What's up with stripping leaves on shipped roses?

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Wed, Oct 8, 14 at 23:22

I just got my shipment of own-root roses in bands, they are small but they look well-rooted, so I'm sure they'll do just fine. All the leaves were stripped--fortunately I had read of this before and I wasn't completely shocked. But I have to say--I am a landscaper, have been in the nursery and landscaping industry for many, many years, and I can think of no benefit to the plant from stripping the leaves. Even if they were burnt, or frosted, the plant could still pull energy out of them before dormancy. I would rather see leaves even if they looked like crap.

The only benefit seems to me a psychological one for the consumer--can't see any leaves that look bad, nothing to complain about. Please tell me this is not the case, and that there is some physiological reason why stripping the leaves is of benefit to the plant.

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RE: What's up with stripping leaves on shipped roses?

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Posted by Kippy-the-Hippy 10 Sunset 24 (My Page) on
Wed, Oct 8, 14 at 23:57

I would love to know as well.

I got roses from Oregon and Texas with leaves striped. I have kept them out of the hard sun so they would not get sun burnt.

RE: What's up with stripping leaves on shipped roses?

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Posted by cecily 7 VA (My Page) on
Thu, Oct 9, 14 at 8:16

I live in an area with high BS pressure and so I'm BS-phobic. I prefer stripped foliage to reduce the possibility of introducing yet another strain of BS into my garden.

RE: What's up with stripping leaves on shipped roses?

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Posted by anntn6b z6b TN (My Page) on
Thu, Oct 9, 14 at 10:07

Let me add to what Cecily said, it's not just blackspot that comes on leaves. I have received rust on leaves from a now-gone nursery in California. I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't have sent the plant out with rust showing blatently (and it wasn't rust season out there), my best guess is that the rust spores germinated in their cross country incubation box, and so I got to find them. Fortunately I knew what to do.

The benefit to the plant (AND REST OF THE GARDEN) is to leave behind any problems.

RE: What's up with stripping leaves on shipped roses?

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Posted by seil z6b MI (My Page) on
Thu, Oct 9, 14 at 10:34

I can understand that too. With all of the pests and diseases already spreading like crazy why take any chances. It is kind of a shock to see those bare canes when you open the box but it's for a good cause.

RE: What's up with stripping leaves on shipped roses?

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Posted by ingrid_vc Z10 SoCal (My Page) on
Thu, Oct 9, 14 at 12:13

I've ordered bands from quite a few on-line nurseries for a number of years and had never seen one without leaves until the other day when I received a shipment from Texas without a single leaf. I was puzzled, and I'm glad I read the reason for this. The bushes were beautiful anyway, shipped in large containers, not the usual band size, and each with a large, many branched rose bush that had numerous leaf buds. They are sitting in the shade and hopefully I'll see some leaf growth soon.

Ingrid

RE: What's up with stripping leaves on shipped roses?

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Posted by roseseek z 10, SoCal (My Page) on
Thu, Oct 9, 14 at 15:05

Some areas' agricultural rules require not sending or receiving foliage. Removing the foliage does leave many problems behind. MANY are very likely to mildew, black spot and/or rust in the damp, close environment of the sealed box, anyway, even the more resistant types. Foliage is much more likely to rot in damp conditions than canes, so removing it should help improve the success of boxed plants. When I was propagating like a fiend at The Huntington Library many years ago, I would regularly strip anything I brought home and trash what was removed. I generally didn't have disease issues in that garden and found by leaving much of them in the trash before introducing them to my garden, I was more easily able to keep it that way. The new, bare plants were set under a tree where they received filtered sun and a generous mulch of horse manure. They all grew well and never seemed to mind the treatment. I'd prefer receiving rooted plants sans foliage. I don't want to bring other strains of fungi or bugs here any more than anyone else wants mine. Kim

RE: What's up with stripping leaves on shipped roses?

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Posted by jim1961 6a Central Pa. (My Page) on
Thu, Oct 9, 14 at 19:51

If I had it to do over again I would of stripped the BS-ed and all the other leaves off our Thomas Affleck when it arrived this year...
Its been a nightmare & I probably introduced a new strain of BS into our garden... :-/

Last year I think rose midge came in the potted soil of 2 roses I ordered so I need to do things different now before I plant...

RE: What's up with stripping leaves on shipped roses?

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Posted by diane_nj 7a/6b (My Page) on
Fri, Oct 10, 14 at 11:38

Add spider mites to the list of critters that might hitch a ride on the leaves.

RE: What's up with stripping leaves on shipped roses?

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Posted by bboy USDA 8 Sunset 5 WA (My Page) on
Fri, Oct 10, 14 at 11:44

Many of these things will be present on the canes also. With no leaves on there should be no need to shade after arrival, unless there is concern about canes burning.

RE: What's up with stripping leaves on shipped roses?

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Posted by sarabera (My Page) on
Sun, Oct 12, 14 at 0:01

Thanks for all the input. I'm still having a difficult time with this. If there are disease spores on the plants, they will almost certainly be on the canes also. I find it unbelievable that removing the leaves would remove all disease spores. If disease spread during transit is an issue, wouldn't it be easier to spray the plants with a fungicide, or better yet, an anti-transpirant (which also inhibits disease spread)? Seems like it would be much less labor intensive than stripping leaves.

Oh well, I guess the proof is in the pudding. I'll be planting these guys tomorrow and we'll see how well they root in and grow next year.

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