22,795 Garden Web Discussions | Roses



Glad someone mentioned toxoplasmosis! As a pregnant gardener, a neighborhood cat using my yard would outright stop me from any gardening for at least a season. It is not something to be messed around with and I'd be furious if I was banned from my garden because you can't be bothered to keep your pet off my property!

If the cats are wild, trap them and send them to SPCA. If they're your neighbors, trap them and give them to the animal control cops, the owners have to pay a fee to get their cats back, I think it's $45 each for my town. It's easy to say, hard to do. One of my neighbors cat always in my yard, they're good people, so the cat just becomes part of my garden......still not a cat person.

24" size best with very bushy, compact growers--maybe something like 'Gourmet Popcorn'. A 24" standard with a big HT like 'Memorial Day' ends up looking like a grafted bush that's been planted too high. HTs in general look bad as standards, but they sell, so growers continue to offer them.

I have Stormy Weather it is in a prime spot but I am not to thrilled with this one, maybe this will the year for it but it is very stiff, tons of thorns and no rebloom. It is puting on some mass this year so maybe it will improve

Here's another update: The biggest of the three Purple Splashes that I planted last year is growing LIKE CRAZY. Seriously, its branches started to really spread a couple weeks ago, and it's now winding its way through the chain link fence I planted it next to. The second biggest is doing fine, but its branches aren't nearly as long as the biggest one--yet. And, of course, the third one...well, it died. :(
I'll take and post pics soon.


"Yet the red roses were identical to the other greener stems & gorgeous.">>>>Those were the branches that I said I believe were basil branches, so no; that's not the problem I was referring to. It was the breakable, soft pink growth at the bottom of the bush next to the bush on the ground.

If they are grafted roses and the graft is buried below ground then it is possible these are the correct variety and not root stock coming up. Usually root stock will come up a bit of a distance from the bud union but good new basal breaks from the graft will be closer in to the bud union. Being red or whitish is normal. They haven't had enough light yet to turn green. Once they get bigger, more mature and get more sun they will green up. The only way to know for sure if those new shoots are from the graft is to dig around them and see where they are coming from, above or below the graft. It would be a terrible shame to take off perfectly good new canes on the chance that they are root stock. Check first!


Sounds like tree roots--HTs are no match for maple tree roots, so I either have to dig up the HT and replant, or plant a vigorous once bloomer like Felcite Parmentier.
What makes crabgrass well known is that its ideal habitat is a lawn that has been frequently mowed--someone who does this is likely to be a very good customer at the lawn and garden store. Plus the fact that you can sell effective techniques for eradication.

Kate is correct. Also BS can't easily spread if there is no rain at all or only a daytime shower that dries completely within several hours. However, here we have moderate temperatures all summer and usually, frequent periods of prolonged wetting. Here, BS is relentless.
The conazole fungicides like Bayer Disease Control are able to kill the fungus inside the leaf. Therefore, if you scout twice a week, you can wait until small spots appear before spraying. The leaf can be saved if you spray within 10 days of germination or within a few days of spots becoming visible.
So spraying every two weeks is routine in the worst areas, but elsewhere, you can get good control with less spraying than that.
The conazole fungicides are not widely distributed but are available online.
Good luck, warpig.

When I read your title Sara I thought you had discovered the rose HOE. Lol! I absolutely love that rose. I did love reading your post also. This is the most awesome time of year. The first few days we get to work outside after a long winter is so awesome it just brings us back to life. My sweet grandson also helps me outside. He was helping me pot up some pots with annuals and last for a few minutes then he's ready to move on. I think you will find lots of people on here with your same sentiment about working outside in such perfect weather. Hope everyone has an awesome spring!!!








It's impossible that you could get enough of a rootball to support all that foliage. It would have to be cut back a whole lot anyway.
Just think, wouldn't you be happy to be receiving a bare-root standard in a big box from Edmunds? Cut it back about half-way and strip the leaves before digging.
I know it's tough but it's for the best. They will grow back!