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treehugger101

Which Rose Do You Love/Hate?

treehugger101
9 years ago

I would love to hear about roses that drive you crazy but you love so much you just can't send them to Bin Heaven. Here is mine. Blue Moon. This is actually my favorite rose for its color and oh my heavenly fragrance. BUT. Every year she gets everything (black spot, rust, powdery mildew and various other horrors to which I have no name) and drops all of her leaves. Oh, she keeps blooming profusely the whole time she stands there naked. Then once the worst of the hot weather is over, she throws an entirely new flush of leaves and looks gorgeous again. Someday maybe I will find a cure for her nakedness but until then the love hate goes on. And I keep cutting her blooms that fill the whole room with sweet perfume.

Comments (52)

  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    Hi Treehugger: Thank you for your response & I'm glad that your Blue Moon rose is OWN-ROOT from Heirloom nursery. So the blue color must come from the nutrients in your slightly acidic clay. Wikipedia on Azomite: "Azomite (pronounced ā-zō-mite, officially all-caps AZOMITE) is the registered trademark for a complex silica ore (hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate) with an elevated ratio of trace minerals unique to the Utah mineral deposit from which it is mined. When the ash from a volcanic eruption filled a nearby seabed an estimated 30 million years ago, the combination of seawater, fed by hundreds of mineral-rich rivers and the rare earth minerals present in the volcanic ash, created the deposit’s distinctive composition."

    70 trace minerals in Azomite? That's good stuff. A lady from New Zealand post the best pics. of Austin roses, thanks to her volcanic soil. Trace minerals give more petals and better color to roses. I mulched my roses with cocoa mulch with many trace elements and I got ruffles on my roses for the 1st time, see pic. below of Sonia Rykiel rose:

  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    I forgot to answer your question about how often on Tomato-Tone. Sharon (Enchantedroses) from CT informed me that her local nursery recommended Rose-Tone in a pot once a month, plus soluble-fertilizer weekly for pots. Using that formula, I would use less than 1/4 cup of Tomato-Tone per month for small own-root, and 1/2 cup per month for larger roses (grafted on Dr. Huey).

    Many thanks, treehugger, for notifying me about Azomite. For the past 3 years I relied on horse manure to supply the trace elements for deeper colors in roses, but horse manure is a pain to haul, plus it has salt and very high pH over 8.

    Thanks to you, I'm going to buy Azomite on Amazon. It has 170 four and 1/2 stars reviews, 5 lbs. for $8 See link below for Amazon reviews on Azomite. Below is another review from a garden-forum, posted by Charles MV "Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:58 am
    http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9403

    "It's not scientific but I usually buy organic fertilizers and other soil treatments and just try them. With Azomite, I had 4 -30 foot rows of pink eye peas to play with. The plants were about 6 inches tall. I hand spread from a two gallon bucket Azomite along two rows. About two weeks later, the rows I treated were about 10% taller but the biggest difference was that the leaves were noticeably greener and the plants were a good bit healthier looking. I'm sold on it and pretty much use it throughout the garden. It's too expensive to broadcast but very affordable to scratch it in along the rows."

    W.S. 2000 own-root is a small Austin to grow in a pot. Chamblee nursery in Texas sells Austins cheaper than Heirloom Roses, and much cheaper than Roses Unlimited. I got Austin roses from Chamblee with HUGE 1-gallon-rootball, multiple plants in one pot, and Eglantyne was 2 feet tall, shipped in a larged container. My William Shakespeare 2000 color is normally dark crimson, but with horse manure it turns more purplish, see picture below.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Azomite on Amazon at $8 for 5 lb.

    This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Sat, Feb 7, 15 at 11:47

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  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    I did more research on Azomite, since I want to compare its trace elements with cocoa mulch. I mulched my 2 dozens tomato with cocoa mulch two years ago ... that was the best tasting-crop !! This last year I didn't use cocoa mulch, and the taste of cherry tomatoes were blah.

