To quote Gertrude Stein: A rose is a rose is a rose.

I don't profess to be an expert. But I also wouldn't profess to know absolutely nothing about one group of roses because I only had worked with another. Take it easy on yourself. Most of these roses are much more closely related than you might think.

Deadheading means you cut off the spent bloom, no matter what class of rose. The plant won't freak out if you go a few inches high or low. They will send out new growth regardless. And yes, I would probably deadhead them if I were you unless you're approaching the end of your growing season where you are, in which case you might leave them to form hips and wind down into dormancy for the winter.

Cutting off dead canes is the same process, no matter what kind of rose.

Should you deadhead to a uniform length? Entirely up to you, I think. I have never associated deadheading with pruning for shape, but there's no reason why you can't do it. When it comes to pruning, roses are among the most accommodating plants around.

Chill. Enjoy your new plants. Trust the knowledge you've gained with your other roses. It's not supposed to be stressful.

This post was edited by donaldvancouver on Wed, Aug 28, 13 at 23:45

donaldvancouver.

I'm sorry. but I don't know exactly what you mean. I guess that I need more particular info on how to handle a shrub or floribunda , etc.

andrea

Well, I can only share what works for me in terms of deadheading a shrub or floribunda. When the bloom is spent, I pinch or snip it off right below the bloom, pretty much. New growth will issue from all the leaf nodes (where the leaf attaches to the stem) below that point.

If you do that and you think that the newly-deadheaded stem is too long or sticks out or looks straggly, cut a little lower.

I generally don't prune for overall shape until spring. I find that it's easier to evaluate the shape during the winter when a) I have time to ponder it and b) there are few leaves to get in the way of the view of the structure.

But my point is that roses are very forgiving when it comes to pruning.

Hope that helps.

Not that I know much, but since they are all brand new, all I would do is snap off the spent blooms right below where the hip would start and anything obviously dead.

Other than that, I would wait til January and see what needs doing.

Donald is right, Andrea, there's no need for you to worry.

For Carding Mill, since it's small, I would pinch off the buds without taking any leaves. That will direct all its energy into growing rather than making flowers. The flowers on a plant that young probably won't be the greatest anyway. I'd make sure it's never dry and keep it out of the hot afternoon sun. Since it's growing well you're obviously doing everything right. After a while you might fertilize it with a weak solution of fish meal. I wouldn't even think about pruning for at least a year. I've had this rose and it's a very good one which does really well in the heat.

I'm not familiar with Kosmos but Kordes roses are pretty tough and I wouldn't worry about doing anything much different than with a hybrid tea.

Teasing Georgia is unfortunately one of the Austin roses that gets really big and puts out what are known as "octopus arms", long branches that go on forever, so I'm not sure if this would be a good container plant in the long run. There are smaller Austin roses that would be more suitable, but I'd just wait and see how it develops. There again, I wouldn't panic. The roses you've chosen aren't all that different from hybrid teas in their requirements, except that you probably would not want to prune them as much. When in doubt, leave them alone. Even if you don't prune them at all for a year, it won't harm them. You can always take pictures as your plants grow and post them here and ask for further advice. I would recommend organic fertilizer as being more friendly to the environment and better for the roses.

Good luck and don't worry, your roses are going to be great!

Ingrid

I'm sorry, but what I'm looking for is VERY general information. How does one handle or treat a DA or a shrub or a floribunda, or a multiflora? Exactly what I mean is, anything other than a HT?

andrea

Pretty much the same as a HT except you'll have to anticipate its mature height and width before you put it in its permanent spot.
1. Look up its mature dimensions on a reputable source, say Helpmefind.com
2. Find a spot that will accommodate that size. It will need at least six hours sunlight, like any other rose.
3. Dig a big-a$$ hole. Plant the rose. Make sure to re-fill that hole with lots of organic material. All roses are big feeders.
4. Water abundantly the first year, just like a HT.
5. Prune in the late winter or spring for shape. With a shrub or FB, you can prune it back to eight inches in spring if you like. Prune lightly for shape during the growing season if you like. Same as a HT.
The only roses that take some skill and planning for pruning are climbers and maybe fence-pegged ramblers. Shrubs and floribundas you can literally prune down to twigs; they will reach full size again by July if they're healthy.
if you have good luck with HT's, the divas of the rose world, trust me shrubs and FB's are going to be a breeze.

