22,153 Garden Web Discussions | Roses


I find bagged alfalfa at my local nursery, but it's a bit expensive for a larger number of roses. Finally purchased a 50 lb bag of pellets at a feed store (horse food). It's way too much, but was only $11. You have to be careful there is nothing else but alfalfa in the pellets. They don't break down as fast as the bagged stuff from the nursery which is like a powder almost.

Check to make sure that the alfalfa pellets do not contain salt or other additives that may cause problems, many pellets do contain additives when they are labeled for horse feed. I buy plain alfalfa meal, a powder with no additives, at a farm supply feed mill for about $11 per 50# bag.


I think quite a number of teas can be kept between 6 and 7 feet once they're mature even if they have the capability to grow much larger. I cut mine back when they encroach too much on each other and it doesn't seem to hurt them a bit. You just have to be sure that they're 4-5 years old before you trim them. When they're young they need all the branches and leaves they can get. Later on they can withstand being cut back, which isn't really pruning, just a shortening of their width.

Thank you Ingrid and hoovb. I don't think the winds will be quite as strong, we'll get a real break from them later in the week, hopefully. Ingrid, I remember being in total of awe of your Belinda's Dream, the blooms on it were fabulous. It is truly a good rose.


I was going to guess Queen Elizabeth on the pink one too. If it gets really tall, this is a clue.
Nacogdoches is one of the best yellows, doesn't fade. I live about 30 minutes from the Texas town of Nacogdoches - this rose was found growing under the eves of an old run down motel - don't know who was caring for the roses, but I used to stop by there just to look at the healthy, big roses growing there. One was a pink, could have been Queen Elizabeth. Never dreamed one of those roses would make it into commerce.
Another good gold/yellow is Good As Gold. Got it last year - it is big, healthy and full of blooms now, very little blackspot.
Judith

Judith I am also about 30 min from Nacodoches from our place at the lake. My pink roses do get tall, so queen Elizabeth is probably a good guess as to what they are. Thanks for the input on what it could be. I am enjoying all my roses so far and can't wait for my Austin's to get older. So far I am getting droopy blooms or blooms in the dirt from octopus arms so it's hard to take photos, I am encouraged by the fact that from what people have said on this forum that the canes get stronger as they mature. The blooms are gorgeous and smell divine.

One thing that often shows on roses sick in early spring are way shortened internodal distances and these look normal.
I agree that they look ok.
This past late winter stretching way into spring is causing damage on a lot of new growth that most years would be weeks ahead of what it is now. The shift from reddish new growth to green is also happening slower from what I see in my yard.
Ann


Unless it gets worse and continues to spread I agree with the professor, it looks like older leaves that were damaged somehow. Being toward the bottom center of the plant means these are probably some of the oldest leaves on there and who knows what they've been through already.

I figured Mother Nature wasn't done with us yet this year. Everything is still in it's winter protection. The only thing I did was plant a few pansies in the window boxes, lol. they should be just fine.
I did take a look at all the seedlings in the little greenhouse this week. From what I can see I lost about half of them. I'm hoping a few will come up from the roots because they're all own root, of course, but for the most part all top growth is dried out dead brown. I'll be sad to lose some of them. They were my babies and I liked them. But, I have a fresh crop coming for this year too!

My sympathy to all living in this region of horrific winter, and late freezes this year.I am so sad-I live right on the lakefront in a small ohio community.My second rose bed(5-6 yr old plants) is nearest the brutul winds coming off the lake.
.I lost eight roses this year!! My most mature and beautiful rose, About Face included.Had searched for over four years to find "Amelia Earhart"-one died and my fingers crossed for the second..The constant freezing and thawing was soo bad that they were heaved out of the bed!! My more protected bed on the east side of the house lost none out of 14...
Only compensation is that I am getting a bit wiser and looking and both own-root, and the roses developed in Canada to replace...I WON"T be caught like this again!!!

Do you leave your computer running all day and all night? (I do sometimes.) If so, just turn off the computer for a minute or two and start it up again--cleared of all the junk it has accumulated.
Other than that, I don't know what to do--but I'm not having problems with pages not coming up. However, whenever I ask my computer son what's wrong with my computer, he invariably mutters "re-boot"--and he is usually right!
Good luck.
Kate



@dublinbay thank you for your help
Judith, thanks as well and you're right it really is trying to grow. I will stop by Walmart or Lowe's tonight to pick up some stuff to spray it with. I'll also see if I can find someone with some type of manure I can take off they're hands.
At what point do people decide to pull up a rose and discard? This is the last thing I want to do only because I remember how beautiful it was it's very first year when it bloomed. :( I'm really hoping that some babying with help it along.
Thank you guys!
Elce
It's a young rose and not yet fully mature. And not all roses grow and mature at the same rate. If it's a different variety from your other rose it may never grow or look the same. Not all roses have dark green leaves. Just like kids, they all develop differently.
It has some black spot but that may be due to it's immaturity and the fact that it's still at ground level where there are plenty of spores to infect the leaves. If you liked the rose last year I'd give it more time before I'd ditch it.