Drooping David

Some of you have commented that David Austin roses are lax and floppy because of the heavy flowers. Sure - the flowers are big and heavy especially after rain. But there is no need to worry about droop - the remedy is simple :D


When you buy a rose, the stems are only about a foot high. After planting, they will grow long, but soft and the first flowers will cause the stems to droop. If you prune back hard, then the same thing will happen next year and every year. David Austin roses look best as informal rounded shrubs. So - don't prune them hard back. Reduce the long soft stems by about a quarter and support with link stakes or similar, just for the first two years. The supported stems will harden up and give you a rigid framework. The following year you can allow the shrub to grow as tall as you want (some of mine are 7 foot tall) Now you prune just to tidy up and keep the centre of the shrub fairly open. Your stems are now woody and firm - no more droop :D I often think that rose grows love their secateurs more than their roses. Forget the Percy Thrower school of pruning. Those little inverted umbrella hybrid teas put me off growing any roses for years Feed organically of course - chemical fertilisers will produse soft and sappy lush growth with no strength

 

Hornbeam this is really sound advise and your DA roses look splendid.

My objection to DA roses os that where as the odd one has been strong, the majority have been thin spindly weak bushes. I have just dug three of them out this spring with the intention of trying them in a different position, but I think it is going to be a waste of time.

I love the old fashioned character of them and repeat flowering a bonus, but they just don'tlike me.

 

I would agree that age brings more strength - and prune gently for that reason. But I still find them a bit lax, compared with hybrid teas, and floribundas - even the Harkness roses

 

This rose was "heeled" in 18 months ago just by the greenhouse whilst I found a suitable spot. Sorry about the mess - I haven't weeded as its all being dug up, and I had just thrown somw bits out the greenhouse to take to the dustbin....

DA Cottage Rose - No floppiness here!!!

 

Thid DA rose must be about 20 years old, one of the first "English Roses" I should think. Because I paid SO much for it , I dug it up and took it wioth me when I moved. I could not stand chucking it so I stuck it in back of border. after finishing the building work, the rose had more prominance, and now I have to admit looks half reasonable!





AND I love the colour.

 

Nice one, but I am just wondering if you are not over pruning. Mine average 6 foot high and about 5 foot across with very many more blooms - none of which droop.

 

actually not sure I ever pruned it! BUT when you see the stump I must have or someone must have. From what I remember it suckered so much that eventually I gave up. Its just been neglected because it never performed.

 

Suckered? None of mine ever have - that's strange. Generally, the DA roses grow too big for smaller gardens and they have to be reduced. I go over mine with an electric hedge trimmer during the first week of march. They want to grow into large round shrubs and are not suited to hybrid tea type pruning at all.

This photo gives an idea of the typical shape - it is about 7 foot high.

 

Thats amazing, I only prune scraggly bits off, but still a long way of 7 ft! as I said, they just don't like me althoughI enjoy my mild flirtation with them.

 

Not so droopy David Be fair now - you can't get a more upstanding rose than this. The photo shows the top of Mayor of Casterbridge which is way up above my head and I'm six feet tall :D Loads more bud to open yet :D

 

Scratch your eyes out hornbeam.......ahhhh thats lovely. still can't believe you do it with hedge trimmer!

 

don't believe alll you hear about trimming with a hedge cutter! e-mail me if you want to know - don't want to be sued for libel or slander!!!! :D

 

:confused: Are you casting doubt upon my veracity Dendo? I use an electric hedge trimmer on the David Austin roses, forsythia, yew, prunus and anything else that needs a trim. The only other rose pruning that I do is to take out any dead wood or bably placed stems. The hedge trimmer takes off the top growth and allows the lower stems to thicken up naturally. It is the same effect as a browsing animal eating fresh new growth and leaving woody stuff alone. Result - my DAs don't droop :D