Rose Dieback: what is it, really?

 

Ah, a phrase to strike terror into the heart of most gardeners, especially those of us who were originally RHS trained: rose dieback.

It occurs when roses are badly pruned, and it can be very detrimental to the plant: and when I say “pruned” that also includes “dead headed”, so it's worth knowing about it now, in the middle of summer, when deadheading is a regular occurrence.

So, what do we know about deadheading roses?

When a blossom, or spray of blossoms, has finished, it needs to be removed, otherwise the plant will waste energy making seeds (hips/haws) instead of sending up more flower buds.

An exception to this “rule” would be Rosa glauca:

 .. which we leave, because it produces rather nice shapely hips - or haws, still not sure of the difference - later in the year: plus it only flowers once anyway, so we might just as well leave them.

Otherwise, it's off with their heads!

And most people - well, most/all gardeners, not so many Clients - already know about making a sloping cut, just above an outward facing bud:

 

 

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Salix Kilmarnock: knowing when to call it a day

Now, anyone who follows me for any length of time, or who has spent any time flipping through my archive blog will know that I often write about a particular grafted ornamental weeping tree, generally known just as Salix 'Kilmarnock'. They come in a range of sizes, from tiny little things less than a yard high (1m) which I think look ridiculous, but that's just my opinion - right up to hefty great things whose canopy might be maybe 10' high: but the usual size is about breast or head height, and the whole point of these trees is that they don't get any taller. They just get denser.

This is what they are supposed to look like - this was taken in February, so the weeping branches are bare of leaves, and you can just see the beginnings of catkins, and daffodils:

 

Today I received an email from Mandy, who says

“I cut down my Kilmarnock willow mainly because it was growing at a 45 degree angle. The regrowth is vigorous and upright. How should I maintain it until it starts to eventually droop over?”

And this is the photo which she sent:

 

 

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