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Is anyone growing David Austin roses in the Tropics?

Ohnie
10 years ago

Hi all,

This is my first post on this forum. I was hoping to get some feedback on the following.

I'm in love with DA roses and purchased 20 from an online nursery in the US. It's an experiment however I would love to see them thrive in this tropical very humid weather (Tropical Rainforest; Equatorial Climate), 29-34 degrees celsius (84-97 Fahrenheit), 70-90% humidity, 50% rainfall during 2 rainy seasons (2x3 months). I thought 2-3 hours would be sufficient since the sun can be killing and burn the plant eventually.
They are still in 1 gallon containers but I have prepared a raised bed (approx. 10" high) to plant them when they're 6 months or something. The location of the bed is on the East side of my garden and the roses will only get 2-3 hours of direct sunlight (which can be very hot during dry seasons).

I'm curious if there's anyone who has successfully grown DA roses in this climate and if you can provide me with some tips/advice? I really love these roses and would not like to see them die or not flowering.

Hope to get some positive feedback :)
Thanks in advance

This post was edited by GrowEnergy on Thu, Jan 16, 14 at 18:40

Comments (52)

  • shopshops
    10 years ago

    Hi Growenergy.
    I'm so intrigued by your project. I hope you posts pictures when your roses grow up I would love to see your roses and this will be so helpful to those in your growing zone. Some quick advice.
    1. There is some one who posts frequently in the antique rose forum. I think her username is sherry Ocala. She grows roses in hot, humid Florida and I believe she has some Austin's.

    2. I agree that your roses will need some more sun. They survive full sun here in Texas where the temps can get to 100 degrees F. With your humidity and so much shade you are inviting black spot to dinner. The blooms on some of the reds will fry, but at 86f max I think you will be okay.

    3. I'm really curious as to where in the tropics you are. My late grandmother grew roses in Trinidad which is in the Southern Caribbean. They were very healthy most of the time. They were not Austin's of course, but some of them had similar bloom appearance and fragrance as Austin's. She did get some black spot. But she put some type of baking soda solution on them and they quickly recovered. Unfortunately I don't know the recipe.

    4. Perhaps you can google copper and black spot prevention. I read somewhere of spreading copper or sulphur under the rose bushes. Sorry that's all I know.

    Happy rose growing. I Know there are many flowering beauties to grow in the tropics, but nothing beats roses!

    P.s I think you will be ok putting your roses into the ground now unless they were really tiny bands. One gallon sizes should thrive in your climate.

  • nikthegreek
    10 years ago

    What the roses may find stressful as plants is not the heat or humidity but the lack of winter coolness. With regards to flowering things may not be that easy as many Austins have a tendency to be stingy in warm conditions. I would advise you to contact DA and ask for their recommendations for your climate. I agree that you will need to plan for at least 4-5 hours of sunshine, but protect from sun from noon onwards.

    Your coordinates sound like NE S. America maybe Guyana.
    Nik

  • titian1 10b Sydney
    10 years ago

    The climate whrere I live is subtropical, and I haven't had success with DA's myself, but I don't spray. But I just looked up the site for Gold Coast roses, which is tropical, and they recommend a few DA's: Golden Celebration, Jubilee Celebration, Jude the Obscure, LD Braithwaite and Molineux.
    They also list other roses suitable for the tropics.
    I have seen another site, which I came across by accident, but I can't find it again. It was by a woman who runs a nursery in Q'land, and she had a long list of old-fashioned roses she recommended.
    I agree with Nik, if you can find a site that only gets morning sun, that would be best.
    Good luck.
    Trish.

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for your responses all,

    shopshops I did have some BS on my local roses and got rid of it with Bayer Advanced Control and I'm currently using Neem oil for 4-5 weeks. Not sure if this will help to prevent BS but we'll see. I like the baking soda idea. I'll look it up :)

    Nik I did contact DA and they told me that roses with petals up to 100 should be OK in this climate. My beds are actually receiving 2 and 4 hours of direct sunlight so I'm looking into planting the shade tolerant ones in the shady part.