    Here are the main trace elements for Azomite, taken from link below: "Researcher reported statistically significant increases in the tomato fruit for five trace elements concentrations. Those elements included copper, potassium, magnesium, sodium, and manganese."

    Here are the trace elements for cocoa mulch (dangerous for dogs to eat). I don't have pets, and I have a fenced in garden, so it's OK for me to use cocoa mulch. Cocoa mulch has 2.5 nitrogen, 1 of phosphorus, and 3 of potassium, and contains all micronutrients. It's sold cheap at my local Menards 2 cubic feet HUGE bag for $4.

    ANALYSIS OF COCOA MULCH at pH 5.4

    Total N % 3.0

    Total C % 43.0

    Phosphorus mg/100g 1000

    Potassium mg/100g 3251

    Calcium mg/100g 575

    Magnesium mg/100g 488

    Iron mg/100g 140

    Manganese mg/100g 9

    Zinc mg/100g 11

    Copper mg/100g 3.5

    Nickel ppm 1.0

    Below is French Romantica hybrid tea: Sweet Promise 2007, mulched with cocoa mulch to produce more petals. Last year I didn't use cocoa mulch, and Sweet Promise rose had much less petals & faded color.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Studies on Azomite in agriculture

    This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Sat, Feb 7, 15 at 12:20

  • treehugger101
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Wow. Thanks for the detail, Strawberrtyhill. I have no idea where to buy cocoa mulch around here. I'm limited to Lowe's and Home Depot. Can I use Azomite with the tomato fertilizer?

  • treehugger101
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I bougtht a rose from Chamblee's once before because no one else had it - Blue For You. It was a tiny twig. I hope I live long enough to see it mature. For that reason I shied away from Chamblee's but did order another BFY which I hope will be larger since I ordered in Spring. Thanks for that. As far as that blue color (I call it a true lavender) I have had a lot of those. Some fade in sun, some do not thrive, some die in Winter. So far, Blue Moon has beat them all. This year, I have ordered Enchanted Evening from J&P, Love Song and Neptune from Edmund's and another Blue For You from Chamlee's.

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    9 years ago

    Wow an awesome shade of blueish color! Nice rose treehugger! :)

    Nice shots of your bloom's Straw!

    I notice your in Maryland treehugger. I heard blackspot
    can be very severe in that area.

  • treehugger101
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    jim, I am actually in PA and blackspot is horrible here, too. But I have many roses that get little to no blackspot or anything else and that is what I am planting now. Even so, I just can't be without Blue Moon! I'm surprised more folks have not chimed in with roses they love that have lots of problems. What do folks do? Throw them out anyway?

  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    Hi Treehugger & Jim & everyone: That's a lovely shot of Heritage, thank you, treehugger for the info. on the blue roses you bought. I'm a fan of blue roses, and my last one was a wimp. Deep Purple looked great in bouquet, but wimpy as a plant.

    My Nahema rose was a love/hate. She's a child of Heritage. I love her for her fabulous scent & low-thorn, but I hate her for being so stingy. Below is a bloom of Nahema, unforgettable scent, and thick petals that last long in the vase:

  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    Hi Treehugger: I forget to answer your question "Can I use Azomite with the tomato fertilizer?" Tomato Tone fertilizer has very little alfalfa meal, but mostly fast-released nitrogen, chicken manure, bone meal, plus sulfate of potash. Since Azomite is already abundant in minerals (up to 70 trace minerals), I would go with 100% organic to balance the mineral-load out.

    I would use LARGE-CHUNK organic such as alfalfa pellets, alfalfa hay, leaves, or fish emulsion. When those organics break down, they nourish micro-organism which help plants to utilize the mineral-load provided by Azomite.

