Fairy Roses out of control!

Question

I had fairy roses planted about 3 years ago. In June, there were a lot of “suckers” that I pruned back. Now, there are even more and no new blooms! Wat should I do?

Answer 1

I see some little pink blooms in there which is a good sign. Some of these bloom on last years growth, so pruning them back hard will eliminate blooms for that season. If you are fertilizing them make sure that the fertilizer being used is not high in nitrogen. The high nitrogen fertilizers will give you lots of growth but not many if any blooms. I would prune back some of the canes to thin the bushes out. Prune them back all the way to the ground. Leaving enough for a nice full look yet not overgrown looking. When new shoots come back in those areas, prune them off again before they get big again. This should help with the bushes being overgrown and allow more air circulation which is better for the overall health of the bushes.

Answer 2

thank you! I cut it back today and there were some blooms hiding under all that new growth. do you have any idea why there are so many very long shoots with no buds? thanks again