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Please educate a new TX zn8 Hill country rose grower

Posted by bluegirl z9TX (My Page) on
Fri, Jul 6, 12 at 21:21

Just moved from Gulf coast to hill country NW of SA. Been planting roses I've dragged up with me, plus new spring orders. Mostly antiques & older HTs.

Do you plant more in part sun in the desert here? Antique polys, chinas, noisettes, & HTs in full sun are doing ok with heavy native mulch. I will only water (heavily) no more than once every week-10days.

Have some musks, & old Hts from this springs's orders that I'm holding in pots 'till fall.

Teas & R. primula look middlin'. A couple of mosses with half day sun are ok-not great.

Of course, we're in a drought & have had some extreme heat, but temps are now pretty much seasonal norm. Thanks!


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Please educate a new TX zn8 Hill country rose grower

I don't have information specific enough to your area, but I'm not totally sure that's enough water for new plantings, especially in hot weather. Watering once a week to every 10 days is really best for well established plants. Obviously go by what your plants tell you more than anything else.

As far as planting in part sun, I really don't think it would hurt anything. Might help keep your blooms from frying in the sun too fast. That's really another thing your plants will have to tell you- whether or not they like it there.


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RE: Please educate a new TX zn8 Hill country rose grower

I would guess that with your heat a rose in full sun with that amount of water would struggle a bit. Afternoon shade would definitely be beneficial. Any newly planted roses would also need more watering for at least a year to get established.


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RE: Please educate a new TX zn8 Hill country rose grower

Thank you for the tips. I was unclear--I do baby the new plants with frequent watering & most new plants went in 5 gallon pots so I can shift them around as I learn where the hot spots in the yard are during different seasons. Mature plants will go in the ground in fall.

Been surprised that a couple of the musks--Nasturana & the single R. Moschata are doing great--even blooming in the hottest sun. When I had them closer to the house in 1/2 shade they sulked. Have some chlorotic looking leaves in some of the planted roses. Starting to amend the soil with 1/2 compost 1/2 fine chopped mulch.

Seems like here, as on the coast, any flowers & a lot of the leaves just burn off July & Aug. But have still enjoyed wonderful blooms the rest of the year. Always something to learn. Thanks again for the responses.


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RE: Please educate a new TX zn8 Hill country rose grower

Belinda's Dream, a rose hybridized in Texas, may work very well for you. It's a healthy and bushy plant that has huge pink flowers for me even now in my hot garden, and has never lost its leaves. It blends in well with my mostly old rose garden and is one of the most dependable roses I have.

Ingrid


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RE: Please educate a new TX zn8 Hill country rose grower

Thanks, Ingrid. I need to plant that one--never had it even tho. it's a really superstar performer. There was a gorgeous one down the street in my old place. FULL of blooms & very bushy even in July.


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RE: Please educate a new TX zn8 Hill country rose grower

Also, how deep do you plant? Two of the own roots--Marchioness du Londonerry & Ragged Robin (Glorie des Rosomanes) have sent up only a couple of new canes between them--they're planted deep (maybe too deep?)

But Champney's Pink Cluster, La Marne, 'Caldwell Pink', Fellenberg, Iceberg, & some old HTs seem happly at a depth just covering the graft or area where the roots start. We had an exceptional long hard freeze the year before I planted, plus it's so deserty here I opted for planting a bit deeper. any advice from your experiences is appreciated.


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RE: Please educate a new TX zn8 Hill country rose grower

Bluegirl, I think the usual rose care will serve you well in your new location. I'm just a little south of Dallas, and all my roses that were planted after April need extra watering regularly to get them through the first summer - along with plenty of mulch. Some may sulk and just need time to recuperate from their transplanting, but don't give up on them if they're not growing in leaps and bounds. I haven't noticed much difference whether the roses grow in Houston or Dallas except that possibly there's less blackspot away from the gulf. I don't think there's that much difference in the temps and the strength of the sun especially if you're growing the tried and true roses that love Texas. The main thing is to never let them get too dry until their roots have had time to grow deep into the ground.

This summer Maggie, Munstead Wood, Valentine, and Archduke Charles are bloom machines in my yard. Some of the whites and pinks are a little on the shy side right now, and some of the transplanted roses are still getting their bearings but that's natural.


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RE: Please educate a new TX zn8 Hill country rose grower

Bluegirl, I think most of us are in for some major alterations and re-thinking of how we've always grown roses. Conditions are becoming increasingly severe across the country, no matter where you are, nor what you grow. This is foliage on Pretty Lady right now. The plant only receives direct sun for three to four hours daily and doesn't get any reflected/radiated heat from hardscape. It also has not experienced water stress due to being kept too dry. I do not spray anything, nor has the plant been fertilized within the past few weeks. This foliage is from current growth, not brand new, but from fairly recent flowering wood. It is just flat out severely hot with incredibly intense sun. I pray it is temporary and not our new "norms". Kim


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RE: Please educate a new TX zn8 Hill country rose grower

Thank you Lou & Roseseek. Yeah, so far it doesn't seem too. much different from Victoria, my previous home. I dragged Archduke up here in a pot & all the other Chinas have done great.

Roseseek, I'm wondering the same thing--are we returning to a 30s or 50s time of prolonged drought, or even entering a period of desertization. I have some of the heat-stressed leaves in your photos, too. Oh well, maybe we'll have El Nino back again, as some are predicting.

Thank you for the responses:)


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RE: Please educate a new TX zn8 Hill country rose grower

You're welcome! I hope it helped. I pray we're not entering another "Dust Bowl" period, nor do I relish classic El Ninos. It would be quite nice just to get back to our usual "abby normal". In any case, I'm raising no-water, heat loving desert plants from seed by the dozen. If this keeps up, roses aren't going to be sustainable around here. Kim


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RE: Please educate a new TX zn8 Hill country rose grower

Oh, yeah, I'm really intent on preserving the natives on this place. I'm having to 'colonize' beds from a bare lot & as I do I dig up the wildflowers & replant them in the established beds.
Off topic, but do you have agarita or wild persimmon (Diospyros texana,"Chapote")? Both are great, fruiting wildlife plants for the desert environment & the persimmons have a beautiful white flaking bark like crepe myrtles. Have plenty of babies to dig (hinthint;)


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