Cutting back this wild rose bush

Firstly I'm not entirely sure of the correct name for this Rose bush (see attached image). But it produces lovely peach coloured roses, quite large.

My question is how much should I cut this back and how/where exactly should I cut it? It gets quite leggy and doesn't produce many flowers (maybe 4/5 a year). But I think that's due to my care of it.

Many thanks

 

I am surprised that you state that it produces 'only 4-5 a year' for it appears to have numerous rose hips across it. Each is produced by a flower.
From the photo it seems to have 5 or 6 main stems; including one that has lighter (peeling?) bark. I would cut three of the stems, including the peeler ,to 15 " above ground. Pull out all the associated branches you have severed . This will allow light and air into the top.Shorten to tidy, any straggy weak stems.
Wait until early Spring, examine the cut back stems and prune above an outward growing bud, to reduce to 9"
You could, to advantage, cut back much of the competing vegetation and apply a liberal mulch of FYM or 6X.
If this is successful, repeat with the other stems next year.

 

I'm seeing things a little differently. What I think has happened there is that your rose, the one that produces just 5 or 6 apricot coloured blooms a year, has been invaded by suckering rootstock. Those bright red flagon shaped hips are indicative of rootstock flowers. Did you not notice in June that they produced small white or light pink flowers for about 2 weeks?

Your rose which I think is likely 'Compassion', an apricot coloured shrub or climber, that develops into that shape with modern foliage like that, is gradually being demolished by the rootstock suckers which will eventually kill it off if not dealt with. This is why your rose has only produced 5 or 6 blooms, all the energy is going into the suckers.

Unless you can remove those suckers right at the base, you need to sort of yank them out, then your 'Compassion' rose will give up the ghost.

 

Now you mention it yes ... Lots of white flowers earlier on this year. I just assumed that was from the same plant?!?

I need to have another look but I was sure this was all the same plant. And that everything was stemming from the main branch system.

I will take a look tomorrow and report back.

Thanks

 

Ok I took a good look and it seems to me that the rose hips are sprouting from the main rose bush branches and not from the soil (as a rootstock suckers are described to do). So not sure where that leaves things?

 

It depends on where the original graft was. Sometimes, there is a section of the stem of rootstock rose left upright, and the new variety is grafted onto that, leaving the possibility for another shoot to later develop on that section of rootstock 'stem'.
I think this is what has happened to your rose.
Such a bud would soon grow much stronger than the wanted variety, and the original graft may be hard to find now.
Try following the wanted variety back and see if you can spot the graft, then cut back anything but that wanted stem.

 

To do that I would need it to flower again (the desired rose) which won't happen now until next year (I believe).

Would a better plan be to cut the rose back completely to the lowest point say 12 inches or so off the ground?