22,151 Garden Web Discussions | Roses
I am in zone 7 ( a few years ago, they tried to convince us we were in zone 8, glad I didn't listen), but we went down to zero on two successive nights. I had luckily moved all my pots inside (some were already frozen solid by the time I got home from work, but they thawed out in the garage). But the in ground plants suffered. I lost about 5 roses, most of the others were dead to the graft, but have come back. My teas took the brunt of it. I had about 5 that were huge 8 ft x 8 ft or so, and had to be cut all the way back to the ground. All but one has come back.
The one bed where I lost 3 HTs, I also had some japanese cleyera that I had unfortunately trimmed back hard in August, and with the early October hard frost we had, they were damaged. I thought I was going to lose some of them, but they are now coming back. I do have to cut back some dead wood on them.
Like Ken, I am still finding dead wood or cutting back healthy looking canes that have brown pith. And many of my roses are small. But they will come back.
So, lessons learned, listen to the weather reports, bury all grafts below the soil and pile leaves around own roots. We don't get snow cover, so we have to make do.
Thanks Michaelg on the Carefree Sunshine response.
Our CS are coming back fairly faster in the last few days.
Yep they are picking up some steam now...
Last night we had some freakish temps that dropped into the 40's though.... Great night for sleeping and even had to cover up...lol
Siel , they look fantastic ! I especially like moonstone , may have to add that if it's a florabunda. I wanted to ask you , I believe you said you use sweet allysum in your pots . I sprinkled seeds and now they are blooming in my rose pots very well but I wonder if my growth had slowed down bc of the allysum ? Is that something you have noticed or am I just paranoid ? :)
Thanks, Lily! No I don't use allysum myself but I do know several people who do. I'll have to ask them if they notice any slow down. But if your roses have just bloomed that could be why they've slowed down too.
I do end up with petunias in some of the pots because they self seed everywhere. Some I let grow and they're pretty when the roses aren't blooming. It depends on the health of the rose in the pot though. Sometimes if I think the rose doesn't need the competition I'll yank them out.
My Molineux grow about 3-3.5 ft tall. One thing a bit different about Molineux (as opposed to Munstead Wood, for instance) is that Molineux is a more vertical plant; Munstead Wood is "rounder"--the sides fill out.
I've heard of Molineux growing about 4 ft (except in California --none of the rules apply there), but mine have never grown quite that tall. On the other hand, I don't believe anyone has ever called it a "compact" plant either.
It is a sun-lover. If you have it growing in part shade or closely crowded by other plants, it may try to grow taller as it reaches for the sun.
If you want to keep it somewhat shorter, I'd prune it after its spring bloom cycle is over.
One of my favorite Austins. Hope you enjoy yours.
Kate
Bart, I did a quick Google search and found this:
"2 Uncoated Aspirin.......pushed 2" into soil on opposite sides of plant*"
"AspirinâÂÂs ingredient, salicylic acid, has been found by the University of Florida and USDA researchers to activate and boost a plantâÂÂs SAR (Systemic Acquired Resistance) against bacterial, fungal and viral diseases. When sprayed with the aspirin/water mixture (1 ý aspirins to 2 gallons of water mixed with 2 tablespoons of a surfactant such as mild soap or anti-transpirant) every 3 weeks, it not only improved the plantâÂÂs resistance to disease, but also improved growth, increased fruit size and production. Tomato expert Steve Goto found that putting the aspirin directly in the soil next to the plant is also an effective way to increase the SAR."
http://www.gardenlife.com/store/information/tips
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Myself, I would like to see a controlled experiment concerning the soil application before recommending it. Maybe it could be used as a school science project.
Here is a link that might be useful: link for above
Thank you, Henry. I may try it...though please don't expect me to do it in a controlled, scientific manner,lol! That's really not my thing at all...
I like the idea of trying the soil application,for several reasons. Mainly, because I want to switch over to a no-spray garden, which means "don't spray ANYTHING". Apart from environmental/health reasons,it's also getting to be just too impractical. My garden keeps getting bigger; it's on a steep slope, and faces South-west. It's in the woods, with no electricity or other unnatural light source and far from my home as well,so here under the blistering sun of Italy, this means that spraying the whole thing requires efforts ever more Herculean,and I'm just beginning to think it's totally not worth it. But sticking stuff in the ground is a different story: no need to worry about burning the foliage,etc.thanks for your help,once again! bart
Several years ago I thought I had RRD although I had never had it in my yard and have seen no signs of it in my area . I even mentioned to my DH that if I didn't know better, I would think someone had been spraying Round-up. I live way out in the country so that seemed to be impossible to me. Then we discovered my mother had been spraying Round-Up in my yard in areas where she walked to look at my gardens. (We are not close and she comes into my yard when we are not home.) When I think of the roses that I dug, bagged up, and sent to the landfill, probably close to 100 or more, some that are not available anymore, some that were very special to me and I cannot replace.......not to mention the $$. I still want to cry......but she is not spraying Round-Up in my yard anymore.
I took about 16 or more roses out of my garden about 8 years ago because of it. There were a few roses that didn't have it too bad, and on those I pruned the bad stuff out.
It's nerve racking to prune it out, but it seems to spread from the top, down and if you prune it out sometimes you save the bush.
Vigilance is the key. I didn't know what I had, at first, and the lack of any plan to stop it, allowed its spread.
It would be highly unusual or nearly impossible for RRD to first appear on two basal shoots. Infection always occurs above ground where a mite has landed. Usually they infect a latent growth bud in a leaf axil, leading to a sick lateral shoot. Occasionally, it might start in the growth tip of one basal shoot.
Basal breaks on 'Prairie Sunrise' are kind of odd-looking anyway.
Incidentally, it's one of Buck's best roses, with a very large, fragrant flower.
I feel your pain:) had the same thing happen to me...freaked out over a weird new shoot and proceeded to destroy what,in hindsight,I think was a perfectly good rose...an old ,wise nursery employee told me:when you'll have red on a rose their wouldn't be any doubt...so,if your not sure,it's probably not it.
I have this happen on several roses. Mostly in the spring. It seems if they grow quickly, if we have a lot of rain, the canes don't get hardened off enough and the weight of the cane pulls it off. Usually right where the cane meets another cane or the graft. I've been guilty of causing this by brushing up against new canes, they can be very delicate.
Sorry to say that that looks dead. If you are purchasing bagged bare root roses at this time of year chances are most of them are already too far gone when you get them to make it. Those roses were harvested last fall. They were dug up, stripped of all their leaves, soil and a lot of their roots and chopped off top and bottom to fit in those bags. Then they were placed in cold storage all winter to go to the stores in February and March. Now they've been sitting on a store shelf since then with no care or water of any kind. The store is cutting the prices to get rid of them, and that's appealing, but they really aren't worth the money. If you have a good nursery near you I'd suggest you go pick out a nice potted rose that's already growing and healthy and start with that.
Oh, and Big Pink Muther (formerly Alnwick) might be changed again, to the softer and more romantic "Grasshopper's Friend". Imagine pairing the rose below with another similarly named red Austin rose, "Fish Hooks".
jannike
Thanks, all. Laughter is the best rose food.