Why does this rose bush produce roses so high above the ground? Ask an Extension expert

Apr 23, 2024

Fall looms but gardening season is far from over, and you may have questions. To ask one, simply go to the OSU Extension website, type it in and include the county where you live. A photo is very helpful.

Photo attached, rose.jpg

Why do the blooms tower over this rose bush?Courtesy of OSU Extension Service

Q: Why does my ‘Sterling Silver’ rose bush produce its roses at 5 or 6 feet above the ground? I pruned the rose bush to about knee high in early spring, but the blooms tower over the bush. – Washington County

A: I suggest you hard prune the plant this coming year. This article from OSU about pruning roses has drawings of hard, moderate and light pruning. Generally, with roses, do a light pruning in about November, before strong winds at your location. With less top growth, the plant roots aren’t as readily knocked loose. Then the real pruning happens in February or early March. You need to cut above the graft at the plant base, but you can get much lower than knee-high.

Will this keep the blooms down to the 2-4 feet as stated on the internet listings I found for ‘Sterling Silver’ rose height? Maybe. I’m one of those gardeners who wryly jokes that our plants can’t read labels, because they all grow twice what the size tags say. We are in an idyllic region for roses. – Jacki Dougan, OSU Extension Master Gardener

What's wrong with this redbud?Courtesy of OSU Extension Service

Q: I have two of redbud trees and they are planted within 20 feet of each other. Only one of them has this disease. The growths on the base of the tree plus the bark is peeling off badly. Can you identify it and tell me if I can possibly save this tree? – Benton County

A: Hard fungal growths on trees are called conks, a type of bracket fungus, and they are not a good sign. Usually by the time they are seen, decay inside the tree is substantial. It’s hard to estimate how long the tree will survive. Depending on the fungus, it could be months or years.

Fungus can reduce wood strength and may kill storage and conductive tissues in the sapwood. While most trees are subject to trunk and limb decay, older and weaker trees are most susceptible. At this point all you can do is to give it plenty of water and avoid injuries that expose wood. Irrigation water, especially from sprinklers, should not wet the trunks. Cultivation and mowing equipment should not injure the roots, crown, or lower trunk. Take a look at the tree’s location and consider the possible damage to property or people that would occur if the tree or a branch were to fall.

You may want to contact an arborist to assess the damage to your tree and recommend mitigation practices. You can get an arborist referral from Plant Amnesty. Here is a link to a short discussion on wood decay. And here is more information. Wish I could give you better news. – Deborah Kern, OSU Extension Master Gardener

Q: I’m new to Oregon. I’ve noticed an absence of worms in my soil in Oceanside so nothing is composting very quickly on the ground in my garden. Are there no worms? Should I import from a source, or am I missing something? I’ve lived in Iowa and the Central Valley of California, and we had worms. – Tillamook County

A: There are numerous decomposers beyond earthworms at work in Oregon soils. That list would certainly include springtails, sowbugs, pillbugs, millipedes, slugs, fungi and others. It has been a very dry few months. That may help account for the lack of observed decomposition action because fungi and other organisms can be negatively affected by drought stress. Regarding earthworms, here is some information Gail Langolletto, horticulture professore at OSU, compiled earlier on the subject: “Researchers have documented about100 native earthworm species in the western United States, and the Willamette Valley is perhaps the most studied geographical area, in terms of documenting the diversity and basic ecology of earthworms. However, native earthworm species are very rare, and seem to favor undisturbed soils.

Most biologists think that the Pleistocene glaciation caused widespread extinctions of native earthworms in North America. Where natives survived, they did so in small sites with suitable soil conditions. When European earthworms were introduced to North America, these non-native earthworms quickly invaded many North American soils. This has led biologists to ask why the European worms quickly invaded suitable soils, but the native fauna has been slow to re-invade soils once the glaciers subsided. Some suggest that it is the highly specific soil preferences of the native earthworms that has limited their distribution. Where native earthworms are found, there tends to be no more than four species per site. In heavy clay soils, you may get perhaps one species per site. Keep in mind, once again, that the natives seem to favor undisturbed soils. It is unclear if they have been outcompeted from disturbed sites by the European worms, or if the natives simply never re-invaded these sites. It may be a combination of competition and limited ability to colonize that has restricted native earthworms to undisturbed sites. I found the chapter Native Earthworms of the Pacific Northwest: an ecological overview (by W. M. Fender), in the book “Earthworm Ecology and Biogeography in North America’ (edited by Paul F. Hendrix) to be a treasure trove of information on native earthworms in western Oregon, including species lists and species distribution maps. From reading this chapter it is obvious that there is still so much to learn about this understudied group of organisms.” Please note that there doesn’t appear to be any sources of Oregon native earthworms. Please do not introduce any non-native worms to your garden soil. – Bill Hutchmacher, OSU Extension Master Gardener

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