. Not only does it destroy the natural and graceful growth habit, but it very often shortens the lifespan, allowing the entry of various disease pathogens and insect pests. It is far better to select a tree or shrub that is expected to grow to the height/spread desired without excessive pruning or topping to keep size in check.
Q. Last summer, I purchased several miniature roses and planted them in large pots. The bushes have done very well. I’m wondering if they need to be pruned?
A. Yes, miniature roses do need pruning but not like the Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora, and Floribunda varieties. Miniature roses are pruned only to keep their shape. It is more like a shearing than pruning individual stems. Depending on the size of the bush, you would remove an inch to six inches of growth. The best time of the year to do so is around Presidents Day weekend, the third weekend of February. This is just before the spring flush of growth develops. Also, after each cycle of blooms, is another excellent time to prune miniature roses, so they keep their shape. You also remove any, and all dead wood should be removed. Also, you should strip off any remaining foliage, clean up the debris that is at the base of each plant and then spray them once with a Copper fungicide to kill the overwintering fungal spores. In March, you apply liquid fertilizer, insecticide, and disease control products. Both Bayer and Bonide have products that do all three tasks.
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