Alan Titchmarsh gives advice on growing shrub roses
Roses are one of the most stunning plants in UK gardens, however, they present quite a few problems for gardeners.
One such issue gardeners will find with that is that they can develop suckers.
Rose suckers are any growth that comes from the ground near the stem but is not part of the main shoot.
They are easily identifiable because they are generally longer and more slender than the rose bush originally planted, with different thorns and leaves.
William Mitchell of Sutton Manor Nursery has urged for gardeners to remove these parts of a rose plant “as soon as possible”.
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He claimed that suckers are frequently found in the summer months and can be “very dangerous”.
As sucker shoots grow so vigorously, they are at risk of stealing nutrients and water from the main body of the plant.
As a result, this weakens the rose and may eventually kill it if they are not removed.
They can be found on a huge range of different plants, and are “especially found in the summer months on roses” and tree bases.
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Sucker shoots often tend to crop up after damage to the plant’s roots occurs.
With roses, William explained that the suckers “steal vital nutrients away from the plant” which results in “weakening it,” so they need to be “removed as soon as possible”.
Removing suckers from plants can be a very tedious process. It is extremely important to remove the suckers as close as possible to the point of origin on the roots.
Most gardeners use their hands to snap them off. Since roses tend to have sharp thorns on the stems, gardeners should probably wear thick gardening gloves to protect their hands. A small trowel is also useful for moving dirt around.
The expert instructed: “To ensure that the majority of basal buds are removed you should look to tear as opposed to cutting. This is done to reduce the chance of regrowth.”
After removing the suckers, gardeners need to keep an eye on their roses to ensure any unusual growth returns.
As suckers tend to form on plants that are stressed, regular watering, deadheading of spent blooms, and seasonal pruning will help rose plants stay healthy and ward off future suckers.
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