    Here's the info. on Tomato-tone, NPK 3-4-6, from the Espoma link below, it also contains 3 species of soil bacteria:

    Total Nitrogen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.0%
    0.2%. . . . Ammoniacal Nitrogen
    0.7%. . . . Water Soluble Nitrogen
    2.1%. . . . Water Insoluble Nitrogen
    Available Phosphate (P2O5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.0%
    Soluble Potash (K2O). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.0%
    Calcium (Ca) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.0%
    Sulfur (S). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.0%
    Derived from: Hydrolyzed Feather Meal, Pasteurized
    Poultry Manure, Bone Meal, Alfalfa Meal, Greensand,
    Humates, Sulfate of Potash, and Gypsum.
    *Contains 2.1% Slow Release Nitrogen.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Espoma tomato-tone ingredients

  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    Found a link on how to apply azomite, so I'll post here:

    Application rate for 1 Quart of Micronized Azomite:
    •Mix 2.5 tbsp. per 1 gallon of water per 40 sq. ft. and water lawn, garden, beds, trees and shrubs.
    •When transplanting, use 1 tsp. per 2 inch plant diameter.

    Application rate for 1 quart Prilled Azomite:
    •Prior to planting: sprinkle in bed (at 3 tsp. per 10 sq. ft.) and water.
    •Vegetables and flowers: 2 tsp. per 10 sq. ft. add to hole when planting or sprinkle in garden bed then water.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Azomite and how to apply

  • treehugger101
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the link on how to apply Azomite but I am confused. So for an in-ground existing roses, should I apply 2 teaspoons per 10 square feet? My Azomite is granular.

  • treehugger101
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Straw - 1. How often do I apply: 1. Azomite? and 2. Fish emulsion?

  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    Hi treehugger: My neighbor uses less than 1 Tablespoon of the Alaska fish emulsion per 1 gallon of water. She did that for her plants once a week ... tons of bell pepper on a tiny plant.

    I read in Gardenguides.com today about what nutrients are soluble: nitrogen (10 mobility), potassium (3 mobility), and phosphorus (1 mobility). However, the trace elements: calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, etc .. STAY PUT WHERE APPLIED.

    That's why the trace elements are chelated with sulfate to help with dissolving in water. Copper sulfate is a fungicide. Zinc, manganese, and iron are added to fertilizer in sulfate form (100% water soluble). I would choose the instruction "Mix 2.5 tbsp. per 1 gallon of water per 40 sq. ft. and water lawn, garden, beds, trees and shrubs.". Azomite contains up to 70 trace elements (needed in very small amount), once a month makes more sense.

    Most tap water are ABOVE neutral pH to prevent corrosion in pipes. For minerals to dissolve in water, an acid is needed, either through chelating with sulfate, or rain water (pH 5.6), or some used lemon would do (1/2 used lemon is enough to bring 2 gallons of tap down to pH of rain water).

    I am a strong believer in using fertilizer AS SOLUBLE. I tested various granular fertilizers: either they burn roots, or when I dig up, they haven't dissolve yet.

    Jim and I tested Brewer's yeast this past summer. Brewer's yeast is high in potassium, with 50% daily value for copper. I tested that on stingy Eglantyne, stingy Jude the Obscure, and they gave me more blooms. In contrast, my experiment with Rice bran was a disaster, leading to more black spots, thanks to its high in phosphorus. See below link of Gardenguides, which explains zinc deficiency as the result of high phosphorus. Keep in mind that the strongest ANTI-FUNGAL element is zinc, next is copper, and last is calcium. Both zinc and copper have strong ANTI-FUNGAL properties.

    It's good to know this about Azomite, "Researcher reported statistically significant increases in the tomato fruit for five trace elements concentrations. Those elements included copper, potassium, magnesium, sodium, and manganese."

    My best blooms (both in quality and quantity) were obtained through cocoa mulch, high in potassium, and many trace elements such as zinc, copper, manganese, iron. Below is a bouquet of roses fertilized with cocoa mulch, see the many ruffles:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Zinc and plant growth

  • treehugger101
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Straw, Thanks! That is exactly what I needed. I would have made a HUGE mistake applying this granular. Now all I need are funds to buy all of your roses!!!

    Terri

  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    Hi Terri (treehugger100): I'm glad to hear from you. Tomato-Tone with chicken manure is high in zinc, copper, and boron (additives to chicken feed). I once used Lily Miller fertilizer which has acid (sulfur) added to chicken manure plus extra zinc, manganese, boron, and iron. My roses & fruit trees were blooming lots.

