You know, Ann, in my area, we never have summer rain. Our "rainy" season runs from some time later in November to maybe February. Maybe, March in a La Nina year. Nowadays, tho, we're settling into drought. So, we had almost no winter rain.

That means that, in a time of diminishing supply, and rising cost, we must irrigate all year 'round, and the water quality is getting worse.

I must, realistically, plant only roses that have proven their ability to survive with little water.

Jeri

Ann, I am noticing the same thing. I've had to cut back some bushes 2-3 times already this year. My waste pile is immense. So are my weeds!!!! Our lawn has never looked this good. I hope this does not mean a return of Japanese Beetles, that would be unfortunate.

I had been planning to put in some irrigation systems in the beds that it's difficult for me to water, but I haven't needed them this year. But seeing how well the roses are doing, I will try to do it this winter.

Jeri, I'm in the same boat as you, almost no rain this winter, and unlike Ann there hasn't been an abundance of new growth this spring. Would you kindly name of few roses that do well for you with less water?

Buford, I don't know if this fits your situation, but when I cut back roses I cut up the pieces I've taken off into smaller ones and put them under and around the roses and other places as mulch. Only the very thick branches go on the waste pile. That way I'm nourishing the soil, discouraging weeds and diminishing the waste. I also cut up the weeds and use them as mulch. Warning: Don't walk around barefoot in those areas!

I've come to believe that rain does more to foster growth and bloom than any fancy additives, at least in my garden.

Ingrid

I don't have anything in the ground yet, but here in NJ, we've also been getting so much rain that I haven't had to water any of my new bands since their first soaking at potting time back in mid April through early May. And I'm amazed at how much growth most have put forward -- even the 'wimpy' ones which arrived small and/or have a reputation for slow growth.

'Jaune Desprez' came as one long, thin, diagonal stem with a few leaves. That original stem has since branched so much that I had to prop it with a twig, and a brand-new thicker-than-a-pencil cane has also shot up from the roots and is now over 12" long.

'Reverend Seidel' became so bushy and full that it has completely blocked the soil-surface in its 2-gallon pot. Its parent 'R. moschata' seemed more intent on height at first, but is now also sending fuller growth at the base.

"Secret Garden Musk Climber" came with a little mildew, which it has since shed, and was one thin stem about 8" long. That original twig is now winding around a small tree branch I stuck in for support, reaching about 18", and sprouting further all along its length. And three new thicker shoots are coming up from the base.

'Monsieur Boncenne' was also tiny and mildewy, but is now perfectly clean -- and also nearing 24" tall, and bushing out nicely. The new growth looks like escaped rootstock compared to what it had upon arrival -- leaves are larger and smoother, stems are thicker and stiffer.

All four of my 'DLFED 3' cuttings have taken root, even without rooting hormone. I literally stuck them in 1-gallon containers, put them in bright shade, and left them alone. This means I have three extra -- any takers?

'Baltimore Belle' has more than doubled in height and sent forth three new thick shoots from the soil line that are already over 12" long.

'Lyda Rose' is now almost 24" tall and seemingly trying to grow as fast as 'Baltimore Belle' -- and coming pretty close.

Etc....

All in all, there are only a few which are 'lagging behind the others', but in reality, they're growing at the 'normal' pace I remember from growing bands before. I should go out there and take pictures...if anyone wants to see how they looked when they came, I cataloged them all in a facebook album linked below.

OOPS, I take that back...I forgot to take pics of the ones from Long Ago Roses when I potted them up, so I'm missing six. They had mild to extreme leaf-drop soon after, probably a bad mix of the fungicide they had on them upon arrival mixed with a week of 90 degree temperatures and me stupidly sticking them in full-sun with the others. A few are still not quite up to having their pictures taken, but they're bouncing back.

And btw, I think it's time to erect the tombstones for 'Belle Story' and 'Mme Isaac Pereire' (which seemed to have suffered fatal winter damage) and 'Indigo' (which came this year and suffered my attempt to separate what I thought was two cuttings growing in one band liner).

The annoying part is that so many of my days off have coincided with the rain. I need to catch a clear day or two (before another heat wave) so I can start laying down cardboard and mulch to prep the planting areas for Autumn. But in the meantime, all my potted babies sure are enjoying the weather.

