I am new to tending rose bushes, the thorns are killing me..?
Question:I just moved into a house that has 15 mature rose bushes for me to take care of. I have figured out where to prune them, (I think) but I have been puncturing my fingers left and right from the thorns, and I am in pain. Some of them are as deep as stab wounds. Yes, I am wearing gloves, but haven't yet developed a sense of how to be careful.
My question: am I going to end up with infected fingers? How should I take care of these punctures, because they are still painful 24 hours later.
Answers:
Way to take on a challenge! I agree, the thorns can make you wish that you never heard of a rose. But the fragrance is worth it. Plus they're georgeous. I have a pair of long garden gloves that I use that go up to the elbow. I know it sounds drastic, but they work really well and they're covered with, well, roses. When I get a stab from the rose and it hurts, I put my hand under running water, go over to my aloe vera plant, and pick a stem off. I apply it directly to the wound, and let it air dry. Aloe is very underrated. But the healing properties work really well, and they don't hurt afterwards very bad. Good luck! It's going to come with time, I promise!
Trilli
Stop suffering, hire a gardener to dig the things out and replant with something without thorns.
I believe you can actually get a fungus from rose thorns, you might want to have them looked at. Try wearing some thicker gloves too.
When you are pruning rose bushes start from the outside stems and gently pull them towards yourself. For long stem roses cut down to 1/4" above the last five leaf clump. For bushier roses cut down the last three clump leaves. After you have worked from the outside toward the inside it should prevent you from being "stabbed" as the roses in front will be lower as you work your way through them. Good luck.
Get yourself a good pair of LEATHER gloves and that will help prevent further sticks. As for the wounds you have now, make sure you don't have any thorns still embedded in your fingers. Then wash your hands well with an antibacterial soap and apply Neosporin or similar antibiotic ointment. Keep an eye on the wounds and if they show signs of worsening infection (redness, heat, swelling), have them looked at by your health care provider.
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