Cutting A Giant Rose Bush (OUCH)

[puffy]

In my yard was a really beautiful 6 year old giant rose bush.It was probably 8 feet tall and the same width.I'm sad to say that it got a mold all over it.My only solution was to cut it back to the main branches and hope that next spring it will grow back and be mold free.This was a horrible experience.I swear this thing was alive.It attacked me and scratchrd me all over.If you ever find yourself in this situation I suggest a suit of Kevlar and a chain saw.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ha ha, I've also come out looking like I was in New York knife fight after trimming roses as well. Roses like to have very wet feet, and dry dry dry leaves. I used to have a neighbor who babied his expensive rose collection so much that he set up umbrellas over them in rain storms. They will get a fungus by just looking at them with watery eyes :D Be careful!!

 

[chaplainmike]

I can relate to being attacted by rose bushes also. I have four in my yard planted by the previous owner of the house. They are beautiful, but I always pause before any trimming jobs asking myself is it worth the pain and blood loss. Alas, they are favorites of my wife and I will continue to fight the good fight and keep them healthy!

 

[tbradsim1]

Puffy I bought extendable pruners just for that, be careful tend to those scratches, you know us old farts don't heal as good.

 

[kcghost]

Roses like a lot of sun, a lot of water, but do not like wet feet.

 

[woodsroad]

We have "Eleanore Roosevelt Roses": Multiflora. They suck, except for an hour or two in the spring when they bloom. Just a dense tangle of exceptionally thorny, meandering shoots. Great for bird nests, though. Allowed to grow, they will form a clump 2 ft. wide at the root base, 10' wide and over 10' high. To eradicate them with resorting to herbicides (we're entirely pesticide/herbicide free here, and have been since 1949), I bought a recip saw pruning attachment and two shaft extenders for my Ryobi weed whacker. Wait until it blooms, putting all of its stored energy into flowing. Slip that saw in at ground level and slice the whole f'n thing right off. No sticker pricks, nothing. Haul it out into the open and much it with the sickle bar or chain saw or just let it dry and burn it. It might put out shoots again at the stump, depending on the weather, but cut them off at ground level right after bloom and it will die...dead.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Rose bushes are the freaking devil.

 

[buster]

The previous owners of our house planted a vining rose next to the front walk. I have been trying to kill that thing for 7 years!

 

[7ach]

it got a mold all over it

Did you take a picture of it? My job is working with plant diseases and pests. I might be able to offer advice depending on what it is.
If its any consolation your not alone. Roses are among the most disease prone plants we deal with.
Ill try to check back here, but if I lose track of this thread, PM me if you care for my advice.

 

[woodsroad]

I have been trying to kill that thing for 7 years!

Prune it to the ground right after it blooms, then follow up on all the new shoots.

 

[tbradsim1]

Rock salt around it, as Justin Wilson would say I garronte it will die, you say what if I want to plant something else? Come on leave it bare and no hassle. :rofl:

 

[petes03]

+1 Anthony on the evil plant life! That also goes for blackberry bushes, briars (not the pipe kind) and anything with thorns in general! Back when I coon hunted, I spent many nights running through briar patches these Tennessee hills, and man did it suck!

 

[gwtwdbss]

Sorry to hear that Larry. I hope your healing up nicely.

 

[7ach]

Puffy PM'ed me with a description and said his nursery thought it was grey mold and witches broom. Just in case anyone else is dealing with similar issues I'll post this here as well.
Well im sure the nursery was well intentioned, but probably a little underinformed. Grey mold mostly affects the buds and flowers(big problem for fruit). If the leafs were covered in a grey/white powdery looking mold it was probably what is called Powdery Mildew.
Witches broom is something entirely different, and if you did have that, it would be unrelated to the powdery mildew(or even grey mold if thats what it was). There is a new rose disease that can cause witches broom called Rose Rosette. This disease is becoming more common and is a lot more serious than powdery mildew. I hope you don't have this one.
Here is a picture of each.
Rose Rosette(the red patch is the infected part)

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/Gardening/Gardening%20Help/images/Pests/Rose_Rosette1309.jpg
Powdery mildew

http://www.rosemagazine.com/articles02/pages/mildew.asp
There is a ton of info on the internet about powdery mildew. Good news is it rarely kills the plant. Bad news is it can be hard to get rid of and looks unsightly. Depending on your views on fungicides you just need to read the back of the label to see if they protect against PM. Once you have PM you have it, and it wont go away. I have heard oil will help, but just make sure you dont use it on days that are above 85 degrees. Again lots of info out there on the web.
Hope this helps you figure out at least what it is your dealing with. If the pictures prove to help identify you issue, then read up on it, and let me know if you have any other questions.
Best of luck with the roses!