    I tested MiracleGro More-bloom, high phosphorus SOLUBLE fertilizer and it worked well for flowers in pots, since it has trace elements added: zinc, copper, and boron. The addition of zinc is a MUST for phosphorus to work in blooming. An excerpt from below site: "In order for the plant to be able to take up Phosphorus(P), there must be available Zinc(Zn) in the soil. When the plant is unable to find any Zinc(Zn), it will stop taking up Phosphorus(P)."

    Cocoa mulch is high in zinc, that's why my roses bloomed so well. The question is, how much zinc is in Azomite? Most soil are deficient in zinc, esp. alkaline soil clay. Foods highest in zinc are seafood, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds. Zinc helps with the immune system in human (Cold-eeze zinc tablet), also helps plants to fight against fungal diseases. Phosphorus & potassium are known to help with blooming, but not until today that I realize zinc also help with blooming. Which explains why Prickles (Bailey) got over 120+ blooms on his Austin rose Young Lycidas in a pot ... he used fresh salmon bits & shrimp shells. I'm inserting pics. of bouquets from my garden:

    Nutrients excess and deficiency


  • treehugger101
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Straw, Your blooms make me drool!!! What is that pink cupped bloom lower left?


  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    Hi Terri: I like your new username. That pink bloom lower left is Sonia Rykiel, amazing raspberry-rose scent. More international folks raved over Sonia Rykiel than the Alnwick rose. Sonia Rykiel's leaves are fragrant, small harmless thorns. That rose is worth every $25, since it lasts very long in the vase.

  • treehugger101
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    That should not be my username. It keeps telling me treehugger100 is already in use. I hate this new forum.




  • treehugger101
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Is Sonia Rykiel a shrub you love or hate? She is gorgeous!!!

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    9 years ago

    Treehugger, up at the top on the right where it says your Houzz put your arrow on that icon then click on edit profile. In the first name section type the name you wish to use and put your zone if you wish then click on update at the bottom and you will be set... Thats what I did...

  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    Thanks Jim.

    Treehugger: glad to have your old username back. I also changed my e-mail address in Houzz, and I HATED IT with a message that won't go away "Please confirm your e-mail change". After wasting 1/2 trying to get rid of that message ... I e-mail Houzz to complain, and they took care of the problem. Sonia Rykiel is a shrub I LOVE 100%: low-thorn (tiny harmless prickles), it's about 2 feet-fountain-shape (spread out) ... NOT UPRIGHT like Alnwick rose. SR won't be good as a hedge, but good a standalone.

  • MasLovesRoses_z8a GA
    9 years ago

    Wow. Such lovely roses! Blue Moon is gorgeous!


  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    Mas: I agree, Terri's Blue Moon has the best color blue. While checking on anti-fungal property of Azomite, I ran across a document that listed the many benefits of hydrogen peroxide .. I should use that in rooting: Organic fertilizers

    It is this hydrogen peroxide in rainwater that makes it so much more effective than tap water when given to plants. With the increased levels of atmospheric pollution, however, greater amounts of H202 react with air-borne toxins and never reach the ground. To compensate for this, many farmers have been increasing crop yields by spraying them with diluted hydrogen peroxide (5 to 16 ounces of 35% mixed with 20 gallons of water per acre). You can achieve the same beneficial effect with your house plants by adding 1 ounce of 3% hydrogen peroxide (or 16 drops of 35% solution) to every quart of water you give your plants. (It can also be made into an excellent safe insecticide. Simply spray your plants with 8 ounces of 3% peroxide mixed with 8 ounces of white sugar and one gallon of water.)

    Gardenguides.com wrote: "An easy way to increase the health of your plants is to add hydrogen peroxide to the water. Because it contains substantially more oxygen than water, peroxide provides more oxygen to plant roots. Peroxide also naturally fights off bacteria and fungus that can harm your plants. Take precautions when using hydrogen peroxide as it is a caustic substance that can be harmful in large amounts.

