If these are all newer plants leave them alone! It's a good sign that the plants are maturing and, given time, the rest of the plant should catch up. If you have problems with wind in your area I would stake them. Sometimes those tall ones can snap in a wind storm. Otherwise just wait for the rest of the plant to grow into these early birds.

That was a good question! I just learned something. :)

Carol

Ha! Same here. I have a Drop Dead Red that put out 3 gigantic canes loaded with buds and could not bear to cut it despite the ungainly looking bush form.

I have two of them and they are large rose Sunshine Daydream is a six foot rose here. LoS has seven foot canes sometimes longer. Goes up and fountains over. These two are showing their normal growth for you.

I leave them be. Some of them I started espaliering on a piece of metal fencing I put up next to the rose between metal T-posts. I like them to grow tall because then the dumb chickens can't bite off the roses lol. This explains why I have so many climbers.

You could wait for them to bloom and then cut it back to match the rest of the bush until the rest catches up. However, I have found that sometimes, even if you cut it back, the monster cane just grows right back. Other times it forms a more bushy growth but there's really no telling so its up to you.

My Julia Child did that. I staked the cane, because it was windy. I figure that the plant will eventually send up another strong "happy" can when its root system continues to develop. I talked about this on the spring is sprung thread and mustbnuts said the rose is just going through awkward adolescence. After I enjoy the blooms, I'll lightly prune the cane.

Lady of Shalott is listed as a robust shrub or short climber with a height of 8 feet. I wish mine would get that tall!! Time will tell.

Sharon

haha - love the "awkward adolescence" analogy! I think I'll leave them and wait for the rest of the plant to catch up. It definitely looks a bit strange, but more than anything I'm happy the roses are taking off like this - they apparently didn't get the memo on "1st year sleep, 2nd year creep, 3rd year leap" since they seem to have skipped straight to year 3. :) Hopefully by next year the bushes will look a bit more uniform!

I would be thrilled if Sunshine Daydream ends up being a 6-foot rose - it's the one that started my obsession with roses (those perfect creamy yellow blooms, sigh). And at the rate it's going, Lady of Shalott is going to be a 10-footer at my house! :)

Thanks everyone for the great comments!

SD is a giant hulk here. As I'm usually unaccustomed to this type of growth here. I was pleasantly surprised. Tall thick canes with a lot of branching and she starts each new year from the ground. Not cane hardy here. ENJOY

Jackie - !!!!!! - That is a stunning Graham Thomas!!!!! I can't even imagine anything close to that growing in my yard. At a local Rose Society a presenter was showing pictures she snapped down in California, and the whole room gasped!!! We just don't get the quantity of rose blooms like that!! It's like you're growing roses on another planet. I truly appreciate seeing the sheer abundance of flowers that I see here on the Rose Forum. Thank you!

Carol

I am looking for info on this crazy rose canes topic. I am considering removing my David Austin Rose Tranquillity. I planted it last spring. It looked like a giant octopus with 7'-8' canes all summer. I keep cutting them back to about 4'-5' canes, but it grows so fast and is a bit of a monster in my courtyard. Only small flowers on the ends of the canes.

Hard to see in the photo, but I cut it back heavily this year, maybe too far back only leaving 12" - 15" canes. I was considering replacing this with a floribunda like Easy Spirit or Moondance. The spot is a 5 ' circle in the cement and want a nice specimen rose here. the adjacent watt has Stephanotis vines, Gardenia, and Sugar Moon Roses.

All are 2 yrs or less in age as we recently bought this home and are adding plants slowly.