Pots are difficult to manage especially in heat. Need almost constant watering.

When you say well drained how do you know? Is the pot big enough? Does it have a wick? I'll bet you put small stones in th bottom and maybe made extra holes?

None of those things helps drainage. When you pot a plant you take it out of the soil where natural cappillary action automatically drains the soil. Well that is if your soil is not heavy clay or the bed lacks drainage.

I had a Fourth of July that just up an died shortly after Ii got iit. So possiblly it isn't the toughest of roses.

I had a 4th of July for 4 years at my previous home. It flourished. Fourth of July may be cute, but she is far from little! I cannot imagine why you would pot it--it is a vigorous climber and needs a lot of space to spread out. Mine climbed to about 10 feet in 2 seasons.

Soupy soil is never good for roses. Maybe the roots rotted. If this is the case, I'm not sure it can be saved.

I agree that cute little is not the proper description for Fourth of July.
I never have figured out why people think bone meal is the answer to all that ails a rose bush. Some triple super phosphate would be my choice to add to the planting hole.
But to each his own.
Soupy soil will rot the tiny feeder roots preventing moisture and nutrient uptake. In Texas, I would think a very large well drained tree pot or half barrel would be the smallest container I'd use to plant a climber in. In my travels to Texas when attending rose conventions, I saw most rose growers using minimum 5 gallon pots just to grow miniatures. Fourth of July can get quite large so should be grown in the ground or large pot.
A small root system cannot support a lot of top growth, so you must have enough room for root growth.
Prune the top back severely to help the roots. As soon a new feeder roots develop the top growth will happen again.

Jim
Fourth of July is quite tough. I have two planted on an arbor near the street. Snow plows throw salt laden snow on them for 5 years now and although I have to prune them back to two feet each spring, they come back strong. I have some blooms on mine all summer long. They are only protected with oak leaves that blow on them naturally.

I'm thinkin' maybem you using the description "cute little" that this was a fairly small
plant, in a fairly small pot?

Because 'Fourth Of July' is a climber of some considerable size.
Mine, in an area of insufficient sun, is only perhaps 14 ft high, but I have seen
Fourth Of July reach the eaves of a two-story house.

So -- How large was your pot?

Jeri

ok, well...I've learned a lot here tonight...

I'm a writer by trade, so I guess my description of my "cute little" rose plant wasn't the right way to describe it...it was a small plant when I bought it, and hasn't gotten very big...but I can see where it's a climber as it was reaching upward.

I have potted it in a larger pot in hope that it might revive, but maybe I should have put it in the ground? I used bone meal, because that's what I had on hand...have since added some rose food and banana peels to see if they will help some.

Just one more question...are ya'll always this harsh with a first-time poster????

I appreciate all the advice and at this point will just keep my fingers crossed to see how it does.

You don't even want to know what I did with my Don Juan....

karl

I planted Long John Silver in the same spot where Fourth of July had been. It is still only 5' high. So I blamed it on the rose, FoJ. Not the soil or maybe hardines as I should have. My soil is very shallow in lot's of places. Often only a foot. I haven't checked that spot but suspect it is shallow.

So glad it does better for others. And I should have hoped the same as it is my birthday.

I don't see any harshness....you asked for advice, and you got it.

RoseOf -- You know, we can't help you unless we have a full picture of the situation.

Jeri

Rose of Sharon -- You didn't mention that you were a newbie; we would have been more gentle with you. Perhaps because you are a writer your savoir-faire with writing made us think you had more expertise with roses. I did chuckle when I read the first line of your inquiry. Of my over 50 roses, FoJ is easily the most vigorous rose at least 14 feet tall. I really whack it during the season, but it just keeps coming back for more.

Don't give up on us. We can be a little thorny sometimes and picky about what we do with our roses, but ultimately we do want to help you. Hang in there with Fourth of July. I would put it in a shaded area with some morning sun until it shows some growth. In that heat and especially if it has taken a hit, I would definitely baby it. If you still have it in a pot, I hope that you used good potting soil. I would bark or mulch the top to retain the moisture. In the fall, once the heat subsides a bit, find a good place for it and stick it in the ground. Dig a large hole and put quality potting soil in it. It will be much happier. I'll be "rooting" for you. Best regards, CJ

I don't run a rose hospital very well. As hot as it has been, and as likely as it is that the rose is already dying, I would consider starting all over with a new rose. They are not that expensive, and that is sometimes the easiest thing to do.

I planted 12 roses once in straight compost, and kept watering because the top of the soil looked dry to me. I actually had killed the roses. I think when something like this happens you are better off starting all over.

We live in Oklahoma, and in this heat, I don't know if you are going to save a struggling rose.

Sammy

"Just one more question...are ya'll always this harsh with a first-time poster???? "

I am not sure which posts got to you a little, but the posters that responded are very experienced rose growers. Just read their advice as factual, written by gardeners not writers. :-)

I have been on the forum for many years under a different alias and had to come back with a new face, and I got the bristly newbie treatment a little bit. It was interesting. :-) I understand how clique-ish the forum can look to new folks. But please understand that many of us have been around for years and know each other fairly well, so there's a minimum of sugar coating that goes into the posts. Don't let it bother you, just get to know people.

ROS,

When I obtained my first 2 roses, they were boxed roses and I knew so little about growing them that I didn't even bother to save the name off the box. When it came time to ask questions, I couldn't even tell people what variety I was growing--so in that, you're one step ahead of where I was when I asked my first GW questions. :) I did not realize how many different kinds of roses there are out there or how each behaves uniquely and sometimes needs unique treatment.

