22,153 Garden Web Discussions | Roses

Holly

I think I got lucky with the 3 icebergs. I had driven down to the large rose supplier to pick up the main roses for my new bed (5 of them) and since I had to use the freeway interchange right by Lowe's, I decided to stop for a pair of Russian Sages since I could not find them locally and they were listed in their ad. There sitting with the roses were a few 1g pots with 3 small icebergs started in them. All were listed as Iceberg-Brilliant Pink-Burgundy. I left the elastic tags on the plants just so I could figure them out later.

I think the darkest is a bit close to hot pink, but with so much white they really are Brilliant Pink. I prefer the paler pink but if you are doing a bright colored bed, I think either would be fine.

Like many, I have a love hate relationship with Icebergs. I hate that they do so well and are so common-loving the unusual and uncommon. But I LOVE that they do so well, bloom so well, grow so fast, seem to not care where they are planted. The two 1g's I bought last season are just as happy as the rest of the bed, even though they started smaller and do not get the care that the rest of the bed gets (less water-more heat)

Thanks Kippy, hope I get lucky like you did. I am going to try to find Blush pink, thanks to your photos and description.

So glad to hear Icebergs can take so much abuse and still do well.

Holly

Diane - I am just ignorant, so if I should know the answer to this question I apologize. Question: Does the ARS have any plans to collect REGIONAL Roses in Review type data? Those of us who live in, for example, a Mediterranean climate in California would like to know which roses do well here, period, as we do not garden all over the country.

We know that some roses which are disease prone here (rust, for example) are clean elsewhere, and visa versa - no black spot here, and covered with it elsewhere. Also, of course we do not care whether roses are "cold hardy", as we have very few nights of frost at all. A rose could very well be a 10 here, and a 3 on the East Coast, so I really do not see any worth in trying to rate roses all over simultaneously - the data is really not of much use. Just my opinion.

Jackie

Jackie, the lowest level of collection is done at the district level. Each coordinator has the data provided by reporters in for their district, and they are encouraged to provide a summary report. The coordinator names are on the RIR form in the magazine. I can also help with contact info if needed, I just have to find my copy... :-)

Oh, and I am the coordinator for the Penn-Jersey district. Send me an email for a copy of the 2012 report.

The whole Easy-to-Love series does great for me here in hot, humid Alabama. All of them are bloom machines even through our hottest summers. Most can be grown no spray here, where almost nothing else can be. The ones I have that are own root (Easy Does It, Easy Going and Livin' Easy), do seem to be more disease resistant than my grafted ones (Cinco de Mayo, Hot Cocoa, and another Livin' Easy). They all get much bigger in my climate than I expected, though...at least 5 ft (and most topping 6 ft) by at least 4 ft by end of season.

I wonder what it is about that Easy series. My Livin' Easy is own root and every year it throws so many new canes that I reduce by three or four at pruning time. I keep expecting after seven years it will slow down. None of my other roses do that. I'm really surprised it gets BS. That's a shame because it's such a trooper otherwise. I always think of it as a rose that will take a tougher growing situation but I see that's not true.

I think the leaves with yellow veins are dying because the soil is saturated so the roots can't get oxygen. The Jubilee Celebration leaf has a mineral deficiency. Is this a new leaf or an old leaf? Water-logging can also cause iron deficiency (symptoms appear on new leaves).

Even though they are recommended in old books and by recent writers who aren't paying attention, "drainage layers" in pots or the soil have the opposite effect and should never be used. However, if you mixed a little Turface with the bottom soil, I doubt it would have much effect.

A general rule is, avoid creating sharply defined layers or boundaries between soil types. These interfere with the natural movement of water through the soil. The pot itself is such a boundary, creating a saturated layer at the bottom. A "drainage layer" just moves this layer higher in the pot. However, with less watering or rain, the saturated layer will dry out enough to aerate after two or three days.

You can drain some of the excess water by touching your finger to a drain hole, breaking the surface tension, or by inserting a wick.

Thank you, all. I think I have a combination of issues.. I've read the previous posts regarding sharply defined layers. Pretty sure kitty moonbeam and MichaelG. My mix was homogenous with very little additive. When I use the word patent, I mean that the holes are open and draining freely. Surface tension is not an issue. I am going to repot and make sure the turface did not GLOB together. Thank you all....now if we could just get some nice weather.
And grit is turface.
And the Jubilee Celebration was a new leaf.

Hmmm...Jude the Obscure making eyes at Frederic Mistral. Diane

I am not too good at companion planting, but on accident I have Maria Stern in foreground, and Spectra in background. This is a stupendous combination. Spectra starts out yellow goes to orange on outside and then orange. Maria Stern is similar to Tropicana. (Sorry for lack of deadheading and maintenance). (Polarstern is the white one on left).

I went to Lowes and Menards this spring in hope of finding a few replacements. They had Knockout and that was about it.