    I've been reading an article about the amount of light intensity for roses. He writes about the light intensity (lux) and the minimum amount of lux for roses (including indirect sunlight) instead of the standard 6 hours of direct sunlight. I live 2-5ð N of the Equator where the light intensity is probably higher? For those who are interested in this article:

    http://rosegrowing.blogspot.com/2008/10/sun-light-photosynthesis.html?m=1

    Nik you were correct. I'm located in Guyana. Actually this is the Dutch part of Guyana.

    Thanks again for the great tips. I will definitely keep you posted on the progress of my DA project. Hope to receive more great tips.

  • titian1 10b Sydney
    10 years ago

    Eureka, I've found the other site, but I can't figure out how to post a link. Anyway, if you google Montville Garden Roses you'll find the list of roses she recommends. I notice she grows heritage Heritage.

  • saldut
    10 years ago

    I wish you good luck with DA roses in your climate, I found here in my Fla. garden that Antique Old Garden roses do much better...especially China, Old Tea, and Noisette...and I do not spray... most of the OGRs get very little Blackspot and some even resist Chili-thrips ...my China roses seem to be the best bloomers, usually always in bloom....I also have Belinda's Dream and it is almost as good as the Antiques, also Prosperity, a climber....good luck, sally

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you Trish, they grow 3 DAs which I have and all are doing average. It's hard to not get discouraged after reading all these postings :(

    Thanks Saldut, I've heard so much about China and OT roses. I travel to FL pretty often. Would you be able to recommend an (online) nursery which sells good quality roses? I grow some local roses however I have no idea what type of roses they are. They are very beautiful and (almost) disease free. I'll post some pictures soon.

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Trish do you mean this site http://www.goldcoastrose.org/welcome.htm ?
    I can't find the list with the DA roses that you'd mentioned earlier.

    I only looked up the other one "Montville Garden Roses". To post a link just copy the URL (in the address bar) and paste in your message. Not sure if there's another way to do this :)

  • joshtx
    10 years ago

    Grow,

    You are so close to the equator that the intensity of the sun is definitely a factor. 6 hours would be overkill. 2-3 would be cutting it close, 4 would be okay, 5 is the max I would go. With your high humidity I don't think you'll need to worry much about moisture evaporation off the leaves. The increased photon travel due to your location should be offset by the decreased amount of exposure to the sun. Since none of us live where you do, trust your instinct and go ahead and plant them in your raised beds. Gardening is one part knowledge, two parts trial and error. If your plants don't like their location you can always move them.

    Also, please be careful with the Bayer. Tebecunazole is a potent fungicide, and whenever you spray it then sniff those roses to take in their wonderful scent you are all inhaling the fungicide. Tebecunazole has been known to disrupt endocrine activity as well as induce seizures in animals and small children. Also, some fungicides become phytotoxic at high temps. This means they will poison your plants if there is fungicide residue during high heat.

    As much as the Austins appeal to me, in the end I had to make the choice that the health of my family and garden wasn't worth the appearance of the plants. I switched to Old Garden roses and haven't looked back since. You may want to look into the Bermuda roses. They are OGR found growing on the island of Bermuda. They may very well like your climate and resist diseases.

    All the best,

    Josh

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks Josh,

    If this DA project fails I think I will switch to OGRs or Hybrid Teas (?) I've heard a lot about these roses.

    I'm new to gardening (6 months) but have learned a lot during the past months especially from people on this forum.

    What it comes down to is that most roses require a lot of maintenance and I'm not sure if want a garden full of toxics? So switching to disease free is the first thing that I'll do if the DAs fail to grow in this climate. I'm so excited to keep you all up to date :)

  • joshtx
    10 years ago

    Grow,

    Hybrid Teas are an absolute disaster. Gawky, disease ridden, useless things. OGR are your best bet, and then the Hybrid Musks after that. There is a large misconception that roses are a lot of maintenance, and that simply isn't true. The modern varieties this is true for, but most old roses such as the Teas, Chinas, and Noisettes would perform great for you. I have tiny baby Teas growing up in pots that don't have the least bit of disease on them. My Chinas are super stars, and the Noisettes are just as admirable. They are all fragrant, beautiful, and low maintenance. They really only need water and food like all growing things. Once they get well established, they require even less maintenance. If you love roses and want to avoid toxins, that is the direction I would point you in.

