21,402 Garden Web Discussions | Roses

Thank you all very much. Unfortunately the CJ is quite established (I think I put it in about 2-3 yrs ago). As soon as the weather is conducive I will try to eradicate. I'm planning to do what "campanula" suggested. If anybody else has suggestions on how to get rid of it differently please let me know. Thanks again!

I'd suggest ripping out as much of it as you can find, then laying down sheets of cardboard (or newspaper in layers at least four sheets' thick) over the ground. Overlap the sheets so there are no gaps between them. Top the cardboard/newspaper with at least two inches of mulch, and leave it for a few months. Any creeping Jenny that still emerges should be pulled ASAP, or spot-treated with Round-Up by painting/wiping it directly on the leaves (avoid spraying which might travel to plants you want to keep). In time (if you're in a wet climate), the cardboard/newspaper will break down, but by then, the creeping Jenny will have been smothered to death. Additionally, any weed seeds falling onto the mulch will be prevented from getting to the soil by the cardboard/newspaper, and can be pulled very easily if they sprout.
Once the creeping Jenny is gone, consider other short-growing plants to fill the ground. Low-growing Sedums were mentioned, but there are many others. Consider Prunella, Thymus, various short-growing Campanula and Geranium, Dianthus, Lithodora, Lamium, low-growing Nepeta or Salvia or Veronica, etc. Also consider self-seeding annuals for this "job" -- their root systems won't become as substantial as perennials, and if you don't like them or if they start spreading too much from year to year, just keep them from flowering/seeding and there won't be a new generation.
:-)
~Christopher

This was a very interesting post, Nippstress! I had never thought about viewing my list of past roses by breeder before. So I went into my spreadsheet and re-sorted by that column...and my, did I have a varied assortment of breeders represented! Largest group for any one breeder was Buck, I'm sorry to say (this was from when I gardened in a real zone 4.) I had many Buck's that just got smaller and smaller, weaker and weaker every spring - until one spring they were dead entirely. I grew just about all that were available in commerce back in the early 2000's, but have very, very few today. Out of the 24 past Bucks on my list, 3 were given away and 21 died a slow sad death. I only have 8 Bucks left in the garden now, of which Applejack is my hands down most iron clad hardy Buck rose.
That said, I've lost several Bardens and Kordes, too, but most of the failed Kordes were climbers - always problematic in zone 4. I keep buying new Kordes roses though, and I do like to try anything by Ping Lim or Radler these days.

This is interesting thread, I have had poor luck with lots of breeders and it's all my fault, I expected more than the poor plant could deliver...some are just not 'bred' for this climate...now I just stick with the tried and true, Chinas, Noisettes, Old Teas....very few 'modern' roses can survive in Florida heat and humidity....I can't enumerate how many times I have tried to grow a beauty that was gorgeous for several winter months but gave up when June July and August rolled around....sally

The hardy roses are offered own-root more often than not. If you like to see your roses before you buy them, the local garden centres should have most of these in stock in April. (And yes, April is fine for planting shrubs and perennials, if there's no snow on the ground.)

I would advise against planting roses in April. No way. :)
If you get any of the roses that I mentioned, they should be found at the local greenhouses. They mostly sell only hardy roses for here. So when the roses come out at the greenhouses is usually a fine time to plant. Most people wait until after the long weekend in May. She'll know the holiday date - I can't remember it right now. If they're bare root, I would wait until middle of June.
Carol


Wintersowing in milk jugs, here, too. Gardening of any kind when it's below zero outdoors, snowing and blowing, is a good thing. I garden indoors, too, with a four shelf lighted rack filled with blooming African violets. In fact, I accidentally found help for my winter depression because I set up this rack in my bedroom a few years back in an effort to keep the plants safe from my toddler grandson. I have the lights on a timer and found that unlike an alarm clock, when the lights click on and bathe the room in artificial "sunshine" I am wide awake and ready to take on the world. In fact, in my new house the AV's on the rack are in the room at the end of the hall, next door to my bedroom. The doors to both rooms always stand open (I live alone now) and even though it is not direct light on my bed, if still feels like "dawn." No more hiding under the covers, hitting the snooze. I feel just as cheerful in winter as I do in high summer when the sun is up well before 6 a.m. (All that's missing is a few bird calls!)
I know everyone can't fit a plant rack in their bedroom (nor would they want one) but it does work for me! :-)

I agree with the person who said, get some ammendments and dig a trench and set the roses in that you have no time to plant or decide where you want them. Later on you can move them and you won't end up buying them over when you don't need to. Also, it's a good time to split them into several plants. If you plant one and it fails, you have another. You can plant in groups to make a big statement. Some will be rooted on every cane and you can make a hedge.
Happy Days to you on your new farm! Llamas are fun. Roses like what the llamas provide. Glad your dream is happening. Please post pictures. We love to see your progress.

