22,153 Garden Web Discussions | Roses

OK, the end of the Rose searson is approaching...I'm new to active rose cultivation and would like to be reminded how to prepair for winter (I'm even open to chastisement for my previous neglect of my DonJuan's). I have 3 or 4 DonJuan's that are old & almost dormant due to my neglect (I will do better, I promise!)...the beauty of this DonJuan rose is hard to describe if you haven't seen it.... This week I planted a couple of new DonJuan's along with a Peace climber plus 2 Mr Lincoln's, added 4 ArticFlame's, 2 AlmostBlack and one PopeStPaul-II, plus 2-yellow no-name's... I'd like to know if 2 or 3 inches as mulch for protection on the new plantings will protect them 'till spring - I'm in mid-NC (Durham) ?

Michael, I agree that the burlap doesn't keep them warmer. What I think it does do is hold moisture in and protects them from winds that can dry the canes out. As you said, the only way to keep them warmer is to provide a heat source. But in fact you really don't necessarily want to keep them warmer. They need to go dormant and stay dormant. However, keeping them from becoming desiccated is beneficial.

Mike, 2 to 3 inches is a start, and not knowing much about Durham's climate may be enough, but more would be better. I don't winter protect everything in the ground any more but if there is something new or one that I know is tender I pile on the mulch using something to hold it up and on if necessary. I like to try and go at least 6 inches and have done as high as a foot on a rose that I knew was weak. I've used old, broken plastic flower pots with the bottoms cut off and milk jugs, bottoms off and side slit to get it around the rose. Mounded soil works well and stays in place. Experiment with what you have to see what works best. But don't winter protect too soon. You have to be patient and wait for the weather and the roses to tell you when it's the right time. Some years I have done it in October because it was very cold very early. Other years I had to wait into December before the roses finally went dormant. The point of winter protection isn't to keep them warm it's to keep them evenly cold and dormant all winter and early spring through all the ups and downs of the temperatures until it really is spring for good.

racin rose, your Lady Emma Hamilton rose is to die for. What gorgeous flowers! Can you tell me how old is your plant? Are those flowers from an established plant? Thanks, Karen

Maryl, your Rouge Royale is stunning. I've debated about this rose for years, and you've pretty much convinced me...I must have it. Just where to put it is the question.
Susan, that is an exquisite little bouquet of Teasing Georgia. Lovely. Diane

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I had considered roses with wine tones such as Munstead Wood. I noticed that a volunteer seedling of Brazilian verbain next to the limelights looked really good and that gave me that idea.

The all white roses is a great idea, one that has been stuck in my head now, thanks hoovb!! :-) I think a white rose with a "milky" tone to it might work well. I would think the "snow" white roses would look to bright white next to the more milky hydrangea blossoms.

I am not sure how pink tones would look planted next to the hedge. One of my first thoughts were some of the English roses that have pink and also yellowish tones like Jubilee Celebration... on the other hand, I walked past a flower show where they had deep red roses combined with lime-ish colored filler plants and it looked modern and fresh...

What are your thoughts on something like Lady of Shallott or a warm pink like Princess Alexandra of Kent in groups of several plants each on front that hedge?

I have PAK and I think the color would work well as long as the Princess didn't get too tall. Mine is a year old and is about 5 feet, but in your cooler climate, she might stay shorter. Her color is a bit variable, too--at least here. In the heat, there are more warm tones, and when it's color, she's more of a straight pink, but not a light one. What about the new Austin in a medium pink called Boscobel? (Hope I got that name right). That rose's look has got me enthused about Austin's again. Here's a pic of PAK with less of the yellow tones in her coloring. Diane

Kim,

I will be glad to be on the 'hunt' for you.

Have a lovely weekend,

me

Thank you. I hope yours is lovely, too. Kim

Looks lots like my brides dream, but she is 4-5 ft.

Thanks for reviving this thread. The blooms have a soft fragrance, I'd give the strength of the fragrance is a 3 out if 5. The bush I took the cutting from was approx 4'x4'. It had arching canes and appeared robust despite the BS and neglect. (I remember pruning it this past spring out of pity)

M

Thanks Kim. While my plant is young the blooms are close to two inches. The color definitely makes up for bloom size. Keep us updated Susan. Mine is going dormant for the year so I will have to live vicariously through you.

I've never noticed much difference between bloom size on young plants versus older plants, nor on budded versus own root, which is what made me nervous about Marina. There have been the occasional outliers, so hopefully Marina is one of them!

probably because I am an unloveable misanthrope who vastly prefers plants to people but here are some more reasons:
cheap, even free - gardening is, I believe, the most egalitarian hobby inasmuch as the poorest of us can save a few seeds and plant them in hope altho' yep, you can spend 400 sterling on ONE paeony........
The pleasure of nurture - I surely struggled as a mother, feeling bored and overwhelmed a lot of the time (although 35 years later, a bit more patience and experience has graced my efforts....but growing tiny seeds, pricking them out, potting them on, watching, watering, wondering - a rather lovely pastime.
The pleasure of creating beauty - colour has always stirred me - to the extent that a mere colour chart causes me to practically salivate - gardening is painting the world in drifts and swathes of brilliance.
Curiosity - as an inveterate meddler, I find I can do my frankenstein graftings, crossings, pruning, training, and general fiddling about in relatively guilt-free circumstances in that no plant has ever wailed, moaned, had a tantrum, sulked, stomped off or complained - they either stoically endure, thrive or provide me with compost - nothing ever lost.
I get to make a bit of money - selling, swapping, bartering.