I am convinced that the future of rose growing has arrived, and it lacks diversity, and interest. There are fewer and fewer varieties available each year. I for one do not want Knockout. It is great that it is planted in front of Hardees, and no one has to lift a finger. But I want diversity, form and beauty.

I disagree with the premise of this thread that the future for rose hobbyists is "rosy." It appears dismal. This could change; it hasn't yet.

Jeri...

You've said it very, very well. I live in a climate where HTs thrive and are quite disease free for most of the growing season. It depends upon whether or not we are having a very wet spring ... lol.

I happen to like many bloom forms so it kind of surprises me that I am liking the HTs more than some of my other roses, but I think it is because they have the heavy petal substance necessary to hold up to the high summer temps in my climate.

frenchcuffs13 ... it does take years to bring a rose to market. The testing is not only for disease resistance, but also for ease of propagation. Right now, the HT seems to be out of fashion, but that has happened to other classes of roses in the past, but fashions change. I think I am happiest growing the roses that like my climate because I don't have to work so hard, but I also have to like the bloom. The Knock Out roses have never called my name.

Smiles,
Lyn

I keep the mulch a bit away from the canes too. I'm not sure if it really will cause any sort of disease, but better safe than sorrt:)
Maude

The two gallons a week is a "rule of thumb". Some roses are more thirsty than others and may require even more water. Besides, roses can't count.

Along with humidity, there are other variables like the size and maturity of the plant, whether or not the temps drop at night and allow the plant to rehydrate the top growth from moisture in the root zone, whether the plant gets afternoon shade ... and more.

If the plant is losing more moisture in the top growth due to transpiration ... sweating .. than it can pull up from the root zone, then you may see some wilting during periods of high heat. In my climate, night temps can be 40 to 50 degrees cooler than the day temps. This gives the plant the opportunity to pull the moisture that is around the roots up to the top growth and by morning, the rose will be fully hydrated again and there will be no sign of wilting until later in the day when that transpiration rate stresses the top growth again.

As far as mulch being pulled back, it make sense not to have wet mulch right next to the base of the plant because it could cause disease in some climates, but more important, the feeder roots that pull up moisture and nutrients spread out and away from the base of the rose. That's the soil that needs to be kept moist and cooler.

Living in a low humidity climate with day temps in the 90s and low 100s for the summer months, I generally give my roses a deep watering once a week and what I call a "feeder root" watering mid week to put moisture into the top few inches of the soil under and around the roses. If we have triple digit temps for several days, since I already have to wash the roses to avoid spider mite infestation, I wash them in the afternoon because roses also absorb moisture through their leaves.

Yes, I do get some crispy blooms, but I try to grow roses with blooms that can handle the heat in this garden.

Smiles,
Lyn

I have had a total of 4,
which is more than I've ever had before.

henry_kuska: You are correct. But in my defense both applications of grubicide and Milky Spore were in the spring. Milky spore takes time to establish itself, and is not very effective for emerging JBs. My hope with the pesticide was to eliminate JBs as they emerged.

C'est la vie. My 2012 efforts were wholly unsuccessful, and I had the worst infestation ever all rose blooms consumed before they bloomed from late June through end of August.

What a difference a year makes. Day 1 of the 2013 infestation I had about 200 JBs in a day two weeks ago, but with spraying Eight, some hand removal, and spot spraying Malathion on blooming roses, when they came back, and an earlier application of Milky Spore in the Spring 2013, a 2013 spring application of a Bayer systemic to address JBs, have combined to allow me to have roses in July 2013!!! I think I hand picked about 6-8 JBs today from approximately 40 roses.

I thought after last year I might have to give up roses. The dang things stripped a full grown linden tree (I cut it down), ate all my peaches, and ate all my roses for two months.

Some beautiful and HARDY roses for us Northerners!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't 'Chevy Chase' named for a town in Maryland - not the actor?

Thanks for the list of what you chose!
I don't live in that area or even in the south, but just having the chance to go a famous nursery is grand! Glad you got to go.

I have mail ordered from K&M and they are great. I ordered several Papa Meillands. I don't necessarily recommend that rose because it can be tough to grow but in NorCal it has soared on fortuniana and is the best it can be. What a great opportunity to visit their nursery. Mary

Thanks to everyone for their comments and suggestions. So far Central Coast Cali, Virginia and Southern CT all sound good to me.

edited

This post was edited by Tuggy3 on Sun, Jul 7, 13 at 22:34

The ones I like to cut for a vace full are; Louise Estes, Moonstone, Crystalline, Let Freedom Ring, Brinessa, Dark Night.

I enjoy bouquets all season, and my favorites are Frederic Mistral, Evelyn, and Ascot. It looks like Munstead Wood may be a cutting winner, too. Caramel Antique lasts forever but can be a stingy bloomer. Here's Fred and his friend Jude the Obscure (not a good cutting rose for me). Diane