    Read more: How to Use Peroxide for Plant Food | Garden Guides http://www.gardenguides.com/95793-use-peroxide-plant-food.html#ixzz3RdZaXDSP


  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    9 years ago

    Interesting things about hydrogen peroxide Straw...Great info! I looked at Mister Lincoln in his container today on the front porch and if ML lives through our below zero weather there will be a lot of winter-kill of the canes. And I mean a lot probably only stubs will be left... I still see that powdery mildew plastered to ML canes also...lol

  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    Hi Jim: Hydrogen perioxide is used to prevent mold in rooting roses. Here's an excerpt from Hydrogen peroxide for plant fungus "Hydrogen peroxide (hp) can kill molds such as powdery mildew caused by any number of fungi. It also attacks the black, sooty mold caused by aphids. When applied to the plant, the chemical's two oxygen atoms attach to the fungus and oxidize or burn it. While stronger concentrations can be purchased at garden centers containing 10 to 27 percent hp mixed with other ingredients, the household bottle containing 3 to 9 percent is adequate to kill various types of plant fungus without leaving any damaging residue. "

    From Straw: My sister used that to bleach hair, it worked !! In my college Biochemistry class, we learned to use hydrogen peroxide to take blood stain out of clothes. It works very well.

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    9 years ago

    I will try hydrogen peroxide on Mister Lincoln and see if it works... I see I would Mix 1 pint of water with 4 to 5 tablespoons of household hydrogen peroxide (3 to 9 percent strength) in a spray bottle.

    Providing ML makes it through winter... His canes look awful dark brown and brittle...

  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    My rootings in the garage are OK, it's going to be below zero for the next few days. I miss smelling the roses, but with great friends like you, it helps !!

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The rose I transplanted from my sister has been completely buried in snow for awhile. But snows been melting so I see the top half of the rose canes now. Yep cold weather here to -4 expected... :-/

  • MasLovesRoses_z8a GA
    9 years ago

    good evening friends!

    I'll try the peroxide too. Great info. Thanks for posting, Straw.

    I added azomite to my compost tea all last year. When I remembered, I also added a bit of it in the planting hole.


  • treehugger101
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jim, I hope Mr. Lincoln makes it. It is depressing to see a beloved rose so ravaged and not be able to do anything about it until Spring. I'm tired of Winter!
    Straw, Thanks for all of the great info. That is interesting about HP.
    Yet another bank holiday has messed up my plans for today.
    Back to dreaming of roses, roses, roses...

    Terri

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    9 years ago

    Will see if ML makes it through the winter... Things won't start coming to life here until the end of March or beginning of April so I have a bit of a wait yet..

  • KnoxRose -7a
    9 years ago

    My rose that I love/hate would definitely be my Golden Celebration, I have a weakness for yellows, and this rose had me at hello, when I first saw photos of it's gorgeous, full, golden yellow blooms. However so far this plant has been a real thorn in my side (hehe). Granted this was it's first year in the ground, and I was very new at roses when I planted it, so some of it's shortcomings may be my own fault. I planted it as a bare root last spring and boy has it grown! Vigor is not the problem with this rose, the reason it is on this list is because it is a blackspot magnet! By far the worst of my whole garden. By July it was pretty much a leafless, mass of super thorn-y canes. Not to mention that it throws long octopus arms out everywhere, faster than you can clip them off! Then it will only flower ONLY at the end of the long cane, which is touching the ground at that point, and so this gorgeous bloom I've waited so long for is covered in dirt and mulch because they are always laying on the ground. You would think that the cane being completely bent over would encourage more flowering side-shoots to emerge from the main canes, but NO. This thing produces basals like there is no tomorrow, but side shoots? Forgetaboutit!!! I am going to give this sucker a haircut like he's never seen before in a week or two, probably almost down to the ground, so that this spring it will hopefully build up some stronger canes to hold those beautiful blooms up where I can see them!

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    9 years ago

    Good luck with that Golden Celebration rose! May your rose branches stay more erect and support those blooms!