:-)

~Christopher

Here is a link that might be useful: NJ Garden Pics Album on Facebook

This post was edited by AquaEyes on Mon, Jun 10, 13 at 20:53

Well 1 out of 5 years I get enough water precipiation to be considered one per se.. of course in those years 12 or so inches of rainfall is locked in over 100 inches of ice and snow. A bad year for us would be less then 50"s of Precipitation total, we start fretting around here when we have 3 weeks of no rain =).

There is always a downside, not that I would want to live in a area that is drought afflicted. But with all the rain, comes bugs, in back to back to back good rainy years, its non stop bug infestation. I think ive killed over a million aphids this year alone.. thats no joke my friends.. (dont get me started on the ugly slugs and snails)

The line around here is that wet years are too cold for the moderns to really use the water. I haven't noticed the OGRs care one way or the other. The only thing they hate is a serious heat wave during bloom time.

We are in the middle of cicada season. !7 year, brood II. I lends new meaning to bug infestations, though it isn't as bad as 17 years ago. Then we had several broods hatching, and you couldn't hear yourself think.

I'm moreorless in Ann's same area--clay soil and lots of rain this year, but a little bit cooler. My gallicas were stunning this year, tons of blossoms, heights and suckers. Actually, all the flowers were glorious because of the rain, starting with the daffodils. My peonies were enormous, the iris were intense. I planted a bunch of little scraps of Stella d'Or daylilies last year to entice the deer away from my roses and they are blooming like crazy. My lavender is exploding and some is already in bloom. And yes, the weeds have been bountiful and my little meadow is snow-covered in clover.

But I am terrified the rain will suddenly stop and it will be hot and dry forevermore. So I have been bringing my drip system up to speed.

A long cool wet spring here too. My OGRs are enormous! Reine des Violettes has reached new heights and taken down yet her fourth trellis. Honorine de Brabant is the biggest she's ever been, from about 3 feet tall last year to well over 6 feet this year, and just as wide. Rose de Rescht is not tall but has widen out significantly. But my moderns are growing like weeds too. Julia Child is a 5 foot round ball. Home Run is even bigger. Even my minis are growing machines this year.

You can water all you want, and I do as my water bill will attest to, but there is nothing like a good soaking rain to make them grow like weeds. I swear you can actually see them growing they're getting so big so fast. I'm going to have some major pruning to do come dead heading time.

Yes, it's all that extra nitrogen dissolved in the raindrops as they descend from the sky that gives plants their extra push...plus the low pH of rainwater which dissolves any minerals locked up by the soil's alkalinity. You can't get that from the hose.

:-)

~Christopher

Water is the best fertilizer, insecticide and fungicide there is. You can put down all the tonnage of organics and inorganics you want, but without sufficient water to get them working and the plants processing them, they won't do squat, and will often eventually damage or even kill the plant. Many insects can be battled by washing the plants with a strong stream through a water wand (also adds to the hydration factor for the plants). Clair Martin found at The Huntington years ago, he could significantly reduce diseases in that climate by running overhead sprinklers early in the mornings. I found the same thing in the Newhall garden and here in Encino. Of course, YMMV, but I think many would be surprised what a good flooding bath can accomplish for a bed of roses, particularly where rain just isn't happening any longer.

One of my clients is experiencing issues with several of her roses which have been in place for more than a decade. Suddenly there is scale and mildew where none were issues before. The garden has been watered by automatic sprinklers since its creation and they've done an acceptable job. Out of curiosity, I dragged the hose around where they grow and flooded the areas, washing the plants off extremely well. We were both surprised by the incredible improvements in all of them. Her soil is very sandy loam which was agricultural fields for many decades prior to the homes being built in the sixties and seventies. Kim

Portland O generally receives enough winter rainfall, but we've toughed it through years where Mt. Hood was too bald too soon. (Snowpack = summer-autumn water.)

My roses shower regularly since the "irrigation system" around here consists of me and my faucet. How wonderful that the garden hose is beneficial! I'll stop cursing that 75-foot snake as it mows down rare and delicate perennials on its journey to the far reaches of my bed spaces.

If anyone is seeking an 'Indigo' replacement, just let me know. She's very generous in her stoloniferous habits. Got 'Indigo'? Yes, I do!

Carol

PortlandMysteryRose -- I AM!!!

My 'Indigo' bit the dust (my fault...I tried separating what I thought was two rooted cuttings in one band liner, and something snapped in the process). I'll gladly pay postage plus something for your troubles. Message me with your email address.

:-D

~Christopher

I've suspected for years that the prime limiting factor in my garden is water. We too have had a very wet winter and spring, only just now drying up, a month behind schedule. The once-blooming old roses have by and large adored it. But they generally do well if they don't get nailed by early summer heat while they're blooming in the first half of June...that's their major "if" here. Along with all the water we've had very little sun, and the warm climate roses haven't liked that: their colors are dull, many of them don't look that thriving, and the beetles are just feasting on them. A few warm climate roses were drowned, or nearly, this winter: I need to work on their soil. I see a fair amount of blackspot, normally absent until the end of the season in fall; and 'Alba Maxima' has rust, only the second time it's showed up in my garden. But the Gallicas, Centifolias, the Mosses, and the Hybrid Bourbons and Chinas have generally been magnificent.
In my garden clematis rarely die but rarely thrive; they've been the most prosperous I've ever seen them this spring. Grass, trees, shrubs, are enjoying the prolonged growing season. It has been a bad year for the farmers, however: they couldn't cut grass; they couldn't plow or seed; much of the fruit crop was ruined. This month they've finally been able to get going, but it's very late.

"Water is the best fertilizer" -- Sure is!

And we are getting less and less of it.

We did have some unusual cold this winter, and the few HPs and Damask Perpetuals LOVED that. I think it was even good for the Teas. But when the rain stopped far too early we knew we were in trouble.

Ingrid, MY list may or may not be helpful to you -- because though we share sandy soil and drought -- we are still markedly cooler than you, over all. And our air is more humid.

We do best with Teas and Chinas -- and when I say that, I mean that those roses do some of their best blooming here during the late Fall, the Winter, and early Spring. When things get hot and dry, they shut down. And I think that's one reason so many of them have survived with no care.

'Mme. Lambard' bloomed almost without a pause through Fall, Winter, and into spring. She had one big hurrah, and went bloomless, and I thought to see nothing more from her, for a while. But, deadheaded, she is now covered with new red growth, buds, and opening blooms.

De la Vina Mystery, if you could get it, might work.
Mons. Tillier,
Rosette Delizy,
Mutabilis,
Archduke Charles FOR SURE,
Grandmother's Hat FOR SURE.
Mme. Berkeley, whose bloom schedule matches Mme. Lambard pretty well.
Old Town Novato hangs tough.
Look for White Surprise, which is amazing.
RAGGED ROBIN -- Gotta have Ragged Robin
International Herald Tribune.

But the problem, of course (as I said above) is that these roses which are so good FOR ME, here in a coastal climate may not work in Ingrid's desert setting.

Kim's list would likely be better for you.

Jeri

Christopher

Of course! I just sent you an email. 'Indigo' will be on its way if my mailing game plan works for you.

Carol

A fast moving storm, with lots of thunder, lightening and some winds that in the next county that lead to a tornado warning. Lasted about fifteen minutes. One point nine inches of rain.

This morning I planted roses and spread fertilizer. I feel so virtuous.

We had that rain here too. It caused some problems, but not here. I could get used to this....

Thank you very much for the list, Jeri. Of the ones you name, Rosette Delizy is doing best for me. Many of my teas have stopped blooming, but she hasn't missed a beat. Grandmother's Hat, which I wanted so badly, fried almost immediately, even long before it was really summer. I wish I could have had a place for it that doesn't get all-day sun. Monsieur Tillier also fried almost as soon as the blooms opened, and that is such a lovely rose. IHT fainted in the heat. Mutabilis, which has afternoon shade, has done quite well except for some disease issues. The only other China I have, Burbank, is doing quite well in all-day sun, and I'm happy to have this rose from Vintage that doesn't seem to be grown very often.

I don't know that I've seen Kim's list, but I'll have a look in HMF to see what I can find.

Ingrid

I flood my roses once a week if we don't get rain. I vigorously hose the foliage once a week. I mulch with mini pine bark nuggets (water penetrates much easier).
I can't remember, I think it was the Austin catalog, where he suggests cutting back after first flush, giving a thorough soaking and then fertilizing (but I'm just using fish emulsion tea).
I don't ever just give them a little drinkie. I am encouraging those roots to head toward China.
Susan