    It's so exciting becoming a new gardener! I myself was pretty green last year, but this forum has been an indispensable resource. The information available here is so vital to success, and the people I have become friends with here are so kind and supportive. It's great to have you here on our little slice of Internet paradise. :)

    Josh

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Josh,

    It's people like you that keep this forum alive and full of wonderful energy :) I can't say thank you enough and all the other amazing people on this forum. I never knew gardening could be so much fun and I'm so grateful that I discovered it 6 months ago and not 20 years from now :)

    I'm already preparing my wish list with OGRs (Teas, Chinas, Noisettes) like you suggested. Is there any online nursery that you would suggest? I ordered my DAs at Heirloomroses.com. They also sell OGRs. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

    Have a great evening.

  • nikthegreek
    10 years ago

    Don't overestimate the potency of tropical sun. Constant humidity in the atmosphere goes a long way towards filtering much of it. I would bet that a rose can fry much more readily in the dry heat of a med or desert climate in a clear summer day, than in the humid tropics. At least this is my experience with tropical plants here in the Med. One can grow many a gardenia in full sun in the humid tropics, no way one can do that in my med climate. Temps can simply be too high under the sun (much higher than in the humid tropics) and air humidity too low for many plants.
    Nik

    This post was edited by nikthegreek on Fri, Jan 10, 14 at 0:48

  • nikthegreek
    10 years ago

    Josh,

    I wouldn't make such sweeping statements regarding HT's and other so called modern roses. While much of what you say is true for many of the early and mid-20th century ones, modern roses bred since the 90's tend to be very good performerms in terms of disease resistance and lots of them have moved from the gangly, leggy form to more shrubby forms to the extend that the line is very blurred between so called bush and shrub roses. Many OGR's have never been champions of disease resistance as many here will attest, especially of they are grown outside their comfort zone.

    Having said that I, of course, agree that Teas and the like would in principle be very suitable for the himid tropical climate since many of them have originated from such climates in the Orient, though no sweeping statements can be made here either.
    Nik

  • joshtx
    10 years ago

    Nik,

    Here is my thought process on the variance in light and heat from Grow's part of the world. Perhaps you can critique my reasoning...

    Hailing from an area where the heat and humidity hover around extreme highs during the summer, I can say with certainty that humidity can attribute to the sensation of being in a pressure cooker. When the humidity roses to substantial levels, evaporation of water from the surface of materials decreases due to surrounding air saturation. This can result in overheating in organisms which rely on moisture evaporation as a cooling mechanism. The angle of the sun at the equator is also much less than that of the US, and so what then occurs is a rise in light intensity. This can be thought of as, "How many light photons are being delivered as time passes?" The resulting lack of angular displacement encourages a more efficient radiation per time system. The overall health of the plant is contingent on its ability to process the incoming photons, and roses are usually able to quickly adapt to light intensity. The ability of each individual variety of rose to sustain health while coping with heat and photon bombardment gives us the variety of roses which either enjoy partial shade and flourish or prefer more hot, intense sun. This may also be why some roses so better in dry climates than in humid climates.

    One also must take into account the lack of cloud coverage in truly tropical climates, and the effect this has on light filtering. The result could be that overstimulation of photoreceptors in chloroplasts results in UVB damaging of cellular structures by way of a lack of 100% efficient photon transport. This photon energy which is unable to be taken up by the receptors falls onto the plant as heat energy, which may then encourage enzymatic breakdown or plant stress dormancy.

    In allowing for a greater light intensity and heat index, I was thinking that reducing the 6 hours to a 4 would produce a more amiable environment for optimum plant health. However I am only an undergraduate student and have not specialized specifically in horticultural studies. Perhaps Dr. Manners would be of more help, especially since he is from Florida.

