01-30-2013-Midweek - Wise County Messenger

BY TODD VINEYARDFebruary is the monthwhen most modern rosesneed to be pruned. Even ifyour roses have already begungrowth, the time hascome to prune. Annual heavypruning is essential to ensurethe prolific bloom andlong life of a rose bush.Explaining the concept ofrose pruning without a livebush on which to demonstrateis difficult, so try tovisualize the following steps:Pruning of roses is actuallyone year round. Every timeou cut off old blooms andemove twiggy growth, youre actually promoting newrowth. There are two timesyear when you prune moreeriously (spring and fall)nd you will need the folowingitems: a good pair ofand pruners (preferably thecissor type, not anvil type),sharp keyhole saw andarge loppers, a heavy pairf leather gloves, a pruningompound and a dull knife.The first step in springpruning of Hybrid Teas,Grandifloras,Floribundasand Climbingroses is toremove anyDecatur, Texas, Wednesday, January 30, 2013 ALL AROUND WISE • A PART OF THE WISE COUNTY MESSENGER 15Solving the mystery of pruning roses940-627-5987WCMESSENGER.COM/SUBSCRIBEAgNewscanes thatare dead orjust old andnon-productive.Thesecanes areusually grayin color and scaly.This pruning will encouragefuture “basal” breaks,which are the life blood ofany rose bush. Basal breaksrefer to new shoots, soon-tobeproducing canes, whicharise from the graft union.These should not be confusedwith “suckers,” whicharise from the rootstock belowthe graft union. Removeall suckers.To begin fine tuning thepruning, remove all twiggygrowth on the remainingcanes (note: the fine-tunepruning on climbing rosesshould be done after theybloom in the spring). Try toclean out the middle of thebush as much as possible.This allows for good air circulationto prevent insectsand disease.Now you are ready to pruneon the good, healthy canes.If your roses have alreadyflushed growth, it is importantto prune each cane backto a dormant bud. A bud thathas already begun growthand is then pruned will simplycontinue to grow vigorouslyand bloom very little.A dormant, non-growingbud will initiate growth afterpruning and will producean abundance of blooms.One comment used to describepruning is to “pruneto an outside bud.” Thismeans when picking thepoint on a given cane to cutback to, make sure there isa good bud on the cane facingtoward the outside of theplant. This will ensure thegrowth of the new bud is tothe outside, therefore keepingthe center of the roseBRIDGEPORTIRON & METALWE PAYTOP PRICESFOR ALL METALSState Certified ScalesAccurate WeightsMONDAY - FRIDAY8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.SATURDAY8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.3261 S. HWY 101 • BRIDGEPORT • 940-683-2005bush clear and open for aircirculation.Another guideline inpruning back an individualcane is to cut the cane atthe point when the diameterof the cane is the sizeof a pencil or slightly larger.This is normally at a heightof 14 to 18 inches. If there isthe need to prune back to adormant bud, the size of thecane may be larger, and thecane length may be shorter.The final product of yourpruning should be a rosebush about 18 to 24 inchestall with 4 to 8 canes. Addsome mulch, water andtender-loving-care, and thatpitiful looking rose bush willsoon give you a shower offlowers.Todd Vineyard is a WiseCounty Extension agent.Our digital mobile mammography unit is coming to Wise County.When: Monday, February 18Time: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.Where: Weatherford College5180 US Highway 380Bridgeport TX 76426You must call 800.405.7739 to schedule an appointment.Fully fundedmammogramsfor womenwithout insurance.See Them All ta$34,375* at klementcjd.comCROSSWORD SOLUTION01 CHEVY EXTENDED CAB WITH CAMPER SHELLWhite 1500 LS. V8. #13026A. We also have an 11 Silverado 1500 Z71 4x4.2 DODGE NITROS2011 white Heat • 2010 silver Heat07 RAM 3500 QUAD 4X4Red DIESEL dually. #12566B07 ASPEN • 06 DURANGORoomy Chrysler & Dodge SUVs11 DAKOTA CREW 4X4Lone Star. 20K miles! #12478A08 SANTA FESilver Hyundai. 58K miles. #12462A09 GMC CREW 1500 Z714x4 with 46,000 miles! #12524C2 11 JEEP WRANGLERSLow miles! 4-door Unlimited • 2-door SportALL PRE-OWNED PRICES CLEARLY MARKED!FREE OIL CHANGES FOR A YEAR WITH VEHICLE PURCHASE11 F-450 CREWCAB FX4DIESEL Ford 4x4. 33K miles. #12724A11 CHRYSLER 300C13,000 miles! Totally equipped! #12596A09 RAM 1500 CREWCABSiliver Lone Star. #13141A2 TOWN & COUNTRYSWhite Chrysler 2009 • 2011 with leather11TOYOTA COROLLAA real gas-saver 4-door! #P153311 CHEVY X-CAB 1500 4X4Black Z71 LT. Many extras! #12558A11 RAM 3500 CREW 4X4DIESEL Dually. 25K miles. #12623A12 DODGE CHARGERStunning silver 4-door. V6. #P155510 F-250 CREWCAB 4X4DIESEL Ford Lariat. 36K miles. #12499A12 DODGE DURANGOAll-wheel drive Crew. #P155812 GRAND CHEROKEEJeep Laredo priced to sell now! #P15772 10 RAM 1500SLow-mile Crewcab & QuadCab Lone Stars888-840-2946 US 287 North, DecaturSALES: 8-7:00 Monday-Friday • 8-6:00 Saturday SERVICE & PARTS: 7:30-6:00 Monday-FridayGOOD CREDIT • BAD CREDIT • NO CREDIT – WE DO IT ALL!