Roses pegging down

Rose pegging: An introduction

Pegging is simply taking the arching canes of a large shrub rose and tying them back down to the ground, or even back to the plant itself.

We do this for a couple of reasons.  First, it keeps the rose under control.  Second, it creates more flowers – a LOT more flowers.

When a rose cane is trained horizontally all the little bud eyes along the cane send up new side shoots (also called laterals) and at the end of each one a rose bloom will appear.

It’s actually a lot easier than you think and the effect is wonderful.  

Here are a few rules of thumb:

It’s easiest to do this when the rose canes are young and pliable.

If you try this with an older cane that seems resistant to bending do it in stages.  Bend the cane as much as you can, secure it and in a few weeks try bending it a little more

You can keep the rose tidy by trimming back the side shoots after each flowering just like you would on a climbing rose. 

Make sure what you use to tie the rose with won’t cut into the cane.  Don’t use materials like wire.  Instead use plant tie or something soft.

The easiest way is to use bamboo canes. You stick them into the ground or you use a 🔨 when the soil is hard. Now you bend the long cane towards the bamboo cane and you tie it to it at ground level. But you also can use Hazelwood canes or willow canes.

Which roses are most suitable? Bourbons, Hybrid Perpetuals, strong English roses from Austin etc. They need to make thick long canes and if that's the case they are suitable