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Can a sucker be healthy for a rose?

12 years ago

My John Keats rose, seen here, in the photo set, gets this sucker all the time. I wonder if I left it on the rose for a while, would be make the root stock stronger and healthier. I would take it off after a while. Or are all suckers always bad all the time? The sucker looks red because it just sprouted.

Here is a link that might be useful: John Keats Rose with sucker

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Comments (5)

5400jana
11 years ago
No, the sucker will weaken the cultivar unless it grows on its own roots. Jana
catsrose
11 years ago
The sucker is coming from the root stock not from John Keats, so it is a different rose altogether.
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linaria_gw
11 years ago
Hi there,
I guess that those RED suckers are actual new basal shoot from the scion.
I tended some gardens including some rose beds (and pruning roses), and as far as I could watch, sucker were always pale green, never red. I am like 98.9% sure that red shoots/canes are always from the scion/ rose cultivar. So, if it`s red, keep it and watch it grow and flower beautifully.
---
another thing I saw on the pic. There is a potted rose in the front. It`s partly covered by its own foliage but it looked like it was planted too high, the grafting not covered by soil.

Well, a good new season, bye, Lin
intris
11 years ago
I can't see the graft union on your rose bush. If it's coming out of the graft union, then it's not a sucker, but a new cane from your desired rose bush. It looks like it might be a new cane from your rose bush as opposed to a sucker growing from your root system.
I vote to let it alone until it flowers. If it is different from the other roses, then it's the sucker. In which case, cut it off.
lola-lemon
10 years ago
In the US in warm climates we don't bury the graft. So- if this is planted with the graft a few inches above soil- as would be normal for the bay area- then I think that is a sucker.
Can you get a firm hold and yank it out? Cutting it won't usually get the hole thing. try twisting and levering it. (maybe draw back the soil)
Some roses are more prone to root suckers than others.....it'll probably always throw you suckers now and then and you just need to take them off.

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