# how do i prune these bushes



## profenx (Aug 23, 2009)

Hello people!
First time dealing with plants, yards, flowerbeds. I bought some pruners, a cultivator and some shovels! 

Here is a picture of my rose bush in the flower bed. I have 4. A pink, red, and 2 with no flowers. 1 of those two isn't even growing leaves 
The flowers are blooming like mad. I had pruned them down to 2 feet high in january. Now there are leaves and flowers all over the place. I thought roses had one flower from a branch but there are maybe 2-6 blooming from a branch. Some have small flowers branching from a larger branch. The flowers are dying now. It seems a bit heavy and messy. Am I suppose to leave them alone or start cutting off the leaves from the bottom 2 feet and snip off the dying flowers? I see other rose bushes and they are clean on the bottom and have long branches that are maybe 3 or 4 feet with few flowers. Mine are maybe 2 feet high and growing wide not high.








So i read that you only prune before spring and prune any dead stuff year round. What am I suppose to do? It's so fat it'll fall over soon!

Not sure if you can see the white flowers with yellow center behind it. It was a small lil sucker and now it's huge. Do i trim these also? Sorry, no idea what kind of bush it is.




















The picture above are in the front of my house. They look messy too. What kind of bush is it? How do you trim these? I cut them back a lil and tried to make them look like one straight row. Maybe they are suppose to be round? I cut the top trying to make it straight too. There is one white flower bloom in the whole 8 feet of bush. It's about knee high maybe 2-3 feet?









These white things are growing like mad. I would like to know it's name also if anyone could find out. I pulled some out cuz they were covering so much area. Empty spot used to have a pot there. Do I cut these short too? will they grow back? They looked nice when they were 3 inches tall and white. Now they are leaning sideways and stuff and I'm not liking it. It started with maybe 2 flowers and they spread pretty quickly. I like the white in the flower bed but when they are leaning over it looks stupid.

Thanks in advance for your advice and help in identifying these plants and how they should be maintained! I'm clueless. I like trying to be a gardener  but sometimes it hurts my back and knees and my hands get tired. damn weeds take hours to pull out every week! 

-Profen


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

Did you plant the roses or where they already there? If I tell you all the different types of roses your head will spin but you need to know. Go the library and get a couple of books. That will help you more than we can tell and show you here.

The red one you show here is a shrub rose. Looks like maybe a 'Knockout.' That one never needs pruning but can be if needed to keep it in bounds. I prefer to give the 6-8 feet it needs and leave it alone. There are floribundas, hybrid teas, polyannas, climbers and ramblers and crosses between. Some have a spray of blooms on each stalk, some only one or two.

Roses drop the blooms after a few days, depending on weather and variety. On the shrubs you do not have to worry about cutting them off; on the teas you do.

I know this is getting confusing and it's hard to teach a rose class here unless you have a particular problem with one or two.


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## profenx (Aug 23, 2009)

Thanks for replying! 
I have no idea what type they are cuz they were here when I got the house. The red and white look similar in growth and blooms. 
I read about the different types but not many have pictures of different angles to see. I haven't been to the library to actually get a book. Been reading online material so far. I'll check out a book when i find a library. New to the area 

I'm wondering if i need to dead head these. Since I don't have to prune it does that mean I can to make it look tidy or will it ruin the bush?

Thanks!


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## GardenConcepts (Jan 21, 2010)

Definitely dead head the rose- they will continue to bloom more profusely. Shrub roses can be pruned hard, preferably in early spring just as new growth starts. An old 4' x 4' Shrub Rose or Knockout Rose can easily tolerate being cut in half. During the season, you can prune back individual canes 6" or so and they will be fine.


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

The greenery looks like a gardenia? It's a fragrant flowering shrub. The white flowers I think are ellisium (sp?). Maybe candytuft.


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## profenx (Aug 23, 2009)

Thanks for the replies!
more info is good 
I think i will dead head them since the petals seem to be rotting away or something. I'm planning on snipping right under the bloom unless there is a technique to it. Also, could i snip the leaves on the bottom parts so it gets more sun or something? 

Thanks for the ID on the gardenia. I think it could be gardenia since there is a light scent coming from it. The photos i have seen are much taller and branchy. Perhaps mine are not growing well. It's may and only 1 flower out.

The ellisium (?) i could not find a picture of.

Thanks!


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

> I'm planning on snipping right under the bloom unless there is a technique to it


On roses, always cut about 1/4 inch above a bud. Cut at an angle the same direction the bud is pointing. NEVER leave a stub- rose stems will die from where you cut them and continue all the way down the stem.

This is a good rule of thumb for any pruning but it is absolutely critical on roses!


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## profenx (Aug 23, 2009)

*What is this plant?*

Thanks for the reply. I forgot to thank you but read it long ago ... sorry!

Ok i think the small white flowers are called snow princess. They all died out in summer. I wonder if they will come back because they were pretty when they were short. When they get long ... they look weird but I read you can trim them. Anyone know how to edit a post? I was going to edit my first post but I guess i'll just add to it.

I still need help IDing this bush. 

Here is the plant ... located outdoors and I don't know how old they are. I think it started with 2 and now i see 3 or 4. Do they just replicate?



















Above is a photo of the plant up close. Has nice dark greens and pretty white/yellow flowers.

Here is one that is trimmed so you can see the branches and base. I wasn't sure how to trim them but i think this one is dying or something. I experimented on him and the others are blooming. I guess no greens = no blooms and they bloom in the winter? Just recently last 3 weeks or so. I have one that is just all green and has not flowered yet.










I'd like to know if I am suppose to trim/prune this guy. Would really appreciate the name of the plant too so i can do some research.

Thanks!


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

I think your white flower is a Swan River daisy but I could be mistaken.


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## profenx (Aug 23, 2009)

There's a thanks button on this site 

Thanks! that was fast.
It really looks like swan river daisy. Still searching if they should be cut off or left on or what. I like them


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## oberkc (Dec 3, 2009)

> The white flowers I think are ellisium (sp?).


That was my guess, as well, but I believe it is "alyssum".


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

> Thanks! that was fast.


Glad I could maybe help. Actually I get by the forum every couple of days, just happened by a few minutes after you posted.

By the way, "alyssum" is correct.


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## profenx (Aug 23, 2009)

O.k.
Still wondering why my swan river daisies aren't growing. Actually the ones that I left alone are ok but too big. The one I experimented on has not grown anything. . Not even a leaf since I trimmed it down. The others are getting too big. If I trim them down and they die I won't be happy :-(
Is the one I trimmed dead since no growth our green for a year? ?


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