Do roses have an inny or an outy?
Yes they do. They have 3-5-7 leaf outward and inward growing leaflets. The question I am asked more than any other question about roses is:
“What’s an outward facing leaflet look like?”
Why is it important to make a cut farther down on your rose cane when pruning or cutting spent blooms?
Because rose blooms are heavy, so it’s important that they grow on canes that can support their weight.
Look closely above the outward growing five leaf leaflet, your next new rose when it begins to grow will grow outward from the center of the bush starting at the bud eye, the area on the stem where branching occurs, just below where you made your cut. If you make your cut from an inward growing 5-7 leaf leaflet then your next rose will grow inward, crisscrossing your rose bush.
Think of your rose bush as you look at it as a vase and shape it that way. Your rose should be shaped like a beautiful vase. Generally, five-leaflet leaves occur at a point on the cane that is sturdy enough to support a new bloom. Ideally, each time you cut a rose from the bush, you leave behind a perfect location for the next rose to bloom.
Who would have thought that roses have innies and outies. Stick to pruning to the outies and you’ll have a beautifully shaped plant.
