22,795 Garden Web Discussions | Roses
Actually I've always just put the cedar mulch (shredded mulch, NOT dyed) over the bare soil. Where the original owners of our house planted the 12 bushes (many of which I have replaced) over 22 years ago was in a strange place. They planted directly (almost touching our brick house (south side). Before I knew anything about roses(except that they loved water, but not to water as the sun was going down)--I had a soaker hose. I soaker hosed them constantly until our contractor told us we were going to have basement foundational problems if I didn't stop this. So then I started watering when we had a dry spell or hot, rather than constantly. They seem to do fine between that and God's watering. Anyway, I used to add soil every year, and started getting more of a "hill slant" to the soil. When I watered, it would flow down onto the sidewalks and water the roses. My brother in law originaly put bricks along the edge, but that was 20 years ago, and they have sunk in. I'm afraid to add more soil for fear of the dreaded hill syndrome. Should I be adding soil ever so often???? Yikes. At this point of my life (since we live with my mom, and she will be 86 this year), don't know how long we will be here--so wouldn't want to dig them out & start elsewhere. They seem to rally back & do beautiful most of the season where they are anyway (except last season). They have the nice brick duplex to protect them from too much wind & cold. The sun most of the day since they are planted facing the South, and I winterize well every winter.
Since you want to put them in the ground now is the time to do. You want them to grow those new roots into the soil where they are going to live, not in a pot you're going to take them out of. Besides, those pots they're in are way too small and will be full too soon.
Water the roses very well the night before you want to plant them. When you transplant them dig your holes first and prep them and water them. Then try and just slip the existing root balls out of the pots and into the new holes. Back fill about half way and then water. Fill the rest of the way and water again. Keep them moist but not drowning until they start to get new growth and then fertilize at half strength.
This sounds like an excellent cool weather rose. I took mine out in spite of the fact that it grew really well and quickly because the blooms, few as they are in the heat, fry within five minutes. Planting the right rose for your garden is at least half the battle.
I only have it with Abraham Darby and Gemini. Both are "newer" in my garden. 10 years instead of 20. Different sources for each. So I can't pinpoint why these two.
I remember reading years ago, in Sunset, to plant with the graft well above the soil line > in mild winter climates only. This was thought to discourage suckers. I have usually followed that practice.
In a previous garden I did as Seil says. Rip, don't cut! And it worked great. Don't wait another minute Sara_Ann. Remove a shovelful of soil so you can see the base of the Huey sucker and pull it down, out and away.
PS. 'reverting' would be used for another behavior.
I've only had it happen once, with Burning Desire, a J&P HT that wasn't very popular. I ripped off the sucker and never had the problem again.
Puttng the graft below the soil line usually hasn't been a problem, except once when the plant was completely buried and decided it wasn't going to leaf out. Fortunately I remembered where it was and replanted it--it is doing fine now.
Here in the fair city of Lawrence, KS, I would say that Dr. Huey is the second most common rose to be found, and second only because of the large numbers of Knockout roses planted around various parking lots. And yet, of course, no one ever actually bought a rose labeled Dr. Huey. Why people persist in selling roses grafted onto this monster is beyond me. This is why I am such a fanatic about own-root roses.
You have to follow the canes down and dig down to where they originate at the roots. Do not just cut them off. That only seems to encourage the Doctor to grow more. You want to rip off the canes at the roots so that you cause some cell damage and the canes will not grow back...at that point anyway.
Doctor Huey was chosen as a root stock for precisely this reason. It's VERY VIGOROUS! With it's strong desire to grow it pushes other varieties that are grafted to it to grow that much faster. Rose producers can get bigger plants to market faster and make more money. The less time and money a grower has to spend raising plants for sale the more they can make on them. Simple as that.
Up here in the North Country we don't have as much problem with DH showing up. I only have him come up when I've neglected to take out an already dead grafted rose. Even then it's pretty rare because it's usually because the whole thing, roots and all, froze to death over winter.
Bare root roses are best ordered online in fall for delivery maybe April 1 in your location. As you've learned, body bags often fail, and if they grow, are often mislabeled.
I agree, helpmefind.com is an excellently resource. I am a newer rose gardener and was excited when I finally learned there are usually multiple photos, by clicking the "photos" tab on the top left corner. Very dark red roses do exist, here's one, http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.35457&tab=1
I prefer to buy roses from nurseries that are planted in pots and have a flower open, that way I can see the bloom form and smell the scent. I also find they tend to survive better as they have better root systems and leaves, plus I get to pick the best looking plant.