22,152 Garden Web Discussions | Roses
The shipping costs to PNW is high. I don't blame the sellers (they have to charge the buyer the price mandated by postal carriers).
I wish postal carriers would give small businesses a break with the shipping charges. It would really help the buyer and the seller.
Oh, I didn't realize you had amended the topsoil so well already. So you only need be concerned about the subsoil. If you judge it is too bad for roots to penetrate at all, then amending it might help your roses during the California dry season.
I would treat the topsoil and subsoil separately rather than mixing them. Remove the topsoil from the rose holes, reserve it in a pile, and use a pick to break up the subsoil into chunks. Add some manure and compost and a cup or two of gypsum and mix a bit. Then replace the topsoil so it is uniform across the bed. This is the old technique called "double digging."
I would till the Turface into the topsoil of the whole bed. Again, it is best if the soil is fairly uniform across the area.
I (with a lot of help) will do as you suggest.
I just picked up my 7 new beauties at Regan's. The first were purchased from a friend...NOT A GOOD IDEA. The first 6 looked like weeds compared to these.
I also purchased a good (I think) pair of garden shears, ARS brand. I hope this is a good selection.
I will send photos as soon as all roses are in place.
And thank you all once again.
andrea
yep, absolutely, turnbuckles - we call them straining wires and they are essential to avoid the saggy wire look and can be tightened as the wires will be ductile and stretch a bit over time.
I have spent too much time prising plant material off splintered timber trellis to want to take that route again - whereas a quick snip with wire cutters - sorted......and the whole horizontal support can be restrung with new (and cheap) wire.
Knockouts here in our town are just now starting to bloom...
Maybe give it alittle more time...
But a photo like roseseek said would help a lot in case something else is wrong....
This post was edited by jim1961 on Mon, Jun 3, 13 at 23:16
Here's today's pic of the leaves, etc. Sorry for the double posting. I purchased it online bareroot at Garden Valley Ranch and their website is closed this time of year so I can't look at their offerings. It had a white nursery tag that said Kardinal.
one other thing i dont see mentioned ...
NEVER water in the evening.. by spraying down the plant ...
molds/mildews/etc.. thrive in the dark.. at night. when it balmy ... and wetting the leaves.. just encourages them ...
it is the sole reason i bought and use a breaker bar.. otherwise known as a watering wand ...
roses are one of the few plants.. where you must water the soil .. not the plant ... which can be problematic ... if you have a sprinkler system ...
also .. consider getting a more carefree variety ... i gave up on roses ... because of all the feeding.. spraying.. etc ... many are just too foo.. as in foo foo ...
ken
Just getting back to GardenWeb after a long distraction.
If that 3-in-1 product contains imidacloprid, just be aware that that chemical is suspected of causing the decline of honey bees and several of our native bees, particularly bumble bees. The insecticide is systemic - taken up into the plant tissues - and often present in the pollen and nectar, delivering a sub-lethal dose to the foraging insect, which transports it back to the nest or hive where it is fed to the developing larvae or stored for future use.
To choose the best roses for your region, check to see if your local or state Rose Society has a list of such roses. Ours has their list of recommended roses and "no-spray" roses on their web site.
Roses are more vigorous than most people give them credit for. Do your best to meet their cultural requirements for best results. I focus on adding plenty of organic matter (compost) to my sandy soil to improve soil structure, water retention, fertility and biological activity and I feed the roses well, but never after Labor Day, as they need to stop pushing new growth that won't have time to harden off before frost.
If you are going to start any kind of spray or soil drench regimen, it is important to follow the directions as to rates and timing - you cannot let up or you give the fungus a window of opportunity to infect your plants.