    Also, while you are correct that many OGR do not sport flawless disease resistance, in my experience it is the hybridization and watering down of genetic plant lines which produces lackluster disease resistance. The Bourbons and Hybrid Perpetuals are an example of this. I have not had a Tea, China, or Noisette yet which has not outperformed my expectations. You are correct though that growing roses not intended for specific climates produces plants which no not perform well.

    Grow,

    Thank you for your kind words. :) I wish I knew what nurseries to point your towards, but since I reside in the states I do not have experience with shipping outside the US. Vintage used to do so, but they are closing. Perhaps you could capitalize on their last sale in March?

    Josh

  • nikthegreek
    10 years ago

    Hi Josh,

    Sorry I cannot contribute anything scientific with regards to the heat issue. I'm just talking out of experience in a med climate and extrapolating knowing the performance of some plants which thrive in the tropics but not in my climate. One thing to say is that it seems to me that plants behave not like warm-blooded animals with regards to heat index as per the requirements for evaporation based cooling, although I do know that water discharge from the stomata does happen under some conditions (not often in my kind of climate though were the stomata are closed during extreme heat and dryness to preserve water). So it would seem to me that it is inaccurate to talk about heat index for plants in the same way we talk about human discomfort. There's no cloud coverage in a truly Med summer or in a desert climate and there's very little humidity in the atmosphere also. As such, under the sun temperatures can reach more than 50 degrees C (road surface melting conditions) and shade temperatures usually exceed the average of 26-30C very common in the humid tropics. Light intensity under these cloudless and haze-less conditions can often exceed that of a humid tropical climate despite the difference in latitude. Altitude also plays a big role exactly for similar reasons (lack of atmospheric filtration), but this is beyond the scope of this discussion. This is at least this is what I think is true, and I'm open to any scientific opinion that says otherwise.
    Nik

    This post was edited by nikthegreek on Fri, Jan 10, 14 at 2:46

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the interesting discussions all.

    If my DAs fail to grow into healthy plants at least one person did an attempt to grow DAs close to the Equator :)

    Josh, my orders are shipped to South America by a another company (Forwarder) so I can order at any company in the US. I looked up Vintage and it seems like they are very popular. It's unfortunate that they are closing. I will place an order this month.

    Thanks again for the great tips all!

  • Brittie - La Porte, TX 9a
    10 years ago

    My climate is subtropical and the DA roses William Sheakespeare 2000, Munstead Wood, and Lady Emma Hamilton work well for me. Of the three, LEH is the most bs prone.

  • titian1 10b Sydney
    10 years ago

    Hi Grow,

    The Gold Coast roses site has a list of modern shrub roses they recommend - they are all David Austins. But........

    The Montville garden, though in Q'land, is actually high up and therefore cooler. so maybe not as relevant. But she does give a list of what she's growing, and how they are doing.

    In my garden, I find Teas, Noisettes and Chinas do well. I'm trying Bourbons, but so far, they're not doing much in the way of flowering, though they grow well enough ie. sprawling all over the place!

    If you are a full member of Helpmefind you can do an advanced search, and see which roses will take heat. Also, there's a great book by some Australian women called 'Tea roses for warm climates'. I haven't tried any Bermuda roses.

    The roses which I grow and do best for me are Duchesse de Brabant, Ms Tillier (huuuuge and blooms constantly), Jean Ducher (don't have it yet in this garden), Mrs Dudley Cross, Mutabilis, Cornelia, Buff Beauty.

    I also have Anna Olivier (blooms fry in heat), Crepescule (ditto, but it may be made worse by getting the direct sea breeze). Comtesse du Cayla ( a sad little plant, and blooms fry).

    I've spade-pruned General Gallieni and Hugo Roller as the blooms burnt and/or balled.

    i have a couple of Australian bred roses that take the heat, Marjorie Palmer, and her sport Alister Clark. Titian is lovely, but blooms fried on a hot day, but she is new so may improve.

    I have a few roses under the shade of a Jacaranda, Marie van Houtte doing very well, Feilicia (lovely perfume but blooms very straggly almost immediately after opening), Penelope (lovely but v sprawling) and Francis Dubreuil (great red, but does burn).

    I also have a few rugosas, which are tough old birds, Scabrosa, Martin Frobisher, Mrs Doreen Pike, Roserie de L'Hay, and the very lovely Frau Dagmar Hastrup. So far, they don't flower a lot, but the plants look good anyway.

    Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.goldcoastrosesociety.org.au/roses.htm

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you brittie. I have L.D. Braithwaite (red Austin) but the leaves look a little "pale" (light green). I was looking into purchasing WS2000 but hardly have any space left in my garden :(

    Thank you so much Trish, what is your exact latitude? Would you mind posting that? I would like to compare it to my location (2-5ðN from the equator) since I'm interested in purchasing Teas, Noisettes and Chinas as well.

  • nikthegreek
    10 years ago

    Maybe keeping the plants in larger pots for a season or two will help you locate the best position for them sunwise. This is what I have done in some cases since I'm not a great fan of the sport of rose uprooting which seems to be a rosarian national passtime over in the US.

    For example, this is how I have discovered that WS2000 doesn't mind partial shade which protects its blooms from frying too quickly but Sceptere'd Isle hates it. In a similar way I have discovered that Golden Celebration absolutely hates being close to a sunny stone wall because the young lateral shoots get toasted in my summer heat but some HT's don't mind at all.
    Nik

  • titian1 10b Sydney
    10 years ago

    I'm in Sydney, a long way from the equator! 33.8 I think, but it's often in the 30's, sometimes 40's and has pretty high humidity.

    I tried to post a link is about a woman growing roses in the Tropics, but it won't accept it. Anyway, you can google it. She grows 'Jude the Obscure'.

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks all,

    Nik, that's exactly what I had in mind. I'm still too concerned to plant them in the ground. They are about 4 months old now and still in 1 gallon pots. I think the best thing to do is monitor them and see in which spots in the garden they're happiest.
    What I did notice is that they used to have a lot of new shoots in the first 2 months but that has stopped since then. I'll try to post some pictures soon.

    Thank you Trish, I found this link. I think you were referring to her :) http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1774356.htm

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hi all,

    So I finally took some pictures of my roses. I have placed all DAs (20) on the raised bed. I have not yet planted them in the ground since I want to monitor how they react in these spots before I do that. The bed is actually a build-in bed. Our tile patio is 10" higher than the standard soil level in our garden.

    The length of this bed is around 43'. The right side gets only 2 hours of direct sunlight (12:30 - 14:30) since it's blocked by our house and a wall and the left side gets 4+ hours of direct and afternoon sunlight (12:30 - 17:00).

    I was planning to transplant 8-9 roses from 1 to15 gallon containers (Is that too big of a jump? I have this size already and don't want to spend more on buying smaller size containers), since the right side of the bed does not get enough hours of direct sunlight and this bed is too small for 20 roses (?).
    I'm using local humus for my bed. For pots I'm using imported potting mix.

    What I have noticed is that some of the leaves (2-3 roses) are light green. Could it be iron, magnesium, oxygen/overwatering deficiency? It has rained a lot these days.

    I have posted some pictures below. Please, all tips, advice, criticism are welcome :)

    The DAs which I'm growing are:
    Glamis Castle
    St. Alban
    Kathryn Morley
    Mary Rose
    Jayne Austin
    Geoff Hamilton
    Teasing Georgia
    St. Swithun
    Ambridge Rose
    Charles Darwin
    Radio Times
    Golden Celebration
    Wise Portia
    Tea Clipper
    William Morris
    Graham Thomas
    Heritage
    Jude the Obscure
    Shepherdess
    L.D. Braithwaite

    This post was edited by GrowEnergy on Fri, Jan 24, 14 at 9:33

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    This is another picture taken from the left side.

