Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

rate this answer

Wednesday - January 20, 2016
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Pruning, Shrubs
Title: Pruning a Martha Gonzales rose
Answered by: Guy Thompson
QUESTION:
How much should I prune back an established Martha Gonzales Rose to keep healthy?ANSWER:
The Martha Gonzales rose is a compact rose that was found by "rose rustlers" at the Texas home of Martha Gonzales, now deceased. It is often used as a hedge rose. As such, it is regularly pruned back quite freely. I think you can prune it with hedge clippers to suit your needs and not worry about damaging it. Proabably at least one annual pruning, in the spring, would be good to keep it from getting too twiggy.
More Pruning Questions
Southern Magnolia Damaged by Deer
April 16, 2015 - I have a young Southern Magnolia (about 6 feet tall) that was damaged by deer on the main trunk. The bottom 2 feet looks okay, but where they damaged it and tore branches off, and above that, the leav...
view the full question and answer
Cutting back of non-native Salvia Elegans in Portland OR
December 31, 2011 - I did not trim back my pineapple sage in the fall. It is now winter and the plants are bare sticks. Should I cut them back or leave them alone?
view the full question and answer
Care of Northern honeysuckle bush
April 26, 2009 - I have a honeysuckle bush, I have had it for about year to two years. I would like to know if I should cut the brown parts off. There are some vines that do not look good, but some of the branches ha...
view the full question and answer
Center of Yucca filamentosa looking rotten in Howell, NJ
May 31, 2009 - I live in central NJ. I planted some Adam's Needle Yucca in my garden around 5 years ago. Since then, they kept growing and ended up developing three trunks off of the main trunk. I noticed recentl...
view the full question and answer
Pruning of non-native oxblood lilies from Austin
March 27, 2014 - My Oxblood Lilies flowered quite late last Fall. Their foliage is still very green. Can I cut it down now or do I have to wait until it goes brown?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |