I have one of those David Austin roses which no longer is getting as much sun as it needs. We're pulling out a sickly purple leaf plum tree which should help some with the light problem. The rose bush has several good sized dead branches and I also think it needs to be cut back in height. Should I go ahead and cut out the dead wood? Prune it back in height? Or just wait through the winter and work on it next year? I don't know very much about roses and would appreciate some advice.
Same here. Can't help but am sure someone will help. We've all been running around like Henny Penny saying the sky is falling down (or at least it's gonna freeze).
Welcome to NGA and a big welcome to the Texas forum. What part of Texas are you from? Do you know what your gardening zone is? That info will help someone answer your question about roses. If I had my wits about me I'd know who to summon. I'm sure someone round here grows roses but just can't remember who. Not too helpful, eh?
You can cut out any dead wood whenever you see it. The best time to prune roses in my part of Texas is February, but in general, just before you expect the new spring growth. Austin roses tend to get quite large in Texas.
I'm in DFW. We pulled out the purple plum yesterday and I hope the added light will be good for the rose. I'm going to cut out the dead branches and possibly trim back the entire bush a bit. Thanks for the answers.
