Roses and "snowball" plants

Pardon my ignorance on this subject but I have almost no knowledge about plants and flowers. I moved into a house a couple of years ago with a nice rosebush in the backyard. I didn't have a problem the first couple of years but this season so many beautiful roses have grown on the bush that they've begun to droop over and almost touch the ground. I have another plant nearby (don't know what its called) but it has white "snowball" type flowers that are so heavy it's also begun to droop the past couple of weeks, soiling the flowers. Just thought someone could advise me of the best way to prop up and/or tie off these plants. Thanks!

Reply to
Dennis M
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You need to prune plants.

There are many books and Web sites about, e.g. pruning roses.

(Note: severity of pruning depends on your locality. I am in a mild Mediterranean climate, but the first few years I pruned too severely because the library book I used apparently referred to harsher Eastern US climate.)

Think about yourself -- never a haircut? never a nail clipping? Plants have many of the the same needs as people.

Also, put yourself in the "mind" of the plant. Its basic function (not unlike people!) is to perpetuate its species. So if you let flowers go to seed, OK, but remember once the plant "thinks" it has fulfilled its destiny, it sees no reason to make more flowers.

If, OTOH, you want flowers, you need to intervene to achieve that result.

You would do well to visit a good bookstore with a large gardening section and ask a knowledgeable staffer about a basic book for rose pruning. Or a well-stocked library with a professional reference librarian.

Or (which is what many people on-line do now) research Web sites, using key words like "rose pruning" or 'flower pruning" if you want to include the "snowball" plant.

Here is just one of many URLs

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You prune roses ONLY when they are dormant.

(Well, OK, experienced gardeners can prune lightly in summer if warranted...note "experienced")

Reply to
Persephone

The snowball flowers are probably hydrangia. Look it up.

I like roses as cut flowers. So I cut them with a reasonable stem and use the thorn remove on the pruners to clean them up. Then I cut the stem back to just above the first set of 5-leaf leaves. This encourages more blooms. Fertilize lightly every month and apply a fungicide. Don't forget to water the roses early in the day using a soaker hose rather than a sprinkler.

Reply to
Stubby

Viburnum has a variety called 'Snowball.'

Reply to
Jangchub

Your "snowball" could be peonies, but they usually haven't bloomed this early, at least not around here, of course if your roses are in full bloom, peonies probably would be too.

Your rose bushes may be climbers. Just tra> Pardon my ignorance on this subject but I have almost no knowledge about

Reply to
Husky

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