Top idea, Tammy. I also went to college at 36 (history) and loved every moment. Mature students often wipe the floor with the youngsters - we are all so keen and motivated. Did 4 years of horticulture too - probably more useful than history in terms of vocational qualifications. Daughter is planning on moving into law too (although I suspect she is planning eternal studenthood since she has been in college for nearly 8 years now!)
However, your lifestyle sounds a bit too dynamic for me to get a handle on......aged collie and anti-social cat are quite enough livestock for me. Respect for your vim and vigour.

Thanks Kate. But I will be using the entire (almost former) azalea bed for the roses. The azaleas will go to a different side of my yard.
The reason I asked about the bed, is that initially, the top six to eight inches of the soil was removed and replaced with acid soil for azaleas. For the next several years the whole bed was fertilized with more acidic fertilizer.
I was hoping to remove the top 12 inches or so (azalea roots are very close to the surface) and replace it with soil from the area where I will be putting the azaleas (virgin territory) and then amend the whole 'stripped' bed with EB Stone Rose soil and added compost.
What do you think? Will that work?
Thanks again,
andrea

I had one last year growing in a 5-gl bucket where it did reasonably well. Below is a picture of the best of the flowers that it had.

As you can see from the picture, it did not look like the advertised old garden rose flowers in its usual pictures. It made me wonder if it was the correct bush. If it is Happy Go Lucky, it did rather well. I did plant it in the ground in the fall. I will wait to see if it makes it through our rather dry and highly variable winter temperatures. I think it is worth a shot to see how well it will do for you and what yours will look like.

I got mine several yrs ago from Hortico. They don't carry her anymore. I know that Cliff Orent had her when he had his EuroDesrt Roses. There's a possibility he could've had a mother plant that Heirloom Roses might've gotten when they acquired the rest of his stock. I would call them and ask if they did get one from him. They carry a lot of the other McGredy roses that he had. If they have a plant, maybe they will propagate it for you. I imagine others would like to have her. She's a pretty rose.



Yeah, I agree it's worth a try; I'd think they'd mainly need sun whilst their tops are growing (i.e.,spring/summer). I don't know "Birthday Present", but Bantry Bay's flowers, though not single, are not particularly full,and therefore it may well be rather accepting of shade...bart



Before you cut any of it, is the plant budded or own root? If it's budded, I'd think you would pretty much kill MAC but probably have a great crop of root stock. Own root might rebound eventually, but I agree that eliminating the worst, oldest cane first then the next the following year is probably better. How do they look "bad"? If it's just thick, old, bare and woody, that's normal. If it has galls on it, I'd dump the plant and take measures already discussed here on the forum. Kim

I would suggest the slow deliberate method of pruning. I pruned a 5 year old Elizabeth Taylor that had grown 10 feet tall on 2 old 1" diameter canes very aggressively. Removed one completely and cut the other down to 5 ". I now have a Dr. Huey shooting up from the roots to deal with as the ET never resprouted.

As a general rule of thumb, when it comes to hybrid teas, I space them about 3 ft apart, measuring from the center of one to the center of the next one.
I don't find a lot of different widths when it comes to HTs, but if I knew a HT was a bit wider than "normal," I might add .5 ft or so to the spacing. Elle, for instance, is a somewhat wider-spreading HT, so a little extra space for her.
Kate

kstrong, thanks for posting about this sale. I would never have found out about it. Like growing_rene, I ordered lady of shalott & munstead wood. Also ordered Love Song & requested 4/1 as the date for delivery.
My local nurseries don't carry these roses, just a few out-of-patents (and of course KOs) so I saved myself a lot of frustration & gas driving around looking for the roses I really wanted. I'm really looking forward to adding these to my garden. Can't wait.







.View1, St. Patrick survived with very good care and the bud union buried deep. I never covered it and some years it got killed to the ground but always it recovered and although it stayed short it was a heavy bloom producer. Also, after many years in the ground, every rose will spring back strong because of its' well developed root system.
henry, thanks for letting me know. I guess I can leave St Patrick on my wish list.