  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    Hi Jim: I love your kind words and encouragement ... always glad to hear from you.

    Hi Jessica (Dinglehopp): I like your profile-pic ... very nice. You are so slim & pretty. Was that a basket of sugar snap peas in your picture? I remember having to pick green beans while growing up in MI, that was my least favorite task. When I was a teenager in MI, we grew really sweet corn from our clay, fertilized with chicken manure. I fertilized last year's heirloom tomatoes with chicken manure, and they were really sweet.

    About Golden Celebration, this got to be the 4th-bad-report on its being grafted on Dr. Huey. It's NOT a good idea to graft an Austin water-hog on a rootstock that thrives in dry and alkaline soil like CA. When a rose doesn't get enough water, it tends to flower at the extreme end, rather than branching out. My Golden Celebration is own-root, clean in my alkaline clay. I tested high phosphorus, it got stingier since chemical phosphorus crystallized in my clay. I tested high potassium, just a slight improvement in flowering, However, I had seen a pic. of Golden Celebration in a pot, with tons of flowering .. and it was quite short & lots of branching. Next year I'll test SOLUBLE fertilizer on Golden Celebration.

    One thing I notice about roses grafted on Dr. Huey: The 1st year is fantastic, tons of flowering .. then it's a decline in flowering as the year go by. Own-root is just the opposite: 1st year stingy, then it gets more flowers as it matures. I also saw the same with my hydrangea (grafted): 1st year was great with flowering, then it gets stingier. Then we got the worst winter, and the rootstock took over ... I killed the rootstock to encourage the own-root, and that hydrangea finally branched out, tons of blooms.

    Another thing I notice about certain roses, esp. Dr. Huey: they don't like to be buried deep, and tend to black spot more if planted too deeply. A horticulture specialist wrote about her secret of taking care for wimpy & disease-fest hybrid perpetual roses: Make the soil fluffy with organic matter (leaves and wood chips), also plant it slightly higher above soil level. I agree, my Golden Celebration was clean when I planted it at soil level, and just piled up alkaline horse manure upward to 1/2 foot. Then I moved Golden Celebration, and planted it too deep, and it black spotted on me. It's like drowning the root in wet & poor drainage clay, and the roots don't like that.

  • KnoxRose -7a
    9 years ago

    Straw & Jim, thank you both so much!

    That is a bucket of basil that I had just cut from the 2 basil plants I had interplanted with the roses, they got huge! Almost bigger than the new roses they were with! one is behind me in the photo, it is pretty unphased despite my heavy trimming, the bowl I had made a very tasty pesto,


    I have been thinking a lot lately about own root roses. When I first started buying roses besides KO (just last spring) I just purchased from local nurseries and directly from DA only, I knew nothing about own root plants and the benefits that can come with plants being on heir own roots, so naturally the first roses that I purchased are mostly all grafted, and all my oldest roses are those that are in ground. Since then I have discovered the wonderful world of own root bands and gallons and all the reputable online nurseries that sell them, land so of course I couldn't control myself and now I am caring for a small herd of potted own root roses, with hopes of planting this spring.


    I am now debating on adding an own root Golden Celebration to my Roses Unlimited order before it ships in April, because I really want it to be a rose I my garden and my current plant is definitely a frustrating problem child. I might eventually end up replacing my grafted Munstead Wood as well because even for a first year plant I felt like it underperformed, and it is so lovely, I want to have the best specimen possible. Not all my grafted roses did poorly, lady of shalott was amazing, as well as Darcy Bussell, so I'll just see how they do from here, I love those too as well and may have to replace them if they decline.

  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    Hi Jessica (Digglehopp): Some Austin roses root easily, like Radio Times and Evelyn .. which gave babies when I dumped soil on top for winter-protection in my zone 5a. I moved Golden Celebration after 3 years, and despite fluffy soil piling up, it didn't root sideway. It was a long straight stick down, and root branching occurs way-down at the end of stick. That's different from Evelyn, which grew roots on the side stems lying on the ground.

