22,152 Garden Web Discussions | Roses
I wouldn't take off any of the leaves it still has. Let them feed the plant while they still can. They will fall off on their own eventually. They also provide some shade for the canes if the sun is still hot. Just keep it watered as needed and let it be until next spring.
After learning where you live, I understand that heat was not a factor, but roses just don't transplant easily unless from small or medium pots. When you dig them, the fine roots are lost or disconnected from the soil, and the coarse roots are not able to supply enough water. So they will wilt and maybe defoliate, even in mild BC weather, because lots of water is being lost through the leaves. The particular problem with transplanting this time of year is that any new leaves that grow out will not have time to replace the energy spent in growing them out. If you waited till late October, your alba (or other deciduous rose) would have withdrawn and stored nutrients from the leaves and there would be no loss of water from the foliage. Dormant roses can be transplanted without much pruning.
As to excess watering, soil being saturated for two weeks will kill the feeder roots and cause yellowing and defoliation. Soak the transplant in with a very heavy watering, let drain, and then water normally.
So overwatering may have caused defoliation, but it can happen without that.
So true, it's always good to learn something new. If I hadn't been on the forum I wouldn't have learned about different ways to ferilize, so I'm thankful for all the good advice and ready to put it to use. When I was a little girl my mom would make sun tea, she would put the tea bags in a big glass pitcher filled with water and sit it in the window in the sun all day and that night she would add sugar and it would be the best sweet tea ever! I think I am going to try the same approach with alfalfa tea bags and hopefully have good results with my roses, minus the sugar of course :) and I won't drink it lol, just the roses.
I also do not water afterwards after applying LIquid fertilizers...
But like Seil I make sure the soil is moist before applying.
Here in our cooler climate with clay soil I actually water the day before applying liquid fertilizer...
Blackspot is not airborne to any significant extent. It carries over mainly within the bark of canes and to a lesser extent in fallen leaves (Compendium of Rose Diseases). Landscape cloth would have no effect on disease, but I think every experienced gardener here would say it is useless and troublesome in the long run. Mulch rots on top and the resulting soil supports weed growth.
'Carefree Beauty' is BS-resistant in many gardens, but apparently you have a race of BS that affects it. Frankly, your choices are to live with it, try a different variety of rose, or spray fungicide every two or three weeks.
A little more information might help. What do you use to spray for BS? How often? Do you use Bayer Garden Disease Control for Roses, Flowers, and Shrubs (and I mean that exact name--not one of the other Bayer products)?
Are you sure you are not looking at old blackspots which were killed by a previous spray? The spots will not disappear even though you have destroyed the fungus called blackspot. However, the new leaves should come in with no spots on them.
Do you have this problem all growing season? Or just at certain times--maybe spring and fall?
Kate
No, it didn't survive last winter, Sara. I wasn't really sorry to see it go though. The blooms were lovely but the plant had powdery mildew from the minute I brought it home until it went dormant in the fall. I was really disappointed with it.
I also have both, and I can't say that either of them have any fragrance to speak of to my nose. I'd give Fire 'n' Ice the edge for having a somewhat lighter reverse than Love, but it's much less hardy in my zone. I've had my original Love for 5-6 years, and replaced Fire 'n' Ice several times, only lasting a maximum of 2-3 years each. It might be one of those roses that isn't good on its own roots, since it's a dinky little plant - or maybe it's just a miniflora, as Seil says. I agree with her that neither is a frequent or prolific rebloomer.
Cynthia
I really like my Sonia and I got it own root from Roses Unlimited. It has grown well so far, as typical of their roses, and even snuck in a bloom on me before I could get it disbudded (I nip off buds in the first year to help build more structure to survive the winters). It has grown nicely bushy and we'll see if it's as tall as predicted, but I have been pleased with its vigor and general avoidance of most blackspot. It's in my "hot" bed of HT/floris, so as far as I'm concerned, the more color the better. So far it doesn't seem to fade like some of the apricot/orange roses can do, and given that it's near Tropicana, Fragrant Cloud, and Oranges and Lemons, it's welcome to put out blooms that are as garish as it pleases.
BTW, the way to interpret Roses Unlimited website is that they list all the roses for which they have mother plants and are propagating for sale. You're right that you can't tell from this listing which of the roses are currently available, though the vast majority of them are, but Pat responds quite promptly to emails asking about particular roses, and she's very generous with suggestions for roses that might suit you if you ask.
Below is the one bloom I let it get away with this year.
Cynthia
Apparently it's normal for strong new growth on that variety. No way you have RRD.
The two-tone thorns are pretty, aren't they?
They are - just their colouring was a bit unusual so thought I'd best check before giving it as a gift!
Thanks again all!