It blooms on old wood. These new canes will bloom next Spring if you can protect them. Maybe a hardware cloth cage over the Winter?

Ah, so it blooms on new wood, that grows out of old wood. ;-)

Thanks, that explains it (stupid AI).

At the bottom of my second picture, you can see rabbit fence.

I'll just leave that on next winter.

Thanks again!

Bill,

How high is your rabbit resistant fence? If it is not at least three feet high, say it is presently two feet high or less, the adult rabbits will get on their hind legs and stretch their bodies to full lengths with their paws on the fence extending as high as their heads can reach. They will eat everything that they can reach, and can reach remarkably high up, using their front paws balanced upon the fence as high as they can place their paws.

The weight of the forward part of their body as they lean upon the fence, will collapse a chicken wire fence, making them able to reach more of the bush. The fence needs to be rigid itself, or if flexible, held rigidly in place by stout stakes driven into the ground, supporting it at reliable intervals around the circumference of the fence, and attached to it.

It would be a shame for such a magnificent bush, as seen in your last photo of it to be damaged in any wise.

Moses.

Thanks!

I'm glad that we only have cotton tails here and not Jack Rabbits.

I have 4ft. CW and stakes around a couple of hydrangeas shrubs I protect from the deer before they bloom.

And deer love to eat the new Rosa b. flower buds as they appear in the spring.

But I have an arsenal of various wires and stakes collected over the years and fewer things that need protecting, so I'll come up with something. I'm an experienced rabbit and deer fighter. ;-)

That 2' rabbit fence in the picture is combination of 10-12 ga. wire so very stiff.

I've placed 2, one on top of each other, when protecting a hemlock here in the past.

The trouble with rabbit fence, if you get deep snow, the rabbits can slip through the larger upper holes, that are 4x4". So generally, high CW (I have 3' and 4') with multiple stakes is the most reliable.

Thanks again Moses.

Oh, if you please,

Can I cut this year's Cains down to 1/2 or 2/3 of their current height, just to control their height, will they still bloom next season?

Thanks!

WHAT YOU DIDN'T CUT WILL STILL bloom, but the bigger question is this a good spot for a largish rose? If not, perhaps move it while it's stilll small to a place that can accomodate a more natural shape. Not saying you can't prune it after blooming, but not to such a small size.

The beauty of such things is in their wildness. If you can't handle the size plant it wants to be in that space, consider moving it.

Yes, you can prune it, but it won't look nearly as good.

Leave it alone.

Thanks!

I had no idea.

If it grew from the ground 5ft. this season, I thought maybe it would do the same next season. If that doesn't happen, then I don't think it will be a problem.

It was first planted as small slip; I had dug in the wild.

It only grows a couple of feet high out there.

The year before last it was only about a foot tall. This is what it looked like last year (3+ feet?).

I thought maybe this was it for size. lol

October 2024: (sorry I don't have a picture when flowering).

I get too many Japanese beetles around here that decimate regular roses.

Haven't had that problem with the R. Blanda but then, that could still happen.

Guess I'll wait and see. I think there's enough room insitu for a plant this size.

Thanks again.

The rose in the wild has a lot more competition and less care than yours. BTW, the rule of thumb is first year sleep, second year creep, third year leap!!!

Yeah, I'm way too nice to it.

The plastic lawn edging doesn't keep it from spreading but it does make it easy to keep it in check with a weed whipper. ;-)

Oh, Bill don't tear it up with the weed wacker. It won't get huge in Minnesota.

I should clarify; the only part of the plant I cut is the suckers that are growing outside the lawn edging. The edging protects what's inside, so I can WW up to the edging without injuring any stems that are inside.

And that keeps things neater looking and prevents it from spreading.

Bill,

That rose bush is worth growing for its hips alone! All season beauty! Continued success to you.... you have its protection from rabbits nailed down pretty good.

Moses.

Thanks!

At least now, if someone asks if my roses are rabbit resistant, i know what to tell them. ;-)

JFWIW:

I pulled all the stems that were poking through the fence, upright out the top.

It will be easy now to wrap a 4ft. CW around it for the winter.

We'll see what kind of blooms come next spring. ;-)

Ready for winter. ;-)

That looks great, Bill. Sad for the rabbits.

I never thought rabbits would eat those canes right to the ground, thorns and all.

sheesh!

Here, voles eat the cambium layer and kill rose canes at the base. I hate that.

Don't know if I've seen a mouse or vole since I moved here.

Too many ferrule cats, I think.

Looks wonderful, Bill!

Your patience and care have been rewarded beautifully.