Rose pruning

[Vegemiteandhoneyontoast]

I've just discovered Jenny 'Niff' Barnes and her pruning and training methods. Thinking of introducing some of her rose training ideas into the ones I care for. I really like the idea of achieving a profusion of flowers in this way and think this will be more effective than my previously used methods.

https://www.gardenista.com/posts/ask-expert-jenny-barnes-how-train-roses/

How do they do that? (I didn't know cyclamen needed help ... when we totally redid our small rockery last winter it was like digging potatoes, and they'd self seeded into the bit by the side of the house covered in that ~inch angular grey stone stuff. (There must be a proper term, bigger than 'gravel').

Of course! I've realised that if you're after early spring bulbs, C coum can't be beaten - in flower from before Christmas, when even the earliest snowdrops, crocuses and daffs don't appear till Feb. When the cyclamen are still in flower - C coum and Crocus tommasianus make a lovely combination.

And what's also lovely is that I had enough variation in my first three plants to have a complete range of leaf markings from nearly all silver to nearly all green and everything in between.

They physically spread the seed, so I'm told. But maybe the cyclamen did it all by themselves. Mine are in gravel - I took a new view on cyclamen requirements after seeing them in Greece, delicate heads pushing up between angular chunks of limestone.

I love Cyclamen coum, it's so good for winter flowers.

Today I had a good look at the wall roses where my main work is and there's enough to start the 'Niff' project 🙂

Some plant have evolved seeds specially to be spread by ants. The seeds have little fatty growths on them called....I forget. They're even shaped to be ant friendly. The ants pick up the seeds, disperse them and get a wee snack. I didn't know about cyclamen, but I do about 3 cornered leek 😠 well, now I do.

I've just ordered a couple of bare root roses. David Austin has 15% off with GREEN23, i think the offer finishes today (22nd).

It's the caruncle they like, cake. It's the little knobbly bit at the tip of the seed.

There's a type of gorse that relies on ants to spread the seed but can't remember which one.

This looks lovely! I have two brand new Mme Alfred Carrière that I'm going to try it on.

I wish I'd known about it for my last New Dawn, which was an out of control monster.

I tended a Mme Alfred Carrière for a few years and it was vast, growing over a good part of the back of a house. The 'Niff' technique is certainly one to try!

Where would you recommend purchasing bare root roses?
Is David Austin worth the price?

Yes, they're excellent.

Vast is good! I have an 8m long balcony I want them to clad. I had one in my last house and it barely made it to 2mx2m, but then again that garden had basically no soil (it was growing in a bottomless large pot) and 5 months a year without rain...

The seeds have little fatty growths on them called....I forget. elaiosomes That article is a good introduction.

The seeds have a sweet and sticky mucilaginous coating that serves as a modified elaiosome to attract and feed ants. The ants either take the seed back to the colony to feed the larva or consume the coating in route to the colony. This process is also shared by all species of Cyclamen and is called myrmecochory.

@Vegemiteandhoneyontoast , I know this is an old thread, but (1) I love this notching idea and will try it on some badly maintained climbers on my rented house to get more growth from the bottom. when is the best time for notching? (2) is there a difference between climbers and ramblers for this technique? (3), what are your favourite thornproof gloves, gauntlets, etc. My roses seem to fight back!! and (4) favorite books on rose pruning, please? I’ve had lots of experience with other kinds of plants, but these climbing/rambling roses are new for me.

@aNewYorkerInLondon I did the notching early in the year, around February time. No, no difference between ramblers and climbers.

The RHS book on roses is very good and there's also an RHS book on pruning. Both are very informative.

Since I took up the trowel, I must have tried every glove on the market. For winter rose pruning I've settled on Tegera, either long or short cuff depending on the weather. They're warm, waterproof and thorn resistant. Not cheap but they last well. Unless foolish changes are made to the design Tegera is a very good brand of glove.

https://www.safetygloves.co.uk/ejendals-tegera-296-insulated-waterproof-work-gloves.html

https://www.safetygloves.co.uk/ejendals-tegera-296-insulated-waterproof-work-gloves.html

Thank you!!!!!!!!