If that is a rose that is suppose to be vigorous and is vigorous for a lot of people, you may want to give it more time or order and try another one. Maybe grafted this time?
Or another own-root.
Maybe it doesn't like it's location?
Could be just a slow starter?
Could be just a dud rose?
Whatever you do, i'm not going to judge you. lol
The decision is all up to you.
Stare that rose right in the face and demand it grows or else! lol

I wonder if your JtO is fully satisfied with his location. Are the other bands you planted in 2008 situated quite so close to the walkway/driveway or whatever that concrete is? I don't grow JtO myself, but several of them were planted about 3 yrs ago in the public garden where I volunteer. My observation is that JtO is a robust grower. If your underachiever were mine, I'd move it to another location--or place it a 5 gallon pot, pamper it for a season to see how it reacts, then find a spot for it in the garder where it will have an adequate amount of room.

If that was my plant, I will transfer it into a pot and nurture it until it develops a good root system. Move it to a different location and see what happens.

Jim, ha ha, you have NO idea the threats I have already breathed at that finicky beauty!

Yes, jaxondel, it is planted next to some other bands from that year. The location is the end of my sidewalk to the house that joins the municipal sidewalk. Even my last year's bands planted near that same rose are doing much better than this one!

Thanks all, I needed to hear that. I expected much better things from this guy, and my wish-list is long. Better still, my pot ghetto is large. ;o)

Shannon,

There's one answer to this problem and, unfortunately, I think I know what it is because I've dealt with it several times...

Own root Austin's take at least 5-6 years to begin vigorous growth in our cold zone... I've had slightly better results with Austin's grafted on Multiflora with at least 4-5 years to begin vigorous growth, but I've never had patience enough to ever acquire them own root or on MF again. Other types roses I have own root or on MF perform normally.... Austin's don't like them though.

All my Austin's on 'Dr. Huey' are vigorous by the second or third year.

Options...?

Dig it up, put it in a small pretty pot for the rest of the summer, let it go dormant, and send it to a friend in zone 6, 7, or 8... over the winter place an order for one or two or ten on 'Dr. Huey'. ;^D By summer of '11, you'll have a plant that's already bigger than the one you've been doting on for four years. :0/

I have nine on DH, and I could actually use 3 more to fill in around the nine.

Rob:)

Hi,

I purchased an own root Jude the Obscure from Chamblees this past April, and it has already thrown out a thick 3 ft tall cane. It is doing very well. I just started growing roses 3 years ago, but so far all of my own root roses have done exceptionally well. I purchased a 10 inch own root Sharifa Asma off of ebay late last sumer, and it has already produced 3 new large canes, and is about 4 ft tall. I hope your Jude takes off like mine. Good luck:)

I purchased Jude the Obscure from Roses Unlimited a few years ago along with some other Austins including Evelyn and Tradescant. They are planted within a few feet of each other. Jude is much smaller than the other two although it looks like it may improve a little this year. I have had mixed results with own root Austins from RU. Some are vigorous and others die. Jude does not seem to be very vigorous. Evelyn and Tradescant die to the ground over the winter (I don't winter protect) but bounce back vigorously in the spring. Own root Austins from RU that have died in my garden include Golden Celebration, A Shropshire Lad and William Shakespeare 2000. Golden Celebration got very large the first summer and then promptly died over the winter. I have also had mixed results with Delbards and Generosas.

My Judes are grafted and get tall and healthy. Brother Cadfael is right - own-root Austins do take a good long time to mature, especially in more Northern climates. Even my grafted Austins usually take a good three years to reach their potential - sometimes longer. But when they get there they are way more than worth the wait!

I'm hearing ya, all of ya! Now I am trying to wrack my brain on which of my Austins are grafted and which are own root. What I DO know is that I planted two 'Happy Child' own-root bands, in AUGUST of last year, and they are both bigger and bloom better than poor Jude. I think all the rest are grafted Austins, except this years bands, which, coincidentally, are already as large as Jude. :o/ A grafted Lilac Rose and two grafted Windermere are by far my best performing roses, and they are only two years in the ground. I guess I should find out what the rootstock is on those.

Rob, "...one or two or ten?" lol! Thanks for the excellent info, my friend. I am SO getting up there one of these days!

I think I will rehome the ownroot Jude. I don't even feel that sad about typing the words, lol! Maybe because, like I said, my pot ghetto is large, and there are lots more vying for a nice spot in the garden. I will offer it locally first, to some folks I know who would be willing to coddle and gamble; if no takers I will be looking for a warmer home for him. :o)

I have experienced that the plants growing next to a cement structure take a few years to get established.

I have the same plants/trees - roses, queen palms, and canna lillies growing on the other side of the dining room window, and also elsewhere in the garden. All plants - 8 roses (Disneyland x3, Tropicana x2, Joseph's Coat x2, and another one who I forget the name of) Palm tree, passionfruit climber - all of them are also growing in the same formation elsewhere in the garden. Its been 3 years. The passionfruit climber is a scrawny little thing, looks miserable, and so does the palm, which is reduced in height actually to a bare 6'. The roses this year are beginning to perk up some, for the first time they have noteworthy stalks, but barely. The cannas never grew beyond 2' !

The other place is well established. The passionfruit climber covers half my arbor-room walls and ceilings, the roses bloom like crazy, and most are over 5+ ft tall and as wide, and the palms are spectacularly tall and majestic. The cannas are over 8' in one location....and a little less tall elsewhere - like 6+'

I attribute it to the leaching of cement !

Sorry, what I meant to say was that the cement driveway may be the culprit...

Shannon, remember those two monster 'Lilian Austins' you saw last year in my garden? Those were own-root bands from RVR...only 2 years old at the time. They're now 3-year old thugs...ready to snag me at every opportunity. Very annoying.

It's interesting to note, Rob & Karen, that Austins take longer to mature in your zones. Maybe that little bit of distance south really makes a difference since I'm around Peoria, IL. Not that I'm in lala land in winter by any means!

Well, Jude is gone. I clipped his three blooms and brought them with when I took him and some other things to a friends house. That fragrance convinced her to take him on as a project, lol!

The cement sidewalk is definitely not the issue, as every other thing in there looks like a jungle, including two late-planted bands from last year that were already bigger than a 3 yr old Jude when he left.

I do adore that fragrance, though, so I think I wll be ordering him grafted for next Spring. I am tired of waiting! Terryjean, I remember those Lillians. Jude has no excuse now.

This deserves a "Hey Jude, take a sad song and make it better" kind of atmosphere...

Definelty worth trying again. I took a pic of my Jude this morning to tease my mom with but I cant find my cord. Here is a pic of my three year old Jude last year. This year imagine twice the bloom. Now the thing is my mom bought two, one for me one for her. Hers looks about like yours. This year mine is 6 ft tall and 6 ft wide. Full sun perfect drainage, clay soil. Her location was almost the same mabey a tich more shade. I think its just the rose sometimes not nessicerily the graft.

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Hubba hubba!

IÂve had Jude since 2002, and while I like the color, for me itÂs an under performer. It doesnÂt rebloom well and is BS prone. ItÂs grafted on to Dr.Huey. IÂm planning on spÂing it soon but IÂm going to give it one more try by rooting some cuttings before I do and trying it as an own root.
That being said, I rarely sp until 3-4 full seasons unless I see absolutely no hope. So I would recommend some patience.

After seeing and smelling JtO today at the botanical gardens, it went to the top of my wish list. Now I'm sad to see it's a hit or miss rose. I still want it though.

njmomma, do it! I'm gonna give it another go!

My Jude is languishing also. I moved it this spring so it could get more sun. It was doing poorly where it had been struggling for the past three years. It seems to like its new home better as it's already grown quite a bit.

My Jude is own root. A little slow to get going but after 3 years 4'x4' and nice flowering. Had a very bad case of thrips last season which I am sure set it back a bit but this season doing great.

You guys are encouraging me! I do so love that fragrance.

Wren, I can't believe your ownroot is 4x4 after three years, wow!!!

Karl, is yours getting more sun now? Or just a different place?