22,153 Garden Web Discussions | Roses

Usually the solution to blind shoots is to cut them back some and let them grow out again. The second time around they should put on buds. If you had a bad winter or any kind of odd weather during the spring growing season it could by why it put on so much blind growth.

I'm assuming the proper name is 'Sunny Knock Out'. I'm also assuming that you bought the rose as a grafted/budded plant. What may have happened is that a sucker of the rootstock (probably 'Dr. Huey') has grown, and that is the tall cane you're seeing with no flower buds. 'Dr. Huey' blooms on old wood, and naturally grows as a small climber. Look at your rose to see if the tall cane is coming from below the graft/bud union. If so, it needs to be removed.
:-)
~Christopher


henryinct: All good ideas. My older roses are pretty maintenance free. I have nine young HT and I need to keep up with them. Today I deadheaded, weeded, fertilized, sprayed and watered and that was enough. I need to prune and remove diseased leaves. I am retiring in two months and will have the time to give them proper care. I haven't had any HT for over 25 years because of he deer. I wanted cut flowers and now I have to spend some time on them.

You're welcome! The three main diseases, black spot, rust and mildew, all basically function similarly. They help prevent any one species from becoming dominant in their habitat. All three depend upon suitable conditions to grow and susceptible tissues to infect. The best control is to eliminate the susceptible varieties (to the best of your ability) then control the suitable conditions, again, to the best of your ability. There are many you simply can not control, but making sure there is decent air circulation; sufficient sun exposure (without over or under exposure); sufficient drainage with appropriate amounts and timing of water; appropriate nutrition at the appropriate timing and in appropriate amounts are more easily controllable. That leaves making sure what you choose to grow is suitable for your climate, conditions and gardening "style", how much time, effort, energy and money you choose to provide.
I know certain classes of roses simply won't flourish in my conditions. They may limp along and they may supply the begruding flower, but they will never perform as they are meant to, no matter how much money, time or energy I spend on them, so why waste precious real estate and other resources on them?
Once you begin really studying the plants, I think you will discover many issues are easily mitigated by making sure light, drainage and water are properly applied. Other measures are there in case those first three don't do the trick, or when attempting to bend an unsuitable type to your climate and will. Kim

Hi Kentstar,
Just wondering how your Livin Easy is doing in Ohio?
I yanked the LE I had out as it was not disease resistant at all here... Leaves all fell off... :(
I yanked out Outta The Blue also for same reason...
Since we are probably only 5-6 hrs away from each other I was just sitting here wondering..lol

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but I've had this same problem with Livin Easy. It did beautifully the first few years I had it, but the last three years has gotten inexplicably yellow leaves that don't match any disease or nutrient deficiency I can find. Still flowers like crazy though, just the bush as a whole looks a little ugly.

Laguna is a very good own root rose. I have Laguna on multi flora, Dr, Huey and own root and really no difference in performance. This is a photo taken May3, 2014 of 1 gallons planted in fall 2012. These were very prolific bloomers in 2013 even as one year old plants. Fragrance is citrus mixed with tropical fruit - quite nice. Good repeat bloomer.


I grow my Lady of Shalott as a 5' shrub. The first year or two I didn't do much of anything except feed and water it. At some point during the second year two of the canes started stretching up--obvious wanted to climb something! I cut them back a bit lower than the normal height of the shrub, and I may have had to do a bit of touch up pruning of those two canes somewhat later.
The Lady seems to have received the message and has been growing as a shrub ever since.
I have another Austin--Mortimer Sackler--which can be a tall shrub or a climber. It worked pretty much the same as the Lady--second year, a couple canes obviously wanted to reach for the sky. I trimmed them back--maybe did a bit of touch up pruning later and then pretty much left the bush alone. I seem to remember that a year or two later, I trimmed back a couple canes during the spring pruning, but I don't think I've done any other pruning of this shrub.
It's really not much of a hassle. If you want it to climb, plant it fairly close to an arbor or trellis. That way it can't grow outward (bushy); instead, it reaches upward for the sun--and thus makes a good climber.
My Lady of Shalott is in a fairly open spot--which hopefully encourages her to bush outward.
Good luck with your Lady.
Kate

Steve - Thanks for the info, glad to hear some of yours are coming back! I didn't know there was such a thing as semi-hardy. Guess I learned my lesson to do more research and not just take Zones 5-9 as an indicator that they are safe. :/
Buford - Thanks for the info! I really want a climber on my arbors that don't have to be cut down every year (or frequently) so I decided to dig it up today (don't know if that's a good idea or bad but I decided it was worth a shot) and potted it up temporarily while it recovers. I put it in a 3 gallon container and left the graft uncovered like you said, if I see new growth should I plant it this summer in a new location on a regular trellis (rather than an arbor) or wait until fall?
Seil - The ones you suggested up above, those are ones that would be cane hardy for zone 5? I am thinking of getting regular trellises for these two assuming the blaze comes back, and then getting something cane hardy for my two arbors. Just want to make sure I don't end up with 4 roses that won't make it up the trellis.
Thank you all so so much for your advice.

My Angel Face is ancient, Mom bought it in the 60s, and even though she is a black spot magnet I wouldn't be without her. The blooms and fragrance are wonderful and even knowing she is virused she has wintered like a champ year after year. She has about a foot of green cane with buds starting to grow out there right now after this polar vortex winter when a lot of other, supposedly healthier ones, have nothing left but stumps! She has her problems but she is a trooper!

Okay.... so it looks like I'll have to evaluate AF this season and see how she does.
I originally said that I give my roses no special care... no spraying because we live along a tidal river with lots of birds and animal life... no dusting, no fertilizing.... just renewed compost each spring and watering occasionally. We have a wide variety of roses, love them and try to be as organic/non-chemical as possible. But I can still recall the color ... the ruffled petals and fragrance of the Angel Face I grew about 30 years ago in my first home. Loved that rose!


Too true. Witness my Double Knockouts, bought in 2012 because of a buy one get one coupon from the HD garden club. Had I known what they were, I'd never have done it. My bed is too small for them!
Live and learn, I guess. I'm looking for a home for them.
Lynn T

Hmmmm. Bought one from Big Lots a few months ago. Threw it in the garage and noticed that it is leafing out nicely. I will plant soon. I am not a careful gardner. I dig the holes, plop em in, will fertilize once, mulch, a reasonable amount of water and thats it.. Its on its own. My plants and I have an understanding about level of effort.:-)









Deep watering and mulch, mulch, mulch.
Lynn
Mom was surprised at how damp the soil was in the veggie garden where I was working today. Just drip. Once the plants come up tall enough we can use hay in the veggies.
It is amazing what a thick layer of mulch can do. The big roses probably got less than a gallon of water in the heat wave and did not seem to wilt, the blooms fried but the plants look good