Australian and New Zealand Gardening: More "Catching up to reality (slowly!)", 1 by Kaelkitty

Kaelkitty wrote:
Thanks Brian,
I had a feeling you might know how to go about it. I shall attack the long bits on the weekend coming as they would have to be pruned out any way when I get to the main annual prune - it's a bit early for that as I still have a few nice rosebuds to come. It is still pretty warm here between "rain events" (LOL) - especially in the back yard which is basically a walled courtyard with a small square of lawn in the middle I am attempting to murder. I was planning on rooting my stock cuttings in a large pot in the back yard and repotting them up once they are grafted and well established - I am hoping to have a few nice tubs of rose standards that can travel with me if I have to move house again. I like standards because you can underplant them with small annuals to add extra colour and keep the soil cooler. I have a nice choice of scions on hand to play (practice) with - Climbing Blue Moon (the only other rose I brought with me when I came); and the ones that were already here - a nice yellow/apricot, three different reds, three whites, two pinks, and a peachy colour. Out of that lot, I would like to save the yellow and the three reds and one of the pinks - the other is not worthwhile - it's too wishy-washy for me.

I really want to redevelop the whole border you can see from the photo. As you can see the bottlebrush tree now shades most of the roses far too much and, in any case, most of them are getting old and weak. Small children going past pull all of the flowers off at the front part - the little horrors broke off my only two Belladonna spikes last spring, just as the flowers were opening. I will probably leave the Dr Huey and dig out all of the iris (all white I. germanica - boring), daffs, and belladonna's for relocation. I think eventually all the other roses will have to go - I want to put shade lovers like Hellebores in the deep shade down the end and I have a couple of Hardenbergia that I hope will eventually cover the seriously sad front fence, but that will take a while.

As for questions I only have two at the moment -
How far above the soil should I make the first cut to remove the long bits from the bush?
Also, If you disbud the cutting immediately it is taken and then wrap it in plastic, is there a risk of rot where you make the cuts?

Ciao, KK