90 year old Rose of Sharons Diseased?

15 years ago

Hello all

I am currently buying an old restored farm house with many old shrubs and trees on the property. There are 8 very old Rose of Sharon shrubs on the property that appear to be as old as the 90 year old farmhouse itself. They have not been pruned in a very long time and are over 10 feet tall. However, there is considerable damage to the branches. They are covered with lichens and fungus and you can see from last years growth, that they are greatly affecting the shrubs ability to flower.

Is there some way I can treat these shrubs or do I need to prune them all the way down and let them start all over?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

Embothrium
15 years ago
Try cutting down low at end of winter and mulching with compost. Maybe this will produce an appearance you would like.

They flower on the current season's growth so good flowering the same year as being cut down is possible. Vigorous specimens can be pruned short every year.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
first ... ID the problem ...

then act accordingly ...

lichens should have no impact on the plant .. as far as i understand ...

and fungus usually dont attack healthy branches ...

when i moved from the city to the country.. i was amazed how much lichens covered everything .... there are actually peeps who do things to attract such ....

restorative pruning, mulching and some proper watering... and you should be all set ... AFTER you ID what is going on ...

shrubs NEVER need fertilizer ...

ken
Related Discussions
Help! no bloom. What is this disease on the old rose?
Q
Comments (8)
It sounds like the roses were there before the trees grew up. Since moving the roses now would be a huge chore, you might consider trying to propagate them, and put the new clones in more advantageous parts of the property. As the rose you've pictured is a Moss, it is likely that it IS a once-bloomer, spring/summer, and so (as noted above) it should not be spring-pruned. When you have it growing in a good place you may be able to make an identification. In any case, you seem to have a real treasure. How old is your home? It might be interesting to figure out how long this rose may have been growing there. Jeri
...See More
QUESTION ABOUT MY 25YEARS-OLD ROSES.
Q
Comments (2)
i seem to recall a spring post about roses ... that were spindly ... was that you .. did you ever reply to the issues raised??? hard to answer this question... on the total lack of information ... ken
...See More
My 90 yr old Grammy wants to replace..thornless climbing rose... pink
Q
Comments (2)
I am far from an expert but what about Seven Sisters? I have read it blooms once but also that it blooms all summer in some zones, so I am not sure about that. Otherwise it seems like it might be a match.
...See More
newly inherited 100+ year old roses advice
Q
Comments (26)
Most roses put out a big flower show in June. If they produce flowers then and later, they are referred to as repeaters. So your roses presumably bloomed in June, and are blooming again now. It sounds like the old photos would have been taken around the late 20's. However, there is room for doubt whether or not those are the same roses that are currently there. B & W photos are nasty things to try and interpret, IME. Red roses read the same as leaves. White, pink, and yellow roses all look almost the same. Sometimes you'll get a profile view of the flower, so you can at least get an idea of how big it is, and maybe the general form, but most of the relevant information is size and general growth habit of the plant. That helps with general class, but is rarely enough to pin down a specific variety. Williamsport looks to be just cold enough that it is unlikely they are old HTs.
...See More
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
15 years ago
shrubs NEVER need fertilizer ...

That's taking it a bit far. Established shrubs generally do not need supplemental fertilizing but I'd never say 'never' :-) Shrubs that have been in place for a long time and that may have suffered from neglect and that have not been routinely mulched may very well benefit from fertilization. Or some form of nutrient replacement. Soils CAN become depleted over time.

Soil conditions which may bind or otherwise make unavailable specific nutrients may also offer suitable situations for periodic fertilization.
zsofiawulf
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the advice. I figure that I will skip the pruning this year since I will not be moving in permanently for another month. I don't want to further damage them. I will mulch as they are completely bare at the base. Next year I will have a better idea as to what is damaged and what is not and I can prune away.
Embothrium
15 years ago
Any soil can be deficient. Any plant may require supplement nutrients to develop fully. In rainy coastal regions nitrogen is often deficient. Tree and shrub plantings with yellowish leaves are common in my area.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
the greastest polluters on the face of the earth.. are the homeowners who spew fertilizers and chemicals... during inappropriate use ... not according to labels.. or based on mass marketing ....

these plants have done just peachy for 90 years .... she has a greater chance of harming them with improper fertilizers or chemicals.. than if she jsut left them alone ..

all that said.. my comment was a bit overbroad...

start with an ID .. AND A SOIL TEST ....

if anything is lacking from the soil .. act accordingly ...

once you ID the problem.. take action accordingly ...

good luck

ken

ps: ... my first house was a 60 year old house.. i was all into saving the historical plants .. what a nightmare.. the happiest day of my life at that house.. was the day i got rid of the last nightmare ... please dont live with the prior owners nightmares.. trust me.. you have better things to do ... i woulndt be surprised if you find a couple million seedlings covering the yard ... there are probably better ROS that are sterile... or better plants consistent with the historical period of your new house ...
zsofiawulf
Original Author
15 years ago
No worries, I don't use chemical fertilizers. I compost, raise chickens, and use natural fish waste for all of my fertilization. I'll probably put a nice thick layer of native leaf mold around the bases and wait to see what they do this spring.

And there are not that many native plants on this property. So it is a bare canvas to me. At least I will get some sun! (I've been gardening in almost full shade for the last 4 years) But what is there was taken care of at one point, but has been neglected in the last few years. I just want to try and coax them back to their former glory. Hopefully no nightmares! (Though I am curious about yours Ken!)
goodhors
15 years ago
I would still give them a light trim on branch ends. Take out any bad, rubbing or crossed branches to open the tops a little. Rubbing and crossed places make bark open to insect invasion. Doing everything before leaf sprout, saves the plant energy on bad branches. You can easily see the form, poor crossed sticks, when the leaves are off.

ROS can take strong pruning, but I would go lightly this year. See how everything goes over the summer season, then make choices about them.

I keep mine smaller, accent points with other plants, not the focal point itself. My mother likes her ROS very large, sound like the same size as yours. Hers are a hedge along the fence, very pretty in bloom.

Your ideas of fertilizer from natural things, is what I would be doing with any shrub. All my stuff loves shredded leaves piled around the base, keeps the weeds down as well.

Keep us posted on how they do.

Oh yeah, they tend to leaf out VERY late. So give them plenty of time. Same with my Butterfly bushes, no growth until the heat starts, usually June. One year it was July, before they did anything.