General info for Austins:

1. Water well 2-3 times a week.
2. Snap off spent blooms and resist the urge to prune them while young. Austins often form nice shrubs without the need for pruning anyways.
3. Austins love morning sun. They grow like weeds in it, especially since my mid-day sun is SO hot.
4. Mix manure into the potting mix. For some reason Austins are all about the manure.
5. Neglect them. Seriously. My Austins do the best when I forget about them and quite meddling long enough for them to thrive. Set them up for success, water them until they're mature, and enjoy.

Girl, just chill. If you kill it you can replace it.
Now, exhale.
Get yourself a book. In the last year I have bought 10s of books on roses. Search used booksites on the web.
I think, based on your concerns, that Scanniello's book,
A Year in the Rose Garden would really rock your world. It is an amazing, broad, general reference to roses and how to care for them. It goes month by month so it shows you what you need to be doing every month. Since you are in Florida and he is in NJ that will take a bit of adjusting but he addresses your Zone as well.
It will be the best investment you make for your own knowledge and for your roses too!
Best wishes
Susan

Thank you all so much for reassuring me. I guess I just got slightly frantic after bringing those 2 'aliens' home with me. Maybe it's just that with HTs, there is always something to tweak. On these guys, I didn't know WHERE to tweak.

Being more confident now, I will go out to my roses.

Have a great weekend, all of you,
andrea

I think Donald hit the nail on the head. All roses "NEED" the exact same things no matter what class they are, HT, OGR, Austin's, minis or shrubs, etc. They need good soil, good sun and sufficient water. Throw in a little fertilizer now and then and, voila, you've got happy roses! We prune and fuss and pamper because it's what we love to do but the rose doesn't actually have to have it. Just look at all the huge healthy roses growing happily away totally abandoned all over the country!

Austin roses need all the same things and they'll do just fine. As for pruning, simply dead head them after they bloom and remove any dead canes when they happen. After that you can shape them to your liking or simply let them grow they way they wish. It doesn't matter. They'll still continue to grow and thrive.

The beauty of the new roses you brought home is that they DO NOT need constant "tweaking" as the HTs do. Good pruning advice above - but don't overdo it. Relax, try leaving them alone for a while (except for water, of course). They need time to settle in and deal with growing new roots. DO NOT use HT pruning techniques on them, or as you have noticed, you will not have any bush at all left. Just let them grow for a few months, and then look at them and see what they are doing. I do not prune any of my roses except to take off dead growth, and prune a bit for shape if they are trying to block a path or the driveway, etc.

One thing to keep in mind since you are in zone 9 - here in CA, you cannot rely on the size estimates of Austin or even HMF, because in warm climates many Austin roses get MUCH bigger than most sources will tell you. Do you live on the West Coast, or the humid South, or where? Local advice is best, so if you tell us what part of what state you live in, someone from there is likely to see your post and grow Austins, and then you can get more specific advice from locals who grow them near you.

Good luck with them - just be patient and do not worry about having to constantly do things to them - they will be much happier left in peace.

Jackie

Seil and Jacqueline,

By George, I think I've got it!!!

I live in the San Francisco Bay area. But the climate is'nt anything like the city.. We have very warm dry summers (sometimes even hot) and coldish, (I used to live in Chicago, now THAT'S cold) wettish winters. The Austins came from climates not TOO different than mine. We are a little warmer in summer and a little cooler in winter.
Thanks again all, andrea

Andrea, at the time in spring when you would hard prune an HT is the time to thin out small canes on most Austins to open up the bush. For young plants like yours just snap off the old blooms when they are done and you will have done all you need to do. And don't worry, after you prune out the old canes the bush will grow new canes and fill back in but look nicer during the first main flush. I normally only cut back the main canes by a third unless they are old ones.

Andrea, at the time in spring when you would hard prune an HT is the time to thin out small canes on most Austins to open up the bush. For young plants like yours just snap off the old blooms when they are done and you will have done all you need to do. And don't worry, after you prune out the old canes the bush will grow new canes and fill back in but look nicer during the first main flush. I normally only cut back the main canes by a third unless they are old ones.

Andrea, at the time in spring when you would hard prune an HT is the time to thin out small canes on most Austins to open up the bush. For young plants like yours just snap off the old blooms when they are done and you will have done all you need to do. And don't worry, after you prune out the old canes the bush will grow new canes and fill back in but look nicer during the first main flush. I normally only cut back the main canes by a third unless they are old ones.