It wasn't camps it was me. It was a thread about fertilisers if I remember? I take it it is looking OK aside from the wavy foliage? It can be a bit twiggy at first.

I was trying to say thanks, , , guess I goofed that up.

Let me try again, thank you caldonbeck for your most cogent advice.

And yes, it looks OK aside from wavy foliage. It IS very twiggy also. But it is sitting next to Eglantyne with her many large and shiny dark green leaves. Tough competition!

My DA babies are all looking great. Lady Emma has already had 3 blossoms, Falstaff 1, and Molineux is growing by leaps and bounds and has 6 buds ready to pop.
I think I will have only 2+ months that are too hot and sunny for them, but I have already learned how to use sun cloth.

Thanks again,

andreark (northern cal)

I still have a question unanswered. This one was directed to Kim.

andreark

HI Andrea, I'm sorry, I missed this one until your other post about the bands. Yes ma'am, you can leave it as you've repotted until more new growth begins, or, if it's raining with any regularity, or quite cool and damp, remove the collar and soil. It depends mostly on the condition of the plant when received and the conditions under which it is being held. We had a brief period here last week of temps in the high 80s, very low humidity, brilliant sun with wind. Now, we're back into the high 60s to mid 70s, relatively higher humidity with fog and high clouds. If I'd planted a bare root under the hotter, windier, drier weather, I would have collared it here. Under what we're experiencing now, I'd likely just plant it, presuming it was well hydrated and in great shape when I received it.

I'd collared quite a few of the longer cuttings I removed from the wraps for the same reason. They kept right on developing and new roots were evident at the cup and band bottoms, so I have removed the collars from those showing roots to let them harden off during this milder weather. They weren't pushing well during the hot, sunny, dry, windy period but are now they aren't stressed by the harsher weather they endured. Now, roots are pushing rather quickly. I actually lifted nearly fifty higher in their bands and cups this morning, providing them greater soil room under them to continue pushing roots in to.

So, if pots aren't drying out quickly in the conditions you're experiencing now, don't worry about it. Either way is probably fine. If it's hotter and sunnier, just keep it collared and watered then begin removing the soil an inch or two at a time once the plant is pushing new leaves and canes vigorously. I hope it helps! Thank you! Kim

Will do and thanks a bunch Kim.

The rest of my babies are doing so well I could just cry....well I tend to blubber easy anyway.

I have noticed that the plants that lost a noticeable number of leaves this winter(?), are generally producing more leaf sprouts than the ones (Pristine and Sterling Silver) that lost almost none. Each one seems to have it's own personality and growing habit. It's really interesting to watch.

Lady Emma has had 3 large blooms, Molineux has large buds ready to pop, and they are all just generally looking like SPRING HAS SPRUNG!!

I have already fertilized once, foliar sprayed 2 weeks later with Neptune's Harvest (Fish and Seaweed), and cleaned up the beds and put down a spring layer of compost this week end.

I'm just so happy to be out playing with the babies....

Hugs and Smooches,

andreark

It's fascinating to watch the different characters over time. You get to know their 'personalities' quite well after a while :-)