Thus, I learned quickly the benefits of researching each rose before I invested in it. I learned from this forum, from the books at the library, from the Internet, how to choose certain types, colors, sizes, varieties with disease resistance, etc. I also learned how to choose the location for the rose, or the rose for the location. It has taken several years for me to come this far and I still only know a fraction of what many of these other posters understand!

It's hard to be new to things that seem like they should be so easy, then to find there's a lot more to it than we realized! (I remember the having that same feeling about breastfeeding--lol!)

So I guess what I'm saying is that you will have better results and be able to enjoy a more beautiful garden if you take some time to research everything there is to know about a rose before buying it. That means less chance of putting a large rose in a small space, or a small rose where you want something really big. Heck, just last spring I made the error of buying a rose that I thought was going to become a 3 foot tall plant with regular sized blooms, only to find, once it bloomed, that I had bought a mini (ooops--I don't care much for minis). But we all goof here and there.

No one intended to hurt your feelings. We're just trying to help you know what to do so you can have a better rose growing experience.

Jennifer

For sheer hilarity, one can reflect upon the fate of the first Miniature Roses
we bought, about 20 years ago.

Cute little things. :-)
We put 'em in those wooden window-box things, and hung 'em on the patio railing.
They bloomed valiantly -- for a while.
And then died.

Later, we realized that Miniature Roses, while they have small BLOOMS,
can grow 6 ft tall here in Southern California. OOPS!

So when I asked "How large was the pot?"
I was asking because I know from personal experience how easily one can kill
a rose by shoving it into a pot in which it cannot grow roots.

Jeri

Do not give it any additional fertilizer. Sick roses don't need fertilizers.

Make sure that the soil is kept moist, not soaking wet, and that it drains well. I agree with the others, sounds like the roots suffocated.

I want to thank you all for your help and advice, and apologize for thinking some were being harsh...I do appreciate all the advice and help, and humbly will read and learn!

And don't worry if FoJ doesn't make it. We all make mistakes and it is important to learn from them. I've learned that I simply don't have the time or patience to grow roses in pots. For me all roses do better in the ground. As the other posters have said, you'll want FoJ in the ground eventually as it does get big. For now, try to keep it in some shade (morning sun and afternoon shade would be best) and make sure it is watered but not over watered. As long as the canes stay green there is hope for it. Good luck!

Athena's advice is best of all.

Years ago, a talented gardener told me:
"Sometimes, plants just die, even if you've done everything right for them. Don't obsess about it. Forget it, and move on."
Very liberating!

Jeri

Ros, put it in partial shade and out of the hot sun for now, stick your finger in the dirt to check when it is dry before watering(the very best way to know when to water), and if the canes are still green, the leaves will eventually grow back. If the canes start dying back, it may not survive, but until then just keep an eye on it and think good thoughts :-). I could regale you with story after story about the mistakes I have made in my garden. I've learned something from all of them that made me a better gardener. Good luck.

Carol

Thought I'd update ya'll on the FoJ...one cane has turned completely brown, the other two have brown tips...

Is it a goner? I'm about to send it to the plant hospice I run...(joke, joke!)

I guess I should count myself fortunate that out of thirty new roses I have planted this year, I've only lost two.

I've learned much from this experience...so, again, thank you, all of you for guiding me along.

sharon

Ah Sharon -- Hang on to it a little longer.
It may be a goner, sure, but at this point, a little more time won't cost much.
:-)
Who knows? It might make it yet.

Jeri

Remove the brown cane back to green plus remove the brown tips. You want all the plant's energy to go to any good wood that may be left.
If the existing green portions continue to turn brown, you may have lost the bush.

thanks Karl and Jeri...I'll trim it and do some sweet talking to it!

Here is a look at my poor pitiful Fourth of July rose...

is it a goner???

{{gwi:320463}}

Well, I am a stubborn soul.
I'd keep watering it, until it was clearly dead.

BUT that said, it might in the long haul be better to dump it, and start over.

Jeri

you know, Jeri...i think I'm with you...I'm going to keep at it...i mean, I only paid $2 for it in the first place...what will it hurt to keep trying...

There you are! Not much to lose.
And if it makes it, some day when it's 10 ft tall, you can point out to
people how near it came to dying.
Roses with a story attached are (IMHO) the best sort.

Jeri

I don't like the looks of the lower portion of that cane the green ones grow from.
A suggestion!
If the rose looks like it is recovering and begins to sprout new growth, consider planting it deeper with much of the green canes covered with soil. That portion of the green canes under the soil may sprout roots. This may give you a healthier new bush on it's own roots. The older damaged portion will not be a factor anymore as the roots will be above it.
I have salvaged sick looking older roses that looked like they were jusy getting by with this method. I place it in a deep pot and cover all but the growing tips with potting soil. Watering with dilute fish emulsion seems to help it along.
It takes a year or so if it works, but all I have is time and I'm not out anything but a little potting soil.
The new recovered plant seems healthier and grows better.
Eventually the old portion can be removed.

hmmmmm...i think i'll try this, karl and see what happens. Like you said, only out a little potting soil and time!
Thank you!
And thank you jeri for your encouragement, I appreciate it so much!

sharon

$2 didn't buy much of a rose.
Sometime you might want to read up on grades of roses. If that was a field grown grafted rose, it was puny to begin with.
If it was own root, then it's worth working to keep it going.
(Two year old field grown roses should have several healthy canes.) (Those canes are sub-sized.)

no, it wasn't much of a rose, but it had given me some beautiful blooms, and was one of my favorites. That's why I've been so distressed about it not doing well.
I bought it from a roadside stand in Tyler, Texas and it has been a good learning rose.