Wandering round the Tudor Rose I noticed a large number of blind shoots. Many of you may have noticed this phenomena in the past without realizing that it is quite common, particularly, for some reason, on red HTs.
In the early spring and autumn growth, laterals malfunction and instead of producing a bud, they go “blind”. Growth on that lateral stops and the plant responds by either stopping sap flow to that lateral, resulting in dieback, or by sending the sap flow to a lower stipule on the lateral, thus creating a new lateral.
If you see blind shoots, you should cut the lateral back to the next lower stipule. Leaving the blind shoot only takes up good sap that the plant could use elsewhere. If the blind shoot is one of those short ones originating from surface eyes on old wood quite low on the plant, cut the entire lateral off. It will never do anything.
Look for blind shoots on Mr. Lincoln. Chrysler Imperial, Peace, Crimson Glory.
What causes blind shoots? A single proven and accepted cause is still unknown.
Wal J Apr 2017
