22,152 Garden Web Discussions | Roses

Michael, there are rose species native to alkaline soils as my local R. sempervirens can attest to. Garden Roses and rootstocks being the mixed bloods that they are their response to soil pH vary widely. Of course having a pH of around 6-6.5 will keep almost any rose very happy but, compared to some other plants, they tolerate variations pretty well.

Our water varies between 8.3 and 8.5. Our soil probably isn't much better.
Roses with a multiflora background come here to die. So do most rugosas. Teas and Chinas tolerate our conditions well, and so do most Noisettes. That's handy, since those are the roses that best deal with our weather conditions.
For US, the pH of our soil/water is a major consideration in selecting roses.




Keeping them watered in Oahu is no problem (I think we've had rain every night for the past two months) ... frustrating since now I have to worry about black spot In addition to thrips and now the roundup damage. Luckily half my roses are in another part of the property.
I will be watching out for new canes and what kind of growth they have, hoping I won't need to dump any that I really want to keep.
Its Roundup because it's affected all the plants at the same time in that same area with those spindly new growth things but it's not an explosion of new growth. The growth too is red on some of them but eventually turns green.

In blackspot country, water when the leaves will dry completely before dark, not in late evening. I water in the morning for this reason.
Don't use sprinklers in the sun, especially with high temps or low humidity, as a significant amount of water will evaporate before it sinks into the soil.
In areas with powdery mildew but little or no blackspot, overhead watering in the wee hours helps to control mildew.

Michael is giving you the ideal situations. However, in practice I water when I can and that's usually in the afternoon, unfortunately, when it's hot. If you have a timer system that's great. You can set the times to the ideal but when you water by hand you just do the best you can and hope for the best. I really do try not to water in the evening but sometimes it's a choice between that and no water at all. And then Mother Nature never times her watering at all, lol!

I would also pinch the flower buds off to lessen the stress on the plant right now. Once it recovers then allow the buds to form again.
Crossing my fingers for you. I've fertilizer burnt plants before. I only use liquid fertilizers now (except for compost) I really don't like the granular ones. There is some osmocote type that comes in the potting soils but that one hasn't caused me any problems. Another reason I can't use the granular types is that the dumb chickens eat it lol.


The worst thing about general purpose ferts targeting the amateur garden keeper is that they contain WAY too much phosphorus. Not even in pots would one need so much P in relation with N and K. In a garden environment unless there is a specific soil deficiency, no P is needed to be added. If the pH is way out of range for P availability for the specific plants either pH should be controlled or P applied foliarly.


Thanks toolbelt & Sam, I will plant them tomorrow, didn't have enough time before dark. I think the long side, I might plant a cl pinkie if it's not dead( I moved cl pinkie twice within 4 weeks, it doesn't look too good, without any new growth), and the other 2 sides I plant 2 ZDs, one on each side. Trying to plant the roses with no thorns for the dog run. :-)



I tried a number of things and found they were susceptible to beta-cyfluthrin and Confidor. In fact they were susceptible to other pyrethroids too but I try to use the more affordable ones as well as the ones more gentle on the plants. Some others can burn the leaves especially in hot weather. I also found that spraying the roses alone was not enough. The chrysanthemum and heliotrope hedges had to be sprayed as well otherwise they can act as reservoir for the thrips.






I have a Darlow's Enigma, it's pretty much cane hardy. and in blooms all the time. I am in zone 6a.
http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.1455
I have Viking Queen . Works for me.
Excelsa, Dorothy Perkins, and White Dorothy are the roses that are used at the Elizabeth Park rose garden In Connecticut. Those are huge! Debutante is a fragrant version.