I posted this in the July chat thread:
I've noticed something disturbing in my own garden this year. Several of my once flourishing roses have gradually dwindled down to one-cane wonders and now seem to be losing even that single cane (Baby Talk, Pillow Talk, Night Time, Lady X, and several others). I know it's not a problem related to the soil here or to my watering practices because they're growing in beds where other roses are still doing well. I did notice, though, that most of them belong to the first group of roses I planted when I moved into my present home 30 years ago. I wonder if they simply have a finite lifespan of 30 years or so. This isn't true of all roses, I know, because the President Herbert Hoover I've dragged from house to house over the years is now well over 40 and is still healthy and vigorous.
Lyn (RoseBlush1) suggested rejuvenation pruning as a possible solution. I've never heard the term, so I'd like to know more about it.
