A rose

[winnetwo]

We bought a property in the country which was built around 1962. The outside is mainly lawn with a magnificent gum tree at the rear border, a couple of stumps where the original tree had been killed and chopped down and two rose bushes.
One of them really caught my interest – its trunk shows the hard life it has endured over the last 50 years. A rose bush is not really one of the usual suspects for a budding bonsai but it is my intention to turn this into a large bonsai. To that end I have removed any growth along the bottom of its trunk over the last year and am now trying to bend the top downwards with the intention of creating a cascading top to perhaps down to half the height of its trunk.
To me there are two possibilities:
I’ll chop off the branch with the dogleg and make the branch with the pegleg the cascade.
Or I keep the dogleg and the pegleg becomes somewhat of a crown.
Another option may be to chop the trunk severely; but this to me is like chopping the locks off Samson.
I have not yet looked at the root system; I guess I’d need to reduce its size over time before removing it from the ground?
The tree appears very healthy and strong; the supporting stick is only there because I don’t want the trunk to develop a lean with the weights on the branches.
I’d love to have some comments on this.

W2

[Ren]

Lol.

I had a morbid moment there when I looked at your photo. I thought the "weight" on right hand side was an amputated foot for a split second! Too much CSI for me tonight

I dont have much to offer, but I am interested to what others have to say. I have a small rose bush at home and the thought of bonsai 'ing it has crossed my mind a few times.

Regards

[Rory]

I wouldn't bother trying to bonsai a rose bush. Die back will not be your friend. A lot of hard effort will be all for nothing. Roses are so finicky. Stick to something like leptospermum where you can get similar rose looking flowers or something like azalea if that is the desired type of plant.

Also, even if you do persist in pursuing this trial, I would not leave heavy weights to 'bend' a plant/tree down, as once strong wind hits, it creates a pulling and pressure motion on the tree, which will easily result in snapping or cracking of the trunk. You are far better actually anchoring a bonsai's branches down to the ground with say, large tent pegs and tying string to hold it in position. Otherwise it acts as a giant weight, swinging without any uniformity and multi angled pressure.

[Jason]

You definatley can, but I've read that they can be a lot of work, and a lot of pain with dieback (as Mr Buddyman has stated already )

That being said, there are a few out there, mostly minature roses. This is a pretty decent link on how to care for them: http://minibara.8ware.com/tanoshimi/E_tanoshimi.html

Have been playing with the idea of doing a miniature rose bonsai for my missus, as she loves her mini's. Knowing full well that it will be mine in everything but name

[GavinG]

I'm glad I didn't know they were difficult, or I wouldn't have got my two. They are definitely less happy in a pot than in the ground with a long root run, but they can be OK. I have a "Crepuscule" (Noisette) that flowers twice a year or so, and a rootstock that flowers the once in spring. Keep the water up to them, and don't be too fussy about branch arranging. Big showy flowers need a big bush, and modern roses need long growth in the stem before they set a flower, so old-fashioned roses are probably better.

Best of luck,

Gavin

[klaery]

Great looking trunk no experience with roses so very interested to see how it goes for you.