    This post was edited by GrowEnergy on Mon, Jan 20, 14 at 20:29

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    This is how some of the leafs look like. Not all roses. Only 2-3.

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Local humus for my beds.

    This post was edited by GrowEnergy on Fri, Jan 24, 14 at 9:35

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I will transplant the roses from a 1 gallon to a 15 gallon container. Is that too big of a jump?

    This post was edited by GrowEnergy on Mon, Jan 20, 14 at 20:33

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    This was my Glamis Castle's first bloom.

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Some of my young local roses (some still in containers) and other plants. Less prone to disease. Unfortunately the seller didn't know the official names of the roses. Some of my other plants are hibiscus, bougainvillea, monstera, mussaenda, gerbera, ferns, kumquat for those who are interested :)

    This post was edited by GrowEnergy on Mon, Jan 20, 14 at 20:31

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    My William Morris has the longest octopus leg of all my other roses.

    This post was edited by GrowEnergy on Sun, Jan 12, 14 at 12:49

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    And finally some of my miniatures. They almost died due to BS and rust. That was 2 months ago. I used Bayer but am using Neem oil now which is less toxic (?).

    This post was edited by GrowEnergy on Mon, Jan 20, 14 at 20:32

  • nikthegreek
    10 years ago

    I see you have very ambitious plans! Good luck!

    No the pot jump is not too big for the roses if the pots have good drainage (it might be for your back though if you intend to move them around).

    The roses that appear slightly chlorotic might not like the pH of the substrata in the pot. What kind of substrata are you using? Maybe giving them a bit of chelated iron a couple of times a year will help but it is not a permanent solution if the pH is too high for the particular roses. Are these grafted of own-roots?

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hey Nik, thanks :)

    I place the pots on plant dollys with wheels. I do the same with my heavy plants like palms. I order them at Home Depot.

    Actually for the pots I didn't use potting mix since I was not well informed back then. What I did use was local humus 70% and broken river shells 30% which is very common around locals. This is what they use for roses. I thought the chloritic leaves were due to too much rain. I'll try chelated iron. These are own-roots.

    This post was edited by GrowEnergy on Fri, Jan 24, 14 at 9:36

  • nikthegreek
    10 years ago

    Checking the pH of your growing medium be that in a pot or in the ground is never a bad idea. The roses being own-roots goes a long way towards explaining variability of response to soil conditions. Roses in pots will also need frequent fertilisation as after a while they are dependent on you rather than on nature to provide the needed nutrients.

    Nik

    This post was edited by nikthegreek on Sun, Jan 12, 14 at 17:11

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    That means I will have to educate myself very well on all these variabilities of response to soil conditions. I know there are a lot of postings on this topic alone on this forum. This all sounds like a long but exciting project :) I already ordered a soil pH tester and chelated iron.

    Thanks again Nik

    This post was edited by GrowEnergy on Sun, Jan 12, 14 at 19:46

  • sherryocala
    10 years ago

    GrowEnergy, you've had a great response to your post. Sorry to say I don't have time right now to read all of the great comments you received. First off, I hate to tell you but your planting plan is way too tight. In Florida DAs get very large, at least 6x6 or taller, and if they're on Fortuniana rootstock, you'll probably want to put them on 6- or 8-ft centers. A never-ending growing season makes for very large roses.

    There is a Master Gardener from Sarasota, FL, Connie Vierbicki, who grows something like 150 Austins (some multiples) in her yard, and she has grown many more that are gone for poor performance. She has a list of roses that bloom big in her heat, humidity, and short, mild winter. I'm sure if you email her she will send it to you. This link will give you her email address. http://www.b-srs.org/cgi-bin/ConsultingRosarians.cgi

    She has strong opinions about ross, because she only wants roses that will bloom their heads off even at the height of the hot summer. She does spray fungicide, and she doesn't care too much if the bush is a little ugly - IF it blooms its head off.

    Many DAs have cold weather forebears, so they do particularly badly in heat and humidity, but some do quite well even by Connie's standards. And she says performance in her amended sandy soil doesn't depend on rootstock. She has all of them and own-root in her garden. Amazing.

