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pat_bamaz7

Louis Philippe Damage

9 years ago

Lots of storms, high wind and tornadic activity the past
couple of weeks around here. Lightening
has taken out TVs, satellite/DVR boxes, sprinkler system, the pets’ invisible
fence, and hit 3 large, 40+ year old trees (one of those took out part of the
pasture fence when it fell…nothing like chasing cattle back home during heavy
rain & tornado watch). Winds have
taken many canes off HTs and now have broken my Louis Philippe’s main
cane. I was initially tempted to cut
the broken part off and leave the remaining base with the two large canes…but
with that big wound, I’m not sure how stable it is…might be susceptible to the
next high winds and would be an invitation for disease and insects to enter. If I cut the damaged base back to the ground,
how mad is Louis going to be? There will
be several newer canes left, but the majority of the bush will be gone. Are Chinas like teas and could die from
removing that much of the bush at once?

Louis on 4/22:


Louis yesterday:

Comments (12)

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, Pat. That's positively relentless! I hope you have managed to take a deep breath and peel yourself off the ceiling. (That's where I would be after climbing the walls.)

    Like Ingrid, my intuition says that your LP would survive if you cut half away, but.... The interesting thing is that both sections of the split seem to be hardening at the wound, and both sections seem to have green branching. Are both sections still alive? Are the tips wilting badly?

    If both sections are still green, I might try to seal the wounds with something (mildest option: Elmer's All Purpose Household Glue). I would simultaneously prop and secure both sides with rebar stakes and ties. I'd give the whole plant a trim to remove some weight and wilting tips (if any). Then I'd cross all fingers and wait and see. I've never tried this, so please note that my suggestion is an experimental one.

    Good luck! Hopefully someone on the forum will have more experience with this situation. Carol

    pat_bamaz7 thanked portlandmysteryrose
  • 9 years ago

    Thanks Ingrid & Carol!
    It has been crazy, but hoping weather extremes calm down soon. After looking at the bottom of the bush
    picture from last weekend and then the damage picture from yesterday, I am
    wondering if the split started with a previous storm and had begun hardening
    off…then the 60 mph winds yesterday split it more. The split part, although
    still attached, is now resting on the ground, but no wilting on it or the
    remaining part of the cane yet. I do
    think it is probably best to cut the portion off that is lying on the ground,
    but maybe I will try to seal the wound and save the rest. I don’t want the bush to waste energy on trying
    to save the cane if that one is inevitably going to die anyway, but don’t want
    the whole bush to die from the stress of removing it either…not sure what is best.

  • 9 years ago

    I would do just as Carol posted. I hope you can save it and am so sorry for all that back to back stuff happening to you! Take a deep breath , breathe, and I hope no more bad stuff happen's with this next round of weather :( Not sure exactly where you are but the best of luck coming your way!

    pat_bamaz7 thanked Alana8aSC
  • 9 years ago

    Another thought: how easily do Chinas root for you? I've had some root when canes lying on the ground were covered by soil and mulch. (My Duchesse de Brabant Tea rose also sprouted extra roots this way.) Maybe the other half might root if covered in soil and watered PRN, then the two halves of the cane could be separated. What sparked this thought is a similar situation to your LP split that occurred with one of my hydrangeas. Diffferent type of plant in a different environment (shady moist planting), of course. I left the two halves attached and buried the side that fell to the ground. They began to grow as two hydrangeas instead of one, I separated them after both had roots. Just tossing out some more food for thought. I've never tried it with a mature China rose.

    If you decide to slice off half now, I'm 90% certain the remaining portion will survive, but surely someone on the forum has experienced this situation and can confirm (or deny). I admire your fortitude! Collecting cattle during a tornado watch. Who knew life could hold such dicey adventures? Carol

    pat_bamaz7 thanked portlandmysteryrose
  • 9 years ago

    Duck Tape. It works. I had a branch of my Clementine Carboneri attached with duck tape for 2 years.

    pat_bamaz7 thanked Buford_NE_GA_7A
  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Alana! We are North Alabama and rain has now passed.
    Still have horrible wind today, though, and more storms expected later in the
    week. Hopefully, the storms are falling apart some before reaching you.

    Carol, I’ve never had any luck trying to root rose
    cuttings, but I have buried low lying hydrangea branches to root new bushes
    successfully. That’s definitely
    something to consider for Louis. Around
    here, rounding up rogue livestock is common…but it usually isn’t ours…my
    brother-in-laws keep a very keen eye on the pasture fencing. Our yard is often filled with escapees from
    neighboring farms at what are always the most inopportune times. We have a section of the pasture fenced off
    separately that we herd stray livestock into until we can find their owners. Years later, my boss still kids me about my
    “driveway full of donkeys” excuse for being late to a meeting…cows, horses and
    even goats& pigs are much easier to coax into an enclosure than stubborn
    mules & donkeys!

    Buford, I’m embarrassed to say as a born & bred
    Southerner that duct tape hadn’t crossed my mind. As diehard Alabama Crimson Tide fans, we even
    have Roll Tide duct tape…wonder if the crimson color would clash with Louis :)

    I
    won't be home before dark tonight, and with the strong wind, probably wouldn't
    be able to do anything with Louis yet, anyway. I should get home a bit
    earlier tomorrow night, so will check then to see if today's winds
    have broken the cane more or if wilting has occurred and go from
    there.

  • 9 years ago

    "Donkeys and Duct Tape"-- Pat, I think you and Buford have a working title for co-authoring a book on southern gardening! :-) Carol

    pat_bamaz7 thanked portlandmysteryrose
  • 9 years ago

    At the local park, vengeful gardener cut a whole row of teas and chinas to the ground after getting tired of their thorns. To spite her they all came back! Now we once again have Le Vesuve, Ducher, Louis Phillippe and Cramoisi Superieur.

    I wouldn't attempt a repair. Let the rose regrow into a new strong plant. No sense keeping a weak spot that could come back to haunt you.

    pat_bamaz7 thanked barbarag_happy
  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would just cut away the broken limb and seal the stem with pruning paste. No duct tape or other such contraptions. Pruning paste does wonders. I have treated huge wounds on trees with it. In time tissue will regrow and close the wound.

  • 9 years ago

    I ran out for a quick peak at Louis P this morning before work. No change from Sunday. Still no wilting and split cane still barely attached. I do think I'll cut the part fallen to the ground off and will probably cut the remaining part of the cane off, too, rather than sealing and trying to save it. I'm afraid the split did start earlier than I realized and could have already allowed crap to enter into it. As Barbara suggested, leaving it could come back to haunt me later. Thanks again to everyone for your help & suggestions!

  • 9 years ago

    Good luck, Pat!