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tobr24u

To water or not to water, that is the question.

tobr24u
10 years ago

We are having temps 10 degrees above average with no rain for two weeks. So should I break out the hose again? My Knockouts are still blooming...l

Comments (11)

  • michaelg
    10 years ago

    Why not? You have maybe another month of growth and bloom, though growth will slow down.

  • mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
    10 years ago

    The tricky part of fall watering is that modern roses respond a lot faster to drought dormancy than cold dormancy. So a fall drought (extremely rare here, BTW) may just be a gift from the gods.

    Then there is the question about how dry the ground really is. Here, it isn't at all. Even though we haven't had rain, we have had enormous amounts of humidity. The morning dew is heavy enough to count as some sort of precipitation.

  • michaelg
    10 years ago

    In one of her pieces, Linda Chalker-Scott addressed the issue of whether we can promote winter hardiness by allowing plants to run short of water in fall, and the available research said no, it doesn't work--however, the test subjects were not roses. (Sorry I don't have a handy reference or more details.)

    If rose plants are growing actively in November, the soft new growth will be killed, but so what? We don't know whether that affects the hardiness of the canes. Actually I know of no evidence that any cultural practice affects the cane-hardiness of modern roses. So one approach is to grow your roses on into the fall and enjoy them.That's what I do. Actually the modern roses are probably going to keep growing regardless of what I do.

  • mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
    10 years ago

    IMHO, drier falls is one of the reasons that modern roses seem to be much hardier in the midwest than the east. For some reason, roses seem to pick up at least half a zone from where I am to somewhere like Michigan. Statistically, there isn't a lot of difference, but our falls are much wetter. It made no sense to me until Kim started talking about Teas and drought dormancy.

    Since what I'm claiming is specific to roses of Tea/China heritage, it isn't going to be proven by general testing.

  • seil zone 6b MI
    10 years ago

    I agree with Michael completely. I've found that no matter what I do my roses continue to grow and bloom until the weather changes enough that they decide to go dormant. Stopping pruning, watering, dead heading and fertilizing doesn't seem to make them go dormant. Only the weather, and less sunlight, make any difference as far as I can tell. I continue to care for them right up to that point because I prefer them to go into winter healthy and well watered and fed and not already stressed because I've neglected them. For years I've read not to put the hose away to soon and to keep watering perennials and shrubs right up to until the ground freezes. Why would roses be any different?

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    10 years ago

    Same here...

    "I've found that no matter what I do my roses continue to grow and bloom until the weather changes enough that they decide to go dormant."

  • susan4952
    10 years ago

    Same in Chicago. When we have warmer than usual dry spells in the fall, I will soak my beds for a minute to two , in between the roses. In my mind it will encourage the roots to stretch for the moisture if they need it.

  • nanadollZ7 SWIdaho
    10 years ago

    I agree--it's the cold temps and lack of strong sun that finally stops my roses.They really don't want to go to sleep and continue to produce dozens and dozens of buds that won't ever get to open, but do make nice little frozen lollypops. It drives me nuts. One year, when we were to get a sudden really hard frost, I went out and picked hundreds of buds and dried them all. I just couldn't stand for them to go to waste. I still have most of them. One rose, Blueberry Hill is a notorious late bud producer. It rests half the summer, and then in late September, wakes up and says to itself--"oh, it's time to make buds to drive that person that pampers me crazy". (I think I've gone on enough about this). Diane

  • kentstar
    10 years ago

    Water them and don't worry about it for now. I just watered mine yesterday.

    I think maybe soil temperature has a lot to do with when they start to really go dormant, Until the soil temps are low enough you might as well not stress out the roses any more by withholding water. The just may not need quite as much as evaporation is somewhat slowed (although I have to admit that the last few weeks here have been warm and dry) . This Saturday here it is supposed to be 83 degrees!

    kentstar

  • michaelg
    10 years ago

    Repeating roses prepare for winter (insofar as they do prepare) by increasing the sugar content of stems in response to weeks of cooler weather. Do they do this more efficiently when they are growing or not growing? I guess the best answer is, nobody knows for sure, so do what suits you. It probably doesn't matter that much. However, if my roses had been defoliated by disease in August or September, I would want them growing in October, because they can't make sugar without green leaves. On the other hand, new reddish growth that is frozen represents a waste of plant energy.

  • toolbelt68
    10 years ago

    One easy way of watering is to put in a drip system. I planted 30 roses and installed a drip system that has worked for over 15 years. Our place has chain length fence all around so I just attached the 1/2 inch plastic water line along the metal pipe that is on top of the fence. Took it up and over any trellis around the yard. On the lowest spots that would allow water to remain in the line I installed a 'T' with a open clamp. All I have to do is go around the yard opening and closing the clamps to drain the system. Instead of attaching the drippers to the main line I installed 1/4 inch lines (about 6 feet long) with the dripper on the end. That allowed me to move the dripper where it would do the most good. Drippers now come with adjustments on them to control the amount. Hook up a timer and forget about it. Most systems can handle up to 300 or more plants off a single water line. To go from the side of the house to the outer fence I just dug a 6 inch deep trench, laid the plastic pipe in it and covered it over. I'm sure it freezes each winter but the plastic must expand to allow for it as I've never had a break. Now and then a 1/4 inch may pop off or leak but a Goof Plug stops that. I just add another hole a couple inches away.
    I'll leave the timing and amount you should water to the rest of the folks here as I don't know J about raising roses.