Rose suggestions for new EarthkindTM rose trial

16 years ago

Hi Everyone,

Dr. Steve George, initiator of the EarthkindTM program, is gathering information on healthy, hardy/low maintenance roses to trial in an upcoming EarthkindTM trial. He asked me for suggestions and I would love to get more feedback. These roses will first be trialed at a site in Texas and then the better performing ones elsewhere as well. The roses will be planted in replicated beds with 3" of compost, mulched, and watered the first year or so as they become established. There will be no pesticides used or fertilizer besides the initial compost and replenished mulch as it decomposes. More can be learned about the program at: http://earthkindroses.tamu.edu/ The goal is to take rose cultivars that are gaining pretty good reputations for easy care typical of the home gardener and trialing them in a replicated manner across sites in this defined manner to recommend the best performers with data backing it up. A regional effort is building to identify roses that would do best in different regions.

I had the joy to partner with Dr. George at the U of MN begining this past year to begin a Northern Collection of 20 cultivars to trial here in the North. Here are the roses in that trial (they are also planted in Texas as well and it won't be necessary to include them in this new trial- some are also already Earthkind winners for the South). These 20 cultivars being tested in zones 3-5 are;

Alexander Mackenzie, Carefree Beauty, Frontenac, George Vancouver, John Cabot, John Davis, Morden Blush, Polar Joy, Prairie Joy, Sunrise Sunset, Quadra, Ramblin Red, Seafoam, William Baffin, Brite Eyes, Summerwind, Yellow Submarine, Sven, Lena, Ole

This new planting will for sure include the lastest in the Knockout Series. Here are some additional ones I was thinking of recommending. I would love to get your feedback and suggestions for additional roses- especially recommendations for those in the Drift Series or perhaps the landscape roses just being offered in the US from Kordes. I'll pass your comments along to Dr. George. Thank you!

Carefree Marvel, Carefree Celebration, Carefree Delight, Surrey (aka Sommerwind by Kordes), Oso Easy Strawberry Crush, Oso Easy Paprika, Oso Easy Peachy Cream, Oso Easy Fragrant Spreader, Island Dancer, Golden Eye, Carefree Sunshine, My Hero, Heritage, Home Run, Red Cascade, White Dawn, Astrid Lingren, Baby Love, Winnipeg Parks, Martha's Vinyard, Frau Dagmar Hartopp, Moje Hammarberg, Marie Bugnet, Macy's Pride, Robin Hood, Morning Magic, Winners Circle, Belle Poitevine

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Comments (11)

mike_rivers
16 years ago
Among the cultivars to test in zone 3-5, insist that 'Pink Pet' aka 'Caldwell Pink', be included. I believe this rose is already included in the Earthkind Series but its remarkable cold-hardiness has not been widely recognized.
mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
16 years ago
There aren't nearly enough Explorers on this list. Captain Samuel Holland, Jens Munk and Henry Hudson should all be included. The Explorer rugosas are more hybrid so less fussy than true rugosas.

If Darlow's Enigma isn't on some list, it absolutely should be.

The only 'landscaping' rose that I've heard good things about locally is Alba Meidilland.

Right now a rose I'm becoming quite impressed with is Karl Forster.

Some sort of attention really should be paid to once bloomers.
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anntn6b
16 years ago
A quick huzza for Karl Forster which seems to be a totally healthy grower in my (considerably warmer than Mad Gallica's) garden.
Also Alba Meidiland (being sure that it is Alba and not White Meidiland, a different rose)
The Gift belongs somewhere here.
sc_gardener
16 years ago
For the record, here in IL, winnipeg parks was not the healthiest rose I had. Nice rose though.

My vote: "Valentine" - this is hands down the workhouse rose, I have done no spray for the last 2 years. It is hardy and blooms non-stop. No mildew - which in my area for a dark red will usually be a problem. And no blackspot - not a big problem here anyway.

Glad to see "carefree beauty" on there - as that is my 2nd easiest rose.
sc_gardener
16 years ago
Oh yeah, others: Floradora - shrugs off disease, like the chamblees site says. Not the greatest of rebloom, but very healthy and hardy.
Ma perkins
White ma perkins
dan_keil_cr Keil
16 years ago
How about Rosa rugosa Alba and Rosa rugosa Rubra. I live in Illinois. I never have any thing on my leaves and I don't do any thing for them in the winter cause they are winter hardy
barbarag_happy
16 years ago
Kordes shrubs Erfurt, Sparrieshoop, Westerland, Toscana Vigorosa, Lions-Rose, Petticoat, and Pink Bassino. Clements Morning Has Broken. Lyda Rose. Some of these have the European ADR designation which is a hopeful sign that they might meet Earthkind standards.
barbarag_happy
16 years ago
Mike, thanks a MILLION for feedback on the hardiness of Caldwell Pink (aka Pink Pet). I'm sending it to my sister in Ohio soon as the weather breaks. I won't tell her about the fall color, I'll let that be a surprise come October...
donnaz5
16 years ago
I'd like to see some more climbers on the list..among my favorites are 'Pinata', 'Autumn Sunset', and new to me last spring..'Cl. Candyland'..just flew out of the ground and bloomed like crazy, strong disease free canes.
ceterum
16 years ago
I agree with Donna re climbers. in the north their hardines should be considered; in the south their resistance to blackspot. In the second category (climbers for the south) Crepuscule, Jaune Desprez, Prosperity, Colette, Papi Delbard and Laguna worth testing.

In the shrub rose category I recommend for testing Belle Epoque (Fryer), Floral fairy tale (Kordes), Folksinger (if it isn't already included), Irish Hope. In my garden these roses have either zero blackspor or minimal but Certaubly are better then Duchesse de Brabant.

As always, YMMV.
david_zlesak
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you everyone for your great suggestions. I'll pass them along to Dr. George. Hopefully the Earthkind trials and efforts will help to highlight more and more great roses through replicated trials and data that do well for people without extrodinary care.

Sincerely,
David