Should I cut my roses before tomorrow’s rain?
Andrea zone 9b
14 days ago
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BenT (NorCal 9B Sunset 14)
14 days agolast modified: 14 days agoAndrea zone 9b thanked BenT (NorCal 9B Sunset 14)Andrea zone 9b
14 days agoRelated Discussions
anything I should know before buying an arbor for roses?
Comments (11)Just for information purposes, I went through a wooden arbor and one of those plastic coated over metal arbors before getting tired of seeing my roses laying on the ground after a few years. I wanted something reputed to be impervious to ground conditions (rust, rot and termites)and our "tornadoish" winds. I also was concerned about the arbor heating up. After research I finally chose a Copper Arbor. That's been 10 years ago, and so far no problems. Even under blizzard conditions, with the roses laden with a heavy coating of ice, the abor came through fine. Although I couldn't find what I wanted locally at the time I ordered from this company, which is still in business and gave me excellent service. You might want to check them out and investigate a copper arbor as a long term investment for your roses. Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Expressions-Copper Arbors....See MoreI'm in mourning, I lost my last rose cuttings today
Comments (19)Nothing goes like you plan. Had everything ready. I forgot to ask George how he moistens the peat/vermiculite mixture so I used the garden hose sray in the cups before I stuck the cuttings in. It got too soggy. I tried to drain and squeeze out as much as I could. Then I look at the cuttings and don't know how to prepare them right, made another slanted cut under water as best I could, cut the flower heads off as best I could (some of these had three flower heads), some were very healthy but some had some brown stuff on them (none had mold) so I pulled those leaves off but not all of them, shook the water off, dredged in powdered hormone, stuck a pen in the mix, felt I had to pull some of the bottom leaves off or I couldn't poke them deep enough, stuck the cutting in that, pressed as snugly as I could, then buried them as deep as I could in the ground. I figured burying the cups in the ground might keep them cooler if it gets hot again, but then it was frustrating trying to get the pepsi bottles over them without touching the leaves and disburbing the cuttings more and getting the leaves tucked up in there. Some of the leaves are touching the sides, I guess that can't be helped. Finally I put up an old window screen to filter out some of the sun that will get through on the east side, most is blocked now by trees, but a little gets through in the morning. The north side would get some of the morning sun anyway and is not a good place right now, ground packed from cement work that was done, too hard to dig for me. I toyed with the idea of stapling translucent plastic to the screen but just ran out of patience. Once the sun hits the south, they should be ok in the natural light that is left. I was afraid the plastic would block too much light and I would have to move the screen every noon. I put the seventh one, the only one that didn't have a spent flower head, looks very healthy, in the cup, in a gallon baggie, blew some air in, sealed it, and set it on the table by my north window, put curtains to block the sun from the east window very close by. It made me nervous, and all I can do is hope for the best. You look at those cuttings and must have to have some special knowhow to know what to do with each one because each one is different. Then what to do with the rooting hormone with all the warnings about not getting it on your skin, wear rubber gloves, I didn't, so I sealed that up in a plastic container and will use it again because I don't like to waste it. I was thinking as I was struggling with all this and back was hurting, legs stiff, why am I doing this? Why not just buy my roses? Two more sets to go, one tomorrow and one the next day, I hope. Have to go to the grocery store and buy back some bottles. Maybe in time I'll gain confidence and more of a knack with it. It is not easy for me, and it is messy....See MoreRoses before the rain
Comments (32)Hi Carol - so far I like TPW because of the steady growth and fragrance. The yellow isn't as dark as I'd like once it opens up. The canes can be thin but some are showing more thickness and uprightness. I think it's bit too early to judge but overall I like it. I just got Charlotte as a tree standard and it's similar in color and fragrance but I'm happy with both so far. Maybe I'm not critical enough of the Austins which have generally done quite well for me, especially after the second or even third year. TPW about two weeks ago (mid-July) TPW blooms from last week - I wish it would stay this color. Ann...See MoreRoses before the rain
