I'm in Milledgeville, GA and my Old Blush has had a wonderful bloom cycle. It is 5 years old now and repeats during the summer up until late November last year. I do fertilize every month, as I have sandy soil.
Jane

Is it possible you have 'Climbing Old Blush' instead of the bush form?

:-)

~Christopher

There are few roses that repeat as generously and as reliably as 'Old Blush'. Therefore, the rose you have is likely not 'Old Blush'. The cane structure and overall feel of the plant in your photo suggests it is something else, probably a once-bloomer. (in that case, you can't make it rebloom) Even the climbing form of 'Old Blush' repeats fairly well, so I doubt thats it either.

Did you buy this labeled as 'Old Blush'? Or did you acquire it in a trade? Many roses get traded between private growers and mislabeled/misidentified plants often circulate this way.

This post was edited by trospero on Fri, May 3, 13 at 15:42

No, that's not Old Blush. It blooms continuously most of the year. Here's a pic of mine in Feb, and it looks even better now. It's never had any long, straight canes like the one going to the left in your pic.

I think the thing to do is buy yourself a new plant of Old Blush from a reliable source.. Then you can compare. I agree that Old Blush flowers all the time. Your pretty rose might be someone else instead. You will love the true Old Blush if you get one.

Now I'm wondering if perhaps you rather have an "old, blush-colored" rose which has morphed into 'Old Blush'. Maybe what you have is actually the old Alba 'Maiden's Blush' or 'Great Maiden's Blush' and its correct name was corrupted over time. There's also a rose called "Blush Damask" on HelpMeFind which might exist as a pass-along plant which was passed-along to you. Or maybe it's simply another OGR, blush in flower color, which was given the "found" name of something like "that old blush rose" by someone, which became shortened to "old blush", but is not the China rose 'Old Blush'.

Does that make sense to you? It barely makes sense to me, but I'm kinda pooped....it's past my bedtime.

:-)

~Christopher

Christopher, your thought about someone's old blush (-colored) rose being (mis-) understood as being 'Old Blush' was what sprang to mind for me, too. Whatever it is, junco, it looks graceful and pretty; please don't think less of it if it turns out *not* to be the China 'Old Blush'.

Thanks for all the comments. I bought the rose from Woodlanders in Aiken SC. They are a very reputable source of native and tropical plants, but it is possible that it is the climbing version. Once when I was moving it I was able to separate a piece for a friend--I checked with her today and that one puts on a spring and fall flush, with very few blooms in the summer. So maybe it IS misnamed.
I think I'll leave her alone this year and maybe supplement with some additional fertilizer and see what happens!

Thanks again--

Additional fertilizer won't make it bloom a lot more if it is already being fertilized. Mine hardly ever gets any fertilizer at all, and it blooms most of the year. Didn't even take a break this winter.

For us, in SoCal, the Cl. version put out a big, very long spring bloom, did nothing through the summer, but got a nice, but lesser, Fall bloom.

It also mildewed here, as did Old Blush (bush form) for all of the 10-12 years we grew it.

Jeri

Junco, I see Tea and Wichuriana in your rose. It's not nearly twiggy enough to be Old Blush (among many other differences). But anything that stays healthy in the Deep South is a KEEPER. Train it as is appropriate for a climber (up, and then horizontally, as along the top of a fence), and stop cutting off the new growth. Roses like yours give spectacular shows in spring, on short new branches springing from the previous year's growth. Beautiful rose! I love that particular pink!

I imagine your rose is an early Wichuriana hybrid, predating New Dawn.

I just visited Williamsburg, and was lucky enough to have the lady who is in charge of all of the plantings & gardens there as a guide. All of the plants are pre 1800, as they are trying to keep it authentic to the Revolutionary period and earlier.

Hardly any roses, but I did find a lovely hedge of the bush form of Old Blush - just perfect. It was not tall at all, but very full and covered with bloom - she said that it bloomed a lot all Summer.

Jackie