22,795 Garden Web Discussions | Roses
Black clay is often alkaline, so I'd check the pH and see if it needs adjusting.
You can have a raised bed with no curbs. Make a little ditch around it and edge the grass (if any) once a year. Also go around the ditch with a spade and pitch mulch and soil that have washed down back on to the mound.
The water crystal link given earlier is a good one, but I did not interpret anything in it concerning water crystals causing oxygen problems: "No, roses need to get oxygen as well as water. Unless you were to invent some special crystals that would cycle between wet and dry moisture availability to meet the needs of most roses. Perhaps some nano-machines with clock mechanism?"
In fact it seems to say the opposite: "they help reduce soil compaction, providing more aeration to the roots."
I would be interested in a reference for the above oxygen problem concept.
In clay soils I found the following: "For clay soils, use the larger crystals. They will help break up the clay and make the soil more porous." I would interpret "more porous" as indicating that they would make it easier for oxygen to reach the roots.
You live in a climate where winter protection does much more harm than good. Every time it warms up above freezing during the winter, you will have wet material pressed against the canes causing all sorts of fungal issues. This cannot be emphasized enough. When it comes to winter protection you must listen to the people local to you, not somebody half way across the country.
If it absolutely requires winter protection in the northeast, you won't be able to grow it. It is one of the regional pitfalls people run into. They start listening to people who know little to nothing about this climate. It sounds good on the screen, but translates very poorly to what happens in the real, live backyard. So after a few years of doing everything 'right', they have very little to show for it and give up.
I've read that argument against winter protection many times - on warm days, fungal issues take off due to wet "protection." Around here that issue exists but is the much better of two evils - doing without protection at all and saving canes from getting diseased but while exposing the graft to low temperatures vs losing canes to disease BUT keep the graft alive. Even if the graft is buried, a nice heap of dirt/mulch on top of it just adds to the insulation layer. Temps can drop quite low in the top 6 inches of soil in a prolonged, cold winter and so burying the graft alone in such a case would not provide as much protection as one would think.
Yeah Seil's right. Could just be a difference in location or soil, or even rootstock. I have the McGredy yellow and orange striped rose MARVELLE (which J&P named TROPICAL SUNSET) in a full sun area and it grows to around 4 1/2ft. I've had it for probably 15yrs+. A few yrs later, I bought the rose called RAINBOW NIAGARA and it's planted in a semi-shady spot, growing to over 6ft. The blooms are similar, yet to me are different. But apparently it's been determined that they are the same rose, it's just that the Canadian supplier changed the name from the J&P chosen name. So just being in different locations in the yard these two roses are different enough to seem like they are not the same rose.
Oh how wonderful, RoseCandy! See all those tears and talking to must have done some good. Tineke knew you missed it and came back home.
Jasminerose - glad your friend enjoyed this! She's definitely not alone and I'm sure she could contribute some choice comments as well. Now with 750 roses she is most heartily invited to drop in here at GW and show us some pictures and share her insights!
Cynthia
Seil... I see what you mean... and it's a bit of a cheek isn't it?... and I'm not struck on 'Beloved' either..... however, I've always admired the red climber 'Chevy Chase' for some years now, and until just the other day had assumed it was named after a female actress..... another one I got wrong.... the revelation has put me off the rose a little, which is silly, but there you go.... an appealing name is important I think... especially if named after a still living individual.....
Diane... I've just looked that up about the film.... Meryl Streep would have been perfect for the part I would have thought, and an appropriate star to play her....
Nicole, I'm so sorry for your loss. That is sweet that roses remind you of him. Here is a link to an article from my rose society. It is what they practice to keep roses fresh for a rose show. I hope it helps: Preserving cut roses
Hi Nicole,
I'm so sorry for your loss. If the article above is too much info for you to handle in your state right now, just cut the roses in the evening before dark. Leave the stems as long as you can, about 18 inches would be nice, but not always available. Then take off all petals that will be below the water and dunk them into a bucket of warm water (like faucet warm, not too hot or they will wilt) like bath water heat.
Then after they sit in the warm water for about an hour put them in the refrigerator. This will condition them enough to last a few days and make it through the funeral.
Keep in mind however, that some roses will close in the dark cool conditions of the fridge, so take them out first thing in the morning so they have time to acclimate and re open. Bright light (if not sunshine) causes them to open, so if you have a few that are still closed, put them in the morning sun or by a sunny window until you're ready to go.
Note that roses can absorb water via the entire cane, not just the end of the cane, so its good to have as much cane as possible under water. This is why its good to cut them longer. Don't think that just because the tips are in water, they are getting enough moisture, the more stem you have under water, the better it is for keeping the rose hydrated.
If you do not how floral preservative, its fine, just keep the water clean. Austins as a rule don't last very long after being cut, but for the most part you should get at least a good 2-3 days if you follow the refrigerator conditioning regimen. Some varieties last longer than others.
I hope your roses somehow help you get through this difficult time. Good luck.
OK I looked it up and it looks like Regans is the only place selling it. It listed Northland Rosarium but they do not have it available. You might could call them and see if they will have it next spring. They ship nice size plants. Regans is only bare root but is a very good place to order from also. Good luck, Judy
I'm growing BB (Parole) in a large pot in my Med climate (warm to hot dry summers, cool humid winters). It is quite healthy and floriferous in my climate where PM is the main fungal disease which occurs during Spring and Fall. It does get traces of it when pressure is huge but that's about it. BS is not a major problem in my area and I have not seen BB being blackspotted ever. Blooms tend to form in threes so if you want to get really HUGE blooms you will have to disbud the two laterals early enough leaving the central bud. If you leave all three the main one is often squeεzed and deformed between the longer stems of the laterals. Good strong damask like fragrance. Good for cutting. An excellent HT in my view.
I use monterey insect spray with some success. I'm thinking about using a granular one too. I hate to use too many pesticides, but the chili thrips are bad this year and they are really taking over my garden. I'm also going to try pheromone lures they make for thrips. I have no idea if they will work for chili thrips but I'm going to give it a try.
Talk about variations. In my zone 6 (Kansas), my Oklahoma never gets over 3 feet tall. If you are losing some roses to winter cold, I wouldn't be too optimistic about Oklahoma. You may have to prune her back nearly to the soil line every spring. If so, she probably won't get any taller than mine.
Definitely not a climber. Typical hybrid tea form.
Kate
Mossy - my Floral Fairy Tale is own root and it's also from Roses Unlimited, who carry terrific roses own root. For anyone interested, they also sell Roberto Capucci. Just sayin - he needs to get his dues as well! I agree that it's a terrific rose and it does well in disparate climate including Ingrid's heat and my cold.
Cynthia
" I have been happily computer illiterate" -- haha what a fun thing to read! I hope you get the chance to post photos of your roses this season (especially Tineke, for obvious reasons). Unfortunately without a digital camera of some kind that might still be impossible, unless I-pads have a camera built in them. Heh, I am, as you might say, happily I-pad illiterate XD.
nippstress thank you ^_^ I am SO happy it survived! I had read so many great things about it that it was that much more devastating when I lost it--and now more exciting that I haven't! When I found it alive all I could think about was how wonderful God is. If it starts out slow next spring I'll know to give it a good LONG while before giving up!.
I would love to be able to come to one of these some day. Anyone close enough to go should!