Wild Rose Bush Pruning

[BThomas]

I have a wild rose bush that is probably overgrown. I’m not sure what species, but I know one chunk of it has died off, and the living part has grown so much that it has bent over.

how much is safe to trim this thing without destroying it? It is too long and uncontrolled, I think but I don’t want to kill it.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

A wild rose or a rambling rose ? Does it flower? However that is fairly academic, it depends a bit what you want, but on the whole the more you take the better it will do. Rule of thumb is take out all the dead wood, take out anything growing across something else, then take what's left back to two or three buds. Two is probably better, but look for the ones that point in the direction you want it to grow.
Having said that it is amazing what you can get away with. I had a pink rambler that grew out of a privet hedge about three feet high, and then up and through an orange budlia. I would chop it off when I trimmed the hedge each year and it would regrow stalks of about fifteen feet each year right through the tree.

Just noticed you are in the states, if you might still get freezing weather leave three or four buds and cut back to what you want when frost danger is over, it can kill off the top bud sometimes.

 

[Mike Allen]

Trimming, cutting back, pruning. Terms often used in the maintenance of roses and other shrubs. Practicing this task can be to help improve and often to extend the life of the subject. Also a degree of cosmetics comes into being.Most perennials of whatever classification, tend to show age by older growth, becoming ugly and unsightly. Do the basics of pruning etc is. To keep the subject looking attractive. Whether, tree or shrub. Keep the center open, follow this with trimming and shaping. Cut out any dead, damaged, weak and or crossing stems/branches. Hope this helps.

 

[LouisFerdinand]