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nickjoseph

My sad, sad roses this Spring....

I have grown all types of roses for over 20 years. This past Winter was horrible in Milwaukee, WI. Normally by now (May 19th), I should have a lot more foliage. At least 2 bushes are doing zilch, the other 10 are showing some foliage, but not a bunch. One rose bush already is showing the dreaded blackspot. Normally, I don't see blackspot until around October/November. I will probably have to spray that one before it gets worse, right? Also, last season, I had a bush that looked dead--a friend said, "Dig it out". I waited, it was one of my most beautiful bushes. Thus, how long should I wait to dig out what "appears" to be goners? Thanks!

Comments (9)

  • nickjoseph Milwaukee, WI
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    What I would like to know is if anyone else lives in Milwaukee or surrounding areas of Wisconsin--have you noticed your roses growing very slowly--slower than past years ? I believe this is the first year that I have not had full foliage by now. Some bushes are just starting to get foliage, and some are still doing nothing. I winterize our roses every December with rose collars and fill the collars with mulch. The roses are protected by a brick house and face the South which is pretty sunny.

  • zack_lau z6 CT ARS Consulting Rosarian
    9 years ago

    I watch the bushes and cut back to any vigorous growth, after the danger of hard freezes has passed.

    The bushes are much smaller this year--just one gallon of spray for my 200 roses...

    But, a good percentage of my HTs are showing lots of good basal breaks. We also have lots of good sized buds in our yard..

  • nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
    9 years ago

    NickJoseph

    I definitely am finding that this is a slow late spring, and that rose growth is several weeks behind where it normally would be at this point. As long as your roses have some new growth on them they're fine and they'll catch up to the point you almost wouldn't notice the difference by mid-summer. With the bitter cold, even winter protection like you describe didn't stop the canes from needing to be trimmed almost to the ground, but as long as there's growth they'll rebound.

    As for when to decide a rose isn't going to come back, in Milwaukee it's waaaay too soon to put a death knell on roses. I'm a full zone warmer than you and I am still finding daily more roses that are JUST starting to sprout from the bases that looked totally dead. Even if all you see is bare woody cane, watch for new growth to sprout up around the base. Just watch that it's not the rootstock sprouting from under the grafted knob, if they're grafted roses. I don't give up on roses in my zone until around the 4th of July - seriously, I have some chronically late risers in my yard that don't put out new growth till other roses are almost ready to bloom. If they're not taking up valuable space in the yard, sit on your shovel for a while and concentrate on something else in the yard for at least a while.

    Of all the things we cultivate in our yards, patience is the most necessary and among the hardest to grow (smile).

    Cynthia

  • mzstitch
    9 years ago

    Cynthia I love your line "Of all the things we cultivate in our yards, patience is the most necessary and among the hardest to grow! Nothing could be more true!
    Hang in there NickJoseph, even here in S.C. we had a late spring and my first flush is late and hasn't even started in some of my bushes! Yes personally I'd break out the Bayer Advanced disease fungicide spray for the blackspot. You may only have to spray it a time or two to get in under control.
    As I patiently await my first full flush I'm just grateful I didn't lose any whole plants like so many others here.

  • bellarosa
    9 years ago

    I've noticed the same thing in my yard. I have roses that have brown canes, but have growth at the base. I'm tempted to cut the canes down, but I'm thinking that maybe I should wait - there might be some growth coming from the canes eventually. Either way, it was a rough Winter and patience is the best thing to have now!

  • michaelg
    9 years ago

    Spots on the early foliage can be something other than blackspot and less harmful. Blackspot spots usually have fringy margins. But be sure to prune out all the old, dead or damaged cane stubs, because there are blackspot lesions on the bark that carry the disease over into spring. I've observed that, when I have to prune to the ground, it defers the onset of blackspot by 4-6 weeks compared to plants that are pruned high.

  • nickjoseph Milwaukee, WI
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you all!!! You all rock!!! I feel much better. Plus after calling our Boerner Botanical experts here, they "amened" what you all are saying---BE PATIENT. This Wisconsin winter froze the ground down to 4 feet, and most of the roses are super slow growing this season. What about mulching now? I normally put down a layer of cedar shredded mulch around all my bushes. Then around December before bad freezing--I put my collars around the bushes & fill the collars with the existing mulch. Now in Spring, after I took the collars off, I gently raked all the old mulch off & disposed of. I've heard to wait to add new mulch til the roses start to get more foliage. So, should I be adding new mulch now or wait? Thanks!!!

  • nickjoseph Milwaukee, WI
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Just for future any disease resistant, hardy hybrid teas you would recommend? Thanks!
    GardenWeb mail response mc1807322020170ec rosa

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    9 years ago

    Things slow here too! I need some patience myself...lol
    Everyday I go out and it seems the growth looks the same every day..lol
    Weather has been colder here too... Suppose to start warming up here soon...