Suckers on Roses

Hi,

I've got quite a few roses in my front garden and in tubs in the back. A few weeks ago I cut out a few stems from 2 climbing roses, as they were straggly. 2 weeks ago a few shoots started to grow from the 2 main stems on each climber. My father came in one day, saw the shoots and just snapped them off saying they were suckers. I asked how he knew as he isn't a flower gardener and he said the shoots were soft. I can't disbelieve him as he's my father, but I don't how he knows by the shoots.

My understanding with suckers is if you see 5 leaves on a (thing), then its a sucker.

I've been in the garden and noticed another shoot of a climber. Before my father sees it please can someone tell me how to spot a sucker

Thanks

 

Hi wiseoldowl,

Thanks for your reply. Looking at the diagram and reading what you have said, my dad it taking the shoots off above the bud union. In other words, from the main canes. This is my concern, because I thought suckers grew from the rootstock and below. Have I got this right?

 

Some very good advice from Uncle Woo there, on both matters

I'll shift this to the Roses forum, so its there for the others to see

 

Me fall out with my dad.... Never..... I'll just prick his bum with a thorn

 

First attempt at posting failed, this is second attempt.
I have 7 leaf stems that are growing like wildfire but not from the root. They are from stems that have flowered earlier in the seasons and these original stems have 5 leaves? I have half a dozen 7 leaf stems which are very soft and with no sign of flower buds and just one five leaf stem with buds. From this one budding stem there are 2 or 3 of the seven leaf stems just starting to grow, they are approx 7-9 inches long at the moment. Any offers please? There are no 7 leaf stems from the root of stock plant.

 

I forgot to mention that it`s a climber but I don`t have the name.

 

Welcome to GC Tomtom. It does sound to me like they are suckers, they tend to grow quickly, very straight and lighter in colour than the rest of the rose. I don't have any climbers, so I can't be certain about these without seeing them. Is there any chance of a picture please?

 

Welcome to GC

Suckers can often be redder in colour, certainly any I get are that colour. They snap or are cut off a lot easier than the usual shoots and seem to be less woody-looking inside, looking more fleshy. The number of leaves can be more (they are on my roses), but I think that depends on what type of rose you have as well, as some cultivated roses can have more leaves on the regular stems from what I understand?

 

Hi all, thanks for the coments. I have sent pics to Sheal this morning but I`ll leave them for now I think, to see what`s going to materialise. It`s just that these growths seem to be doing exceptionally well but at the expense of flowers which obviously is the prime reason for the plant.

 

Sorry Tomtom, I haven't received any pictures.