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Recent Questions, Answers and Comments
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Description states : "Do not prune."
In fact it likes to be pruned in a hard way, once in a few years.
It tends to overgrow itself and the lower/earlier branched die or get less vigorous/less flowering.
It produces lots of fresh shoots, that flower very quickly.
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This tendency to overgrow itself and then struggle to maintain overall vigour is very much my experience as well Jay-Jay. We're in Perth, Western Australia, where our winters are very mild and Mme Alfred C flowers beautifully through the coldest months here.
We definitely need to seriously reduce its bulk and length from time to time, or large parts of the plant weaken or die.
Like you say, it responds very well to trimming or to a harder cut back.
It's a rose you see over a very wide range of climate zones, so perhaps the 'Do not prune' advice is for rose growers in much colder climates? Though I'm guessing you have seriously frozen winters Jay-Jay, and the advice is incorrect everywhere.
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Instead of a blanket suggestion to not prune (which seems to have now disappeared), should there be any recommendation for how to prune MAC?
For example, should the recommendation be one of the following standard regimens?:
Remove unproductive wood every year.
Remove unproductive wood every other year.
Cut back by one-half every other year.
Resist the urge to prune this rose too heavily—it doesn't like it!
Thanks for any recommendations you can suggest.
Virginia
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#3 of 4 posted
3 days ago by
 Jay-Jay
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I would suggest: Observe the rose during its growth over the years and give it, what it needs:
Remove all dead canes, remove (end)parts of the original canes at the point where a vigorous (and flowering) shoot comes out of that original cane.
Prune when You have the time, feel the need or urge to, or just postpone it to another time when You are in need of a chore?
Once in so many years in spring just cut with a saw-blade the bulk of one of the big canes and let that cane start over again from the base.
And the best guide is Your own experience with Your own roses in Your own garden (or someone elses'.)
Success.
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Thanks. I don't grow this rose, but was trying to see if there is a pruning recommendation HMF should give in lieu of 'do not prune'. If so, I intend to update the HMF record to provide guidance for readers who grow this variety.
I listed a few standard pruning recommendations that HMF has, and am wondering if any of those are suitable in a general way for MAC.
Thanks,
Virginia
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I thought I’d post a summary of my experience with this variety. Bought direct from Meilland in a pot and planted in a well exposed SE part of the gardens near a warm dry stone wall. So far, so good. Gets an ample amount of sunlight and some dried sheep manure now and again. It grew a little, up to 3ft, then produced two beautiful peony-looking frilly-edged flowers. Then the leaves started to show signs of marsonia and defoliated. This second year I lightly pruned in the spring as there was no more growth and expected the plant to react positively. Alas, no. The new foliage has turned almost black, and the stems haven’t grown. In April I planted a cutting of Ghislaine de Féligonde 3ft to the side of this one and it is, after two months, already taller. There are many different varieties growing very well here, both modern and old, the majority thrive, but this variety, along with 5 of the 7 Meilland varieties planted here, just won’t grow. Today it was shovel pruned, and the other 4 Meilland’s will also be taken out this week.
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Fragrance is indeed "very fragrant", so not false hopes. I tested it for the second time today to report back, for both high and moderate temp days. The type of fragrance was middle of the road type of rose fragrance. Sorry I could not be more specific.
Coloration is not quite as ethereal as Secret. Similar, but a little bit harder in tone.
Form is nice, and foliage seems decent. Growth seems to be straight up, like Lynn Anderson, but not grotesque and massive.
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The parentage is winding over on itself.
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Can you be more specific please ?
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#2 of 3 posted
4 days ago by
jedmar
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The parentages stated cannot be correct: Kate Chillingworth = Lady Adrianna x seedling of Rotilia, whereby Lady Adrianna = Kate Chillingworth x Rosita. Results in a vicious circle.
Member Cambridgelad must have misunderstood Colin Dickson. We will check with Mr. Dickson.
Edit: Parentage for Lady Adrianna corrected
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Yeah. Now it makes sense.
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