"anne" wrote in message
...

The Devil's Advocate wrote in
message
...



Judy Donovan wrote:
Hi,
We inherited a couple of old shrub roses when we moved into our
house (I believe they are Rosa Windrush). They both flower well but
unfortunately they are in a spot that we intend to turn over to
vegetables. I'd really like to keep them and I'm sure we can fit
the veg beds around them, but they have been supported by an old
dilapidated trellis that we need to move now to start clearing the
ground ready for autumn digging. So my questions a

1. As they're very top heavy they're all the green growth that had
flowers on is flopping over and I'm worried that the strain will
break or damage the stems. They're pretty much finished flowering -
I know technically it's not the right time of year but can I prune
them back now to prevent them getting damaged?

2. If and when I prune how much can I take off? There's about 3 ft
of old wood before any flowering shoots start. Is there anything I
can do to encourage new growth lower down the shrub?

Any advice gratefully received!

Many thanks
Judy

Call me a rebel but I would cut it right down to the ground and move it
in
the autumn with, yes you guessed it, lashings of water

I did exactly this two years ago thinking I had no chance with them, but
they were/are fantastic both this year and last.

I need to do something like that too, but before risking it, please confirm
that I understood you correctly:
(1) You are talking of shrub roses. (of the Rugosa group)
(2) You did not lose a season's flowering. (I am ancient and the loss of a
season's flowers is, if I may be blunt about it, a matter of life and
death).
(3) What time of the year did you prune it?

Thanks in advance,
[Franz Heymann]