Um, I know these are rather prosaic reasons and I am not immune to the numinous or the transcendant but I truly enjoy keeping my head bent to the soil, enclosed in a little world of my own construction....since the rest of the world often seems hostile, disappointing, politically inept and cruel. A sustained weeding session takes all those fears and anxieties away.

Thanks, Carol!

Jim 1961, "Its the middle of October and your admiring all the blooms and you wake up to this the next day... :-0" Lol, bro, been there. Hope NOT to have that happen this October...but you never know. ;-)

Campanula, "...since the rest of the world often seems hostile, disappointing, politically inept and cruel..." I totally get you on that. I flee any hint of that in a nanosecond. I just flat out refuse to go there! I do love people like Rick Steves who spread the gospel of peace, love, and understanding to EVERYONE wherever they travel. In places like Iran for example. And even here in Spokane, Washington if we are lucky. P.S., I love you, sweetheart, and I've noticed many other people here seem to adore you, too. :-)

"Europe's my beat. For four decades now, it's been my second home." Rick Steves

Johnny Cabot, "The COLORS warm my heart." They deeply warm my heart, too! I LOVE color sooo much. I took a stained glass art class once because I adore stained glass, but I cut myself one time too many so I eventually gave it up.

Mirenda Jean, you are such a soulful lady...your very being is your song. And I suppose that is the same way for the roses, too.

Susan4952, your bouquet is VERY beautiful. Soft and compelling. What are the roses in it, hon?

This post was edited by dove_song on Fri, Oct 4, 13 at 15:00

It's a seedling of 'Fourth of July'. It looks very promising.

Probably a climber. I have lots of Fourth of July self seedlings, and they almost always are climbers, just like mom. I haven't registered any of them, though, because I don't think any of them are as good of a rose as Fourth of July. If any of you want to try your hand at germinating rose seeds, Fourth of July is a good one to start with -- easy, peasy to get growing.

Repeating roses prepare for winter (insofar as they do prepare) by increasing the sugar content of stems in response to weeks of cooler weather. Do they do this more efficiently when they are growing or not growing? I guess the best answer is, nobody knows for sure, so do what suits you. It probably doesn't matter that much. However, if my roses had been defoliated by disease in August or September, I would want them growing in October, because they can't make sugar without green leaves. On the other hand, new reddish growth that is frozen represents a waste of plant energy.

One easy way of watering is to put in a drip system. I planted 30 roses and installed a drip system that has worked for over 15 years. Our place has chain length fence all around so I just attached the 1/2 inch plastic water line along the metal pipe that is on top of the fence. Took it up and over any trellis around the yard. On the lowest spots that would allow water to remain in the line I installed a 'T' with a open clamp. All I have to do is go around the yard opening and closing the clamps to drain the system. Instead of attaching the drippers to the main line I installed 1/4 inch lines (about 6 feet long) with the dripper on the end. That allowed me to move the dripper where it would do the most good. Drippers now come with adjustments on them to control the amount. Hook up a timer and forget about it. Most systems can handle up to 300 or more plants off a single water line. To go from the side of the house to the outer fence I just dug a 6 inch deep trench, laid the plastic pipe in it and covered it over. I'm sure it freezes each winter but the plastic must expand to allow for it as I've never had a break. Now and then a 1/4 inch may pop off or leak but a Goof Plug stops that. I just add another hole a couple inches away.
I'll leave the timing and amount you should water to the rest of the folks here as I don't know J about raising roses.

Soooo, I'm to test before applying epsom salts, thanks. I tossed a handful on each plant at the beginning of the season for years. Also added a handful of Once fertilizer. Got tons of flowers for years but as I said the canes have gradually stopped producing. Come this Spring I'll cut off one of the old canes after the main bloom is finished.

I don't worry too much about the nitty gritty of things, to me, it's grow or go!!

Wirosarian, what is a good fertilizer? "feeding of some high N fertilizer (1-2 TBSP of a lawn fert.)" I can't find the Once on the market anymore.

Cecily, glad you liked the pictures. Our place POPs in the Spring.
Our robot lawn mower keeps the grass in check..... lol

Thanks everyone for the help, as you can tell I don't know much about roses so if you don't see it listed above and you know something that I should know by all means post it for me.

For a high N fertilizer I use whatever lawn fertilizer I have, usually something with a 26 to 30 first number, just make sure it is NOT a "weed & feed" lawn fertilizer.

@ hoov
I forgot to state that I actually tried that before to have them self-pollinate and I still get the same results: Dried up anthers with not a speck pollen on the stigmas. I even waited around for hips until the flower dried into a brown wand on the stem.

@Kim
Thank you for that useful information! I'll try that when the next blooms appear. (Hopefully my Center Gold blooms around the same time. I've read that it makes a good seed parent.) And yes, it has been more humid here than normal since it's the wet season right now.The humidity here was probably what kept my roses from releasing their pollen all year.

I see, thanks for the explanation noir and kim. I've been playing around with Agave/Manfreda crosses this year, and found the pollen wasn't appearing on some flowers until the flower was just about spent.