QUESTION: I have a Cecile Brunner climbing rose that I planted at my new house the end of May. It has grown well but it never bloomed last year. I grew this rose in the San Francisco Bay area, where it bloomed twice a year, and I didn't prune it until after it had bloomed. But I'm not sure what to do here in the Charlotte area. Should I prune it in February, like the rest of the roses, or wait until it has bloomed?ANSWER: Do not prune this rose. It should bloom this spring, but the results may be disappointing until it gets some size. I have grown a climbing Cecile Brunner for 25 years as an arching shrub, and it bears hundreds of little pink flowers for about a month in spring.Later in the year, it may produce a few more. This is a big, thorny plant that requires occasional taming with serious pruning of the older canes. It has always come back vigorously for me.After you see this year's bloom, you could consider some minor pruning at the tips to encourage side branching that will bear flowering wood.A bush form of Cecile Brunner bears a much longer show of flowers, appearing on new growth that emerges through the summer into fall. The climber is a genetic mutation of this plant.However, there is always something new. One major dealer in old-fashioned roses, Heirloom Roses of Oregon (www.heirloomroses.com) offers a new, everblooming climbing Cecile Brunner for $16.95.

QUESTION: I heard on TV that you should remove mulch each time you put new mulch to avoid smothering the roots. Each spring I put pine needles around a 60- to 100-year-old pecan tree; in the fall, I rake the leaves on top of the pine needle mulch. Am I hurting the tree? Should I remove it all this spring and start over? With our heat, the pine needles decompose a little each year so I figured I was doing a good thing for the tree. The mulch spreads out about 8 feet from the tree base on all sides so it is not just clumped up at the base. How much mulch is best?ANSWER: You are not hurting the tree at all. The caution you heard probably referred to shredded wood mulch, which decomposes slowly.With repeated applications, this dense mulch could build up to make a barrier that is detrimental to the health of the tree roots by restricting air circulation. This is good, long-lasting mulch and should not require replacing annually to maintain a depth of 2 to 3 inches and no more than 4 inches.Pine needle mulch, which is commonly used here, is much looser and does not last as long, tending to break down as you observed. It should also be 2 to 4 inches deep once it settles down.

By MCT News Service