Comments (19)Above is octopus arms on Darcy Bussell after gypsum on top. Pic. taken August 12. Carol: if your clay is high in potassium that will control the octopus arms. But if your clay is chalky (high in calcium) it will add more calcium and make the octopus arm worse. If your clay is heavy & gluey (high in magnesium) like mine, that makes it worse .. magnesium is the glue that holds tight to nutrients, including calcium. One person reported high-calcium & low potassium soil test, pH slightly alkaline .. and she gets thin long shoots, plus faded blooms. I use tons of gypsum to break up my hard-clay, but I always balance with high-potassium red-lava rock inside the planting hole, or watering with sulfate of potash (soluble potassium with NPK 0-0-50). I'm out of sulfate of potash as soluble fertilizer for pots, that's why I get octopus arms. Potassium makes the stem and leaves thicker, whereas acidic calcium (as in gypsum with 17% sulfur) will make the leaves and stems thinner, plus long octopus arms. Gypsum (acidic, with 17% sulfur) release of calcium is much faster than dolomitic lime. Thus gypsum is much riskier to use. I induced blackspots on a few roses when I gave too much acidic gypsum. TOO MUCH CALCIUM DRIVES DOWN POTASSIUM. Potassium is vital for disease-prevention. One year Evelyn lost all its leaves from rust fungal infection, after I dumped soluble gypsum around the bush. Evelyn likes it alkaline. Rust is very, very rare in my Chicagoland, happened only twice when I messed up soil's balance. I never see fungus growing on banana peels in my compost, but I see disgusting mold growing on slightly acidic organic matter, such as moldy citrus rinds, moldy strawberries, and white mold on alfalfa meal. If I feed roses alkaline & high potassium fertilizer, plus anti-fungal trace elements of copper & zinc & boron ... leaves become alkaline & richer in anti-fungal nutrients and less chance of fungal invasion. Fungus prefer it slightly acidic, fungus and pest gain entry easier when leaves become thinner as the pH drops. When I bought my 10 own-roots from Roses Unlimited, I was impressed at how thick the leaves were .. I wondered if RU used the $$$ potassium silicate. Too expensive for me to buy, so I spread 1 tablespoon of sulfate of potash around each own-root. A few waterings later .. and their leaves are super-thick compared to the control without sulfate of potash. Banana peels is very high in potassium, NPK of 0-3-42, that's 42 potassium compared to 50 potassium in sulfate of potash. Why roses are less healthy when it's acidic? As the pH drops, less potassium and calcium are available. In both rose-tissue analysis and hydroponics field studies, TWICE more potassium than calcium is recommended. I really don't need to give roses calcium: only when they are really tiny & wimpy as own-roots, or when it's right under rain-spout and there's leaching of calcium. There's only a few occasions that applying calcium was beneficial: Radio Times used to be right next to tree-roots that stole calcium. Tree roots also secrete acid that made the soil loamy. That rose stopped growing, so I gave it garden dolomitic lime (pH 9). It DOUBLED in size, and no more blackspots (leaves are more alkaline). I also gave it sulfate of potash. Bolero was under the rainspout, getting 32 gallons of water dumping on it every 1/2 hour. Lots of blooms for a tiny rose, but I notice less petals ... so I knew it needed calcium. I gave it Garden lime, and the petals count went up. Jude the Obscure is notorious for being wimpy own-root. Roots are like alfalfa sprouts, can't do acid-phosphatase .. so leaves are really pale. I gave it gypsum, and it doubled in size. Below is Munstead Wood with octopus arms at 3.5 feet, or 1.06 meter. Too much gypsum was given. Pic. taken August 12. It looks really silly invading Veteran's Honor next to it. Both pots get plenty of sun, no excuse for octopus arms. Each octopus arm has 3 buds, but I chopped them off. When I planted Munstead Wood into my clay, the root was solid, but didn't grow into 2-gallon as I expected, thanks to my being out of sulfate of potash....See MoreAndrea zone 9b
14 days agoAndrea zone 9b
14 days agoAndrea zone 9b
13 days ago
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Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA