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why is my Port Sunlight only 15" high with 2" blooms?

10 years ago

HMF says that Port Sunlight has height of up to 4' 11". Mine is in a container, is very compact and has very thin, floppy stems with 2" flowers.

Teasing Georgia which is supposed to be light yellow with a height of 42" is about 7' high, very bushy & healthy looking, puts out lots of apricot flowers the exact same color as Port Sunlight - apricot & not yellow at all.

This is their 3rd summer in my garden, & I originally thought that it would be best to plant my Austins in the ground rather than in containers. James Galway & Teasing Georgia took off like gangbusters, but I had to dig up Princess Alexandra of Kent & Lady of Megginch because they were doing so poorly in the ground (they're doing much better in containers now.)

At least this year Port Sunlight is putting out some flowers; last year there were only a few. They're all getting lots of sun & water. I'm trying to keep them well fed. What gives?

I've been thinking of getting Lady of Shalott for its gorgeous color, but don't want to end up with another compact invalid.
My Lady of Megginch (originally planted in the ground) ended up with one cane only, so I dug her up, put her in a container in the infirmary section of my deck out of the blazing New York morning sun. I am happy to report that she is no longer on life support and is growing 2 new canes & even had one gorgeous flower last week. I guess I can't believe everything the gorgeous catalogs tell me, but am wondering what is going on. I'd appreciate any advice.

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Comments (5)

jerijen
10 years ago
I have had, and still have, roses which took years to mature into much of a plant, growing on their own roots.

Probably, things are slower here due to my conditions, but five years is not unusual for me.

Jeri
view1ny NY 6-7
Original Author
10 years ago
Jeri, thanks for giving me hope. I guess I just have to wait it out.

The Austins are all grafted & I expected a bit more oomph to them. Somehow some roses the DA catalog describes as healthy, tall & appropriate for back of the border are just puny in my garden. I look at pics of Princess Alexandra and think: What??? That's not what mine looks like!
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the_bustopher z6 MO
10 years ago
I have had Port Sunlight for several years now, and it has always had smallish flowers. It has a nice color, but the flowers are no bigger than those of some minifloras, somewhere in the 2 to 3 inch range. I was hoping for better. Carding Mill usually does much better, and so do Lady Emma Hamilton and Lady of Shalott. Don't worry about Lady of Shalott. It is a good one, but its flowers, like most of the other roses in the garden, will be somewhat smaller and paler in the heat of summer.
Poorbutroserich Susan Nashville
10 years ago
Based on what I've read about Austin's here I have to say that perhaps they grow best in England? I saw a garden there recently of almost all Austins and Port Sunlight blew my socks off. It was a "must order".
They other thing I noticed was that they were growing, as Austin suggests, in groups of three. Makes a big difference is size of bush--but the blooms were HUGE.
Maybe they don't like the heat? I don't have my catalog handy but I know he makes recs for climate.
Port Sunlight, Grace and Lady of Megginch were showstoppers. And Litchfield Angel was another stunner.
I think they just grow slowly. My Jude has been around 3 years and he is still just waist high and starting to put out some big blooms.
Like Jeri said, it takes time. Don't give up on these roses they are so pretty. I will post some pictures soon in the gallery.
And I am generous with the water for the Austins...That seems to make a huge difference too.
Susan
joopster
10 years ago
I received Port Sunlight as a gift from my husband. The nursery told him that it can be trained to climb and that it's need to be winterized in our Chicago suburb climate. So I was thinking that maybe I should just grow them in a big 20 gal pot and bring it into a garage in the winter instead. Is it ok to grow Port Sunlight in a pot of that size?

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