    My most recent purchases have been based on her recommendations. (She spoke at our rose society.) Here is a link to one of our newsletters with an article by Connie and some of her recommendations from a couple of years ago, but I would still email her. I have a few on your list, but they're only a year or two old.

    https://drive.google.com/?tab=mo&authuser=0#my-drive

    In the summer our humidity stays up around 65% or 70% with temps generally 93-95F. We garden in sand. Hopefully, you don't. :)

    If you get a list from Connie, would you mind posting it?

    All the best to you with your new garden.

    Sherry

    Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

  • Ohnie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks Sherry, your roses and lilies are breathtaking... and I love your blog. It's very helpful.

    I will not plant all 20 roses on the bed. I know that will be too tight :) That's why I've decided to plant half of them in 15 gallon containers. I'm aware of the extra care and maintenance but I have no problem doing that. They have become one of my passions :) It does rain quite often near the equator so that will help as well.

    I will email Connie soon. BTW I think the link to her article is not correct?

    Thanks so much Sherry.

  • sherryocala
    10 years ago

    I'm sorry, GrowEnergy, but the newsletter should be accessible to you with the link without sign-in. I'm glad you liked the blog. :)

    Sherry

  • chinic19
    8 years ago

    Wish i know what kind of rootstock the rosarians use in Central America. I been to a couple of countries of Central America and as everybody knows is very tropical and they have nice roses that stay healthy and no sings of diseases or insects eating them. I wonder if because of the soil is so fertile?

  • ijeomaogud
    6 years ago

    Hello OhnHome,

    Stumbled accross this thread while also researching roses to grow in the tropics (I live in Lagos, Nigeria). I'm really curious as to how your roses did? Would it be possible to get an update? Eagerly waiting...

  • Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
    6 years ago

    I'm interested too!

  • Sarah Boodram
    3 years ago

    Hello. How have the David Austin roses been? I am from the Caribbean. Love his roses but don't know where to begin to research whether or not some of his roses can take Caribbean weather


  • sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I am on the Florida east coast and also very near a few rivers. We dont usually get much of a breeze and our summers are rainy and very humid. The summer nights dont cool down much either. Days can be mid 85F to 101F on the worse days but prob in the 90'sF most the summer.

    Some Austins that do really well for me are Teasing Georgia, Pat Austin,Olivia, Lilian Austin, Spirit of Freedom, Bathsheba, Munstead Wood, Lichfield Angel.

    There are others that do well but will black spot then recover quickly.

    I dont spray fungicides or pesticides so if you do, you may have better luck with other Austins.

    ETA: I am in a subtropical climate. Most of FL is subtropical except the southern tip & the keys.

  • Sarah Boodram
    3 years ago

    Hello appreciate the feed back very much. Helps me make an informed choice. the ones you listed "Teasing Georgia..etc" , are any of those particularly resistant to disease and fungus?

  • sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
    3 years ago

    Yes those are all pretty resistant that's why they do well here. We have high black spot pressure here.

    We dont usually get stuff like rust or powdery mildew. Black spot is the thing that plagues Florida lol.

    Teasing Georgia is really good. Its a climber here. Olivia and Lilian Austin are also very black spot resistant here. Next, I would say Pat Austin and Spirit of Freedom (another climber). Bathsheba, Munstead Wood and Lichfield Angel are about the same. Pretty resistant to black spot but not quite as resistant as say, Teasing Georgia.

    I hope that helps a little:)


  • Sarah Boodram
    3 years ago

    Thanks a million for this feedback. Can go ahead an order to experiment lol. Enjoy the roses. Thanks very much for your time.

  • nlacario
    2 years ago

    Hi Sarah! Hope you’re doing well! I’m from the Caribbean - Trinidad to be exact and wanted to know if you managed to get a hold of any of the roses suggested to you?

  • Adam Harbeck
    2 years ago

    This info might be useful.

    Rosa lamarque is a lovely rose for the tropics. https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/factsheets/subtropical-surprise/10333054