FJ:

For the first time ever this last summer I shovel pruned a rose when I really didn't have to. I was just fed up. I immediately planted another rose in its place and already I'm happier with the situation.

There are so many roses out there, why suffer through one that gives you gray hair?

Kate

My first thought is: dig it up and plant it in a pot or some out of the way place --and see what happens. Can't explain it, but they sometimes perk right up after going through the stress of transplanting.

My second thought is: the purpose of any garden is to make you, the gardener, happy. If a rose, for any reason, makes you unhappy, that is good enough reason to get rid of it.

My third thought is: ask around and see if anyone would like to adopt it and nurse it. You'd be surprised how often takers appear.

Does that help? LOL

Kate

I agree with Dublinbay - I've had 'stinkers' perk right up and thrive when potted, but not always - no guarantees. I've found through the years that you can have a wonderful rose but a poor plant - a hybridized rose that is knock-your-socks-off gorgeous in many gardens, but not every plant of that rose is a strong healthy one. Your Abraham Darby may just be a poor plant of a great rose. If you really love this rose, and it doesn't thrive in a pot, you can always try another plant. I've done that and had the second one be everything I had hoped it would be. The first one may have been virused, or just a weak plant.

I agree with Dublinbay as well.

Abe Darby is a pretty BIG rose, and it's common for large roses to take time to mature.
We see it here to a surprising degree.

One of my friends looked at the vast, flowery expanse of Lavender Dream, and confessed that she'd dumped hers after two years.
"I did it too soon, didn't I," she said.
She was right.

So I'd give him a little time.

But when you're pretty sure a rose isn't going to measure up . . . why, then, cut your losses.
Life's too short to grow bad roses.

Jeri

If it doesn't please you you need to replace it.
Sometimes Roses don't perform as well as we'd like and I have no problem replacing one that doesn't perform.
I say purchase and grow the ones that please you.
So many Roses, so little time/space.
Park a shovel next to your non-performers and give them a chance to perk up then it's too bad.

wanttogarden, I don't believe any of your roses should be a hassle. zone 9b is a long way from my house but surely you can find roses that don't need babying. If a person likes to tend to the garden to pass the time that is wonderful and I wish I had the time to do that, however I work full time and have quite a few projects so I devote my time to planting roses that I believe will take care of themselves and thrive in my yard. All they get is water from a drip system and fertilizer. If I really think a rose has what it takes to live here I plant several at least, and I do see differences in the different plants because of a lot of different things such as soil, varying wind protection, predation from deer , squirrels, and sage chickens. I'm sure your yard has its variables as well. I like 2 kinds of roses, the hardy once bloomers that bloom once and then the leaves stay green the rest of the summer and the workhorses that bloom all summer and maintain green leaves all summer with fertilizer and water. If you really believe in A. Darby dig it out, throw it away and get another A. Darby from a different supplier or friend and plant it in in the ground in a different place in your yard.

There is not reason to feel guilty. You pondered long and hard, and you made a decision. Live with it and move on. If you want another Abe Darby, get one. Perhaps yur luck on #2 will be better, but there is no point in feeling guilty about this one. Forget it, unless, of course, you want to feel guilty. Do you?

Just an update.

Ab. Darby has been moved to the end of the garden and will be allowed to do whatever he pleases. Climb or stay bush, bloom or not, rust or stay healthy, grow big or stay small. I will re evaluate his status in few years and will
see what is best for him.

His old prominent place is ready for delicious miss J. Child.

Thank you all.

FJ

GOOD WORK, FJ!!

It seems to me that I've heard this complaint from those out west before, so it may be your region that is not so compatible with Abe. Just a thought. Me, I'm on Long Island, and I could not see life without Abe. Not the best repeater, but the blooms are wonderful and not short lived at all. Do what makes you happy!

Also as Roseman suggested: If you really want to try to grow Abe, get another one. That is what I would do too. Dublinbay could be right too, pot it up and watch it but you've already changed plants. Just a thought for the future.

Carla

I pretty much do as you do- banish the under performer to a corner of the yard. Maybe it will be more exposed to critters, maybe it will get less water & TLC. But it will be on its own to see what happens!

It seems to me that I've heard this complaint from those out west before, so it may be your region that is not so compatible with Abe.

*** FWIW, Abe was just fine in my sometimes difficult part of SoCalif.
I found it unsatisfactory as a cut flower, because the massive blooms
were too big for the stem and foliage, but the bush was disease-free, vigorous, and floriferous.
OTOH, when gophers ate the roots, it was not a plant I chose to replace.
I think those outsized, floppy, blooms must have bothered me a bit.
I actually found 'Emanuel' much more garden-worthy in my conditions.

Jeri

Jeri:

Now that I moved few roses around to make room for my new Vintage roses, should I give them 3 more years to leap or they have done their sleeping and creeping in the last two years and will leap this coming year?

The English roses & Ab.Darby do very well in my region which is in the Az desert even through the heat of the summer, they are very tough. I think they do better in the ground but I have seen some in pots that are very healthy. I don' see what the problem is as long as it is getting 6 hours or more of sun getting plenty of water and is being fed, any rose would thrive. The longer roses are in one place the better they do over time. I would not move any roses anymore. From my experience with my 95+ roses it takes 3 to 4 years for a rose to become established. Leave them where they are. Unless they are not getting enough sun is the only time I would move a rose or to make room for more. I also shovel prune roses. I hate to baby a rose if it is not performing the way it should out it goes.
Good Luck,
Carrie

should I give them 3 more years to leap or they have done their sleeping and creeping in the last two years and will leap this coming year?

Wantto--probably depends on how many undamaged roots accompanied the transplant. Since it is hard not to damage the roots when a rose is dug up, I'd guess you are set back at least to the "creeping" stage and possibly even back to the "sleeping" stage--or maybe the "semi-sleeping" stage. That's one reason why I try to avoid transplanting roses--but, unfortunately, have 4 of them scheduled for this spring.

Kate

I think Kate put her finger on it.

If the root ball stayed intact, the plant may hardly skip a beat.
If it lost most of the feeder roots, it will likely be set back.

Jeri