You do not need to choose only one blossom color when you plant a seven sisters rose (Rosa multiflora platyphylla or even R. cathayensis platyphylla); the seven-bloom clusters of this climbing rose undergo seven hues of purple or purple, from heavy red-purple to blush white as they open and fade. Suitable for U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9, seven sisters has been grown since the early 1800s and is thought of as an old rambling or climbing rose. The timing for pruning a vintage garden rose changes from that for conventional hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras or miniatures.
Seven Sisters Rose Culture and Habit
Seven sisters is the rare climbed that performs well in partly shaded sites and in poor soil. It rises with stiff, upright canes which can be as long as 20 feet, but are more commonly 10 to 13 feet long. The richly fragrant clusters of roses have just one main flush of bloom in early summer, even though there could be irregular bloom after the first flush. Seven sisters blooms on year-old wood from the brief posterior stems created along these canes. Training seven sisters together a fence or fan-shaped trellis so the canes are more horizontal results in more bud-producing lateral stems.
Annual Pruning
The opportunity to prune seven achievements is later thriving in the summer to allow the resulting new development that offers next season’s blooms a opportunity to mature to avoid winter dieback. How far to prune depends on the individual plant. Prune a rose having many canes more heavily, removing the oldest and poorest shoots into the bud union — the swelling in the base of the plant in which most canes emerge — cutting the remainder back from one-third. Leave plants with only a few canes as is or reduce their span by one-third. The exclusion is recently planted seven sisters roses. Climbing and rambling roses need just two to three seasons to develop before you start annual pruning. Bear in mind that even on established seven sisters, pruning to encourage new development is not strictly mandatory, and skipping it leaves a drop display of bright red rosehips.
Cleanup Pruning
As you generally need to pass seven sisters from when pruning the remainder of your roses in late winter, do not ignore it completely. Dead and overcrowded, spindly canes can be removed in this time as well as any bananas coming up from the ground beneath the bud union for a neat, healthy appearance in the garden. Removing any lingering leaves and rosehips from last season in this time helps keep the plant healthy as well. You can also deadhead seven sisters whenever you don’t plan any significant summer pruning to keep it looking neat. Just do not eliminate any of the foliage beneath the blossom cluster to avoid removing following year’s buds.
Pruning Tips
No matter when you prune seven sisters, using sharp, clean pruners avoids damage to the plant and sporting sturdy gloves which extend about your forearms shields you from thorns. Make pruning cuts to reduce cane span in a 45-degree angle slanting from and 1/4 inch above an outside bud or booklet. Winter-damaged wood is dark brown to black in the tips and should be cut back to the first outward-facing grass in the green part of the cane in which the pith — the interior of the stem — is light-colored. Dead or unproductive canes are normally gray and look shriveled or dry.
