I planted this in April, 2001. It was the first rose I planted in this garden on Manhattan's west side. I think it's a Mr. Lincoln, but it could be a red Simplicity. It's gone through the wars, as you can see.

I've been reluctant to shovel prune it for sentimental reasons. One option is to cut it way back, I mean way back, and see what happens next spring. Another is to cut it back and tuck it away some place in the back of the garden. The final, and probably best, solution is to dig it up, give that space to a new cool rose, and toss it out with only a few tears.

Suggestions?
David

If you want to save it don't cut it back now. Wait until next spring when you prune and cut it way back then. Spring is the best time to get roses to regrow.

What Seil said.

It looks to me like there's some good new growth. Give it a chance.

I agree with Seil and Jeri.
Also, replacing it with another could be problematic.

Thanks everyone.
I'll opt for Seil and Jeri's suggestion. I think I tried this before with this
rose...but, I chickened out and wasn't brutal enough. In the spring, I'll
toss back a shot of bourbon and get out my sharp clippers (and my little
saw) and cut the whole plant down to about 1.5 or 2 feet. I guess I'll scratch
in some lovely bone meal and cover the patient with a blanket of
double-cut mulch from the NYC Parks Department. David

Hi folks.
Remember this?
This is the Mr. Lincoln that I was tempted to shovel prune on July 29.



I love this bloom and, you guessed it, I'm certainly going to let
the bush overwinter and give it a severe pruning in early Spring. I will
not shovel prune it though.

BTW what are those white markings called. I've never seen
it before on this bush.

Hey, those white markings are a genetic legacy from the red China Roses that are ancestors of all of the modern red HTs. It's sort of cool, when you think about it, isn't it?

Yes, very cool.

Yes, many roses will display those white streaks. Some do it all the time and others just occasionally and some never have them at all.

As Jeri and Seil said, the white streaks are one of my favorite little tidbits to enjoy from the ancestry of the rose.

David,

I would give the rose more than just bone meal, as that adds slow-acting phosphorous that aids root development and blooms, but isn't as useful as promoting the new green growth that you desire. Try an all-purpose or balanced fertilizer instead, one with nitrogen and potassium as well as phosphorous. By balanced, I mean one in which the three N-P-K numbers are the same or similar.

Mike

NPK the same or similar. Ok, Mike, I'll aim for that. Should I do anything different this summer/fall?

Take it easy, relax, and enjoy the remaining blooms. No more fertilizing or pruning till spring. Time to let the roses start hardening off in a few weeks.

seilMI said:If you want to save it don't cut it back now. Wait until next spring when you prune and cut it way back then. Spring is the best time to get roses to regrow.

February is best in Oregon. That would still be winter for you ?

Take it down to 12" and get the dead stuff out. That big stub is probably rotten, give it a kick

That plant looks very healthy to me. Mr Linclon is one of those fragrant roses you can grow in a hot place, but here in Oregon they
get every fungus known to science!

Thanks, Pablo. I intend to cut it back at least 12 inches. As I've discovered in the last couple of weeks, it is very healthy. It just needs to be pruned judiciously. The reason I was so concerned is that it is the first rose that someone (including me) sees when they walk into the only gate in a 50 yard garden. I want to start off on the right foot.
I will with until late March, but I'll start to itch about it on the last day of February.