22,153 Garden Web Discussions | Roses
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
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
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.
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
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
I had a rose bush with RRD and can say yours looks absolutely normal. Once you've seen RRD you'll never forget it. The link Kim posted shows perfect examples of RRD infected roses. The leaves will be crinkled up. It made me think that the rose leaves had arthritis and couldn't straighten out if that makes sense. When I read that sometimes its called witches broom I had to laugh because when I first spotted it I had said to my husband that it looks like an old witches fingers. The buds on mine were also distorted and most never opened. Before I knew what it was I would just cut the entire cane off as far down as possible but then every year it would grow back looking just as bad if not worse than the year before. After I did some research and found out it was RRD I removed the entire bush root and all and put it right into the trash. I have a few other roses bushes but none of them are showing any signs of infection.
So don't worry. Your roses look fine.
I had a panic attack earlier this spring about some of mine...and I know better, lol! A LOT of roses start out with very red new growth and the thorns are many, small and soft but as they mature and grow out the thorns seem to spread out and harden up and the leaves turn green. RRD growth is always very distorted looking though. Check out Kim's link and you'll see the difference.
"Black spot will weaken a rose bush but not kill it." I've read that so many times it is beginning to take on the aspects of a garden myth.
Is it true? Speaking strictly, yes. In practical terms that matter to us as gardeners, no. it is not true.
An uncontrolled black spot infection may significantly weaken a rose bush through a number of actions (defoliation, metabolic reduction, and others). That makes the bush susceptible to other injury, such as from winter damage, drought damage, etc. So the bush dies. Did the black spot kill it? In practical terms, it did.
Yes, being weakened by defoliation can lead to death by other causes. For example, if a rose is trying to grow out during the fall after being defoliated, it may use up most of its stored chemical energy (sugars and starches) in producing this new growth. Then it doesn't have the reserves needed to prepare for winter (it needs sugar for antifreeze) and needed to grow out in spring. So in zone 7a and colder, defoliation from blackspot can lead to the death of rose plants over the winter, especially with hybrid teas and floribundas. However, varieties that are more winter-hardy may survive these conditions for years.
I'd check the teeth again to make sure the gift horse wasn't trojan.
Here is a link that might be useful: Best roses for My Area
I had RDV for over 20 years. Every year she got munched by deer. I sprayed her with deer repellant last summer and the deer left her alone. She finally got munched after a good bloom and looked leggy and sparse. Her new home is on a slope with the other old garden roses. Less sun and lots of room to sprawl. The area has been ignored by deer for a long time.
I'll check them out. Have quite a few Vintage moss babies from this year & am anxious to see them mature over the next couple of years.
Dragged Mouseaux du Japon (from Ralph!) up from my old humid zone. It is so happy in this drier climate. Thrown a lot of new canes, bloomed heavier than ever & has good foliage & those "fuzzy caterpillar" canes covered with moss.
The bands bloomed well. I let them throw at least one bloom to assure correct plant has been received--then I disbud.
Also have Dresden Doll, Rene D'Anjou (a favorite) Mel Hulse, Crested Moss, a few others. Not so many moderns. Used to have a bunch of Ralph Moore's but lost a lot of plants in a dang hurricane.
I love to pet the mosses--just love the scent.
