Pruning thought of the day

[lookbettertomorow]

We all know you prune pretty much everything just above a bud, leaf joint, node.

But who knows why? Why not prune below the bud or half way? Apart from looking untidy does it really make any difference?

Anyone done a trial?. Any Rose growers out there going to answers this? Dead heading, who just chops it off rather than doing it properly by just above a leaf joint with 5 leaflets not 3 !

[Bigmallly]

Leaving a stem above your bud encourages dieback.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=753

[lookbettertomorow]

Well Bigmally, thanks for that because I didn't know.

There, I did it. Admitted I didn't know something, it's not easy being big enough to say "I don't know"

A day without learning is a day wasted :-)

[Bigmallly]

That's the beauty of the vine LBT. There is always someone who will try to help.

[Kirk]

You do prune below a bud, when you prune all the ones above the prune get chopped off and so you have pruned below them. If you think about it you have to prune below a bud otherwise you do not prune at all.

If you have a strong bud growing where you want and in the right direction you could prune below it but there seems little point.

Never counted how many buds are above or below, I suspect that like most I prune to a shape and size. And picking a nice bud to use as a targe is a good simple idea. The only decision is keep or remove the target bud.

[BUFFS]

We all know you prune pretty much everything just above a bud, leaf joint, node.

But who knows why? Why not prune below the bud or half way? Apart from looking untidy does it really make any difference?

Anyone done a trial?. Any Rose growers out there going to answers this? Dead heading, who just chops it off rather than doing it properly by just above a leaf joint with 5 leaflets not 3 !

it seems that roses are one of the plants where it makes no odds how you prune them. they have been done using a strimmer and it made no difference but the more "woody" stems of other plants seem to be less robust and more liable to dieback and various moulds. I used to do my rose hedge with a pair of shears in about 10-15mins and it always just bounced back..

[Martin H]

I believe the main reason is to control the shape of the bush. The bud nearest the cut will grow away strongest, so you are in effect choosing which direction the branches will start growing. Hence the usual advice to cut above an outward-facing bud.

But as far as roses are concerned, I recall one of the gardening mags did a trial: some pruned "correctly" and some just chopped off with a hedgetrimmer. There was no difference in the number or quality of flowers. So I wouldn't get too anal about it.