22,795 Garden Web Discussions | Roses
In dry Nebraska, I routinely use these in all my rose plantings, mixed in the garden soil and compost that I put back into the hole. It's an absolute life saver for me, particularly with new bands. I buy the crystals bulk through WaterSorb, and I like their product and prices a lot. The crystals break down after a season or two, but frankly I want the roses in the ground to adjust to the irregular Nebraska rains in the summer anyway.
I've read some postings on the web about concerns if you use these water crystals willy-nilly throughout your garden, because of something (silcon maybe) that doesn't break down well. Judicious use to bridge the planting transition for new roses, particularly in your arid Texas climate, should be realistic and really make a difference in roses thriving in your hot summers.
Cynthia
Be careful. I love them in my hanging baskets, but in roses, I found out the hard way. They kept the moisture well on my paved patio. But when I went to clean a few pots up, in the spring, the crystals were still there, and the roses were in bad shape. THE CRYSTALS DID NOT DISAPPEAR. Possibly in your zone , they will be alright. Just not in the Great North Wet.
The light sounds adequate. Not more than that, but it should be enough.
The peat moss might be a much bigger problem. It is very hard to rewet if it dries out, and very slow to dry out when it gets wet. So it really isn't suitable for use somewhere the moisture levels aren't carefully controlled.
The other problem is the level the rose is planted at. Most roses you buy at the garden center are grafted. Most potted grafted roses are planted with the bud union a few inches above the soil level because otherwise it would take up too much valuable pot space, and there isn't any reason for it to be buried. However, it helps a lot with wintering if the bud union is buried in the garden.
I definitely agree with mad gallica about the peat moss, but I still use it, because it helps so much in our hot summers here with clay soil that becomes a tight brick very fast. What I end up doing is watering the very top of the soil lightly when it threatens to completely dry out (so that the peat there doesn't dry out and become impervious to water later). In spring with the frequent rain, I don't usually have to do that.
Deep watering is much less frequent even in summer, because the peat down below keeps the lower parts moist. Your climate may be different, but do watch (and feel) how the texture goes in your springs and then summers!
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
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!
Please show it when it blooms, okay? I won't be mad, since I have a bud! A bud! :)
Where's there's one, more are sure to follow. My Pretty Jessica started buds long after every other rose had buds AND flowers. That may just be its habit or be a function of its relative youth (three years). Last year it had almost no flowers at all. It could be Ascot is revving up now and next year will be a wonder to behold. At least now there's hope, and in gardening that's everything.
Ingrid