    A rosarian in Wisconsin once stated that he doesn't like to bury his grafted roses deep, since it prevents basal break. According to Sue O'Brien of Tiny Petals Rose Nursery: Basal Breaks = Any new growth which emerges from the graft site base or the bud union. This is the 'good' stuff; and it should be encouraged and protected, especially while it is tender, new growth. It will become a strong, new stem or cane of the grafted plant. Bud Unions, Basal breaks, grafted sites

    What the Wisconsin rosarian did was to plant grafted roses LEVEL to the ground, then pile up soil to a depth of 1 foot for zone 5a. In my garden, it depends on the type of rose. French Romanticas like Frederic Mistral has a very short root, and branching occurs near the surface. So I made the soil fluffly FOR THE ENTIRE BED: mixed leaves and wood chips into my hard clay. I planted Frederic Mistral DEEP, 6" below ground, but since I made the entire area fluffy, it branched out easily. It's still an advantage to plant roses at ground level, esp. with roses with a long stick straight down like Golden Celebration and Mirandy ... both are stingy. For basal break to occur, it needs: sunshine, soluble nutrients, and fluffy soil. That happens near the surface, rather than deep in the waterlogged, or tough clay with little water and nutrients. It would be interesting to see if Golden Celebration can be rooted using the below method of "air-layering" used for trees:

    How to root a branch without cutting

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    9 years ago

    My love/hate rose is Mr Lincoln... Wondering if he will survive these minus 10 below zero days sitting on front porch in a container...lol... Porch is open besides having a roof and 3ft bannisters...

    Yep sun hits him an hour out of each day... I load snow on him so it provides him with water throughout the winter and it provides alittle protection...


  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    Hi Jim: That pot looks good to me, big canes. There are much better red rose out there: Firefighter, Tess of the d'ubervilles (more like dark-pink), and Munstead Wood. Seaweed sent me blooms of Tess and Munstead wood from her CA garden. Tess was fabulous myrrh, very nice scent. Munstead Wood was the best scent in the red-rose family. Firefighter scent is nice, but too much like a perfume. I can't stick my nose into Firefighter much, it's too overwhelming ... one bloom perfumes the entire room.

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    9 years ago

    Time will tell Straw...

    Mister Lincolns a stingy bloomer for sure... I might try fire-fighter someday...Not sure what direction, if any, I want to take in the future with roses...lol... Depends...

  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    With Roses Unlimited new system of shipping charge: same charge for 3 roses as for 4 roses, I'll wait until next year when I buy all 4: Young Lycidas, Lady Emma, Firefigher, and either Munstead Wood or a thornless one. Munstead wood scent was very addictive !!

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    9 years ago

    Good idea Straw!

  • MasLovesRoses_z8a GA
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi friends, just stopped by to say hi. I've been busy ogling seed catalogs that promise lush, wonderful looking plants and winter sowing seeds. I shall have enough seeds started to fill the neighborhood if this winter does not ease up.

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    9 years ago

    Hello mas_loves_roses1,

    Winter needs to just end...lol Usually we start seeing life in our roses toward the end of March but I got a feeling it will be later this year... :-/

  • Patrick888
    9 years ago

    SHEER BLISS is my love/hate rose. Beautiful, delicately hued pink blooms and wonderful fragrance. The stems grow long & weak...a bit of wind easily tears branches off the main canes.

    Patrick


  • msdorkgirl
    9 years ago


    Remember Me --- I bought it last year on the clearance section and I am not a fan of how it blooms at the end, the way it does curled, pointy ends --- the flower doesn't last very long either. Since I have several sickly rose plants, I can't justify getting rid of a healthy one.

  • strawchicago z5
    9 years ago

    Deep purple rose is my love/hate: Love it for bouquet (the purple bloom) ... lasts a long time. Hate it as a plant: wimpy root, but I love its being almost thornless. It's probably best in a fluffy & loamy soil in a pot.


  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    9 years ago

    Nice looking bloom though Straw! Great looking bouquet!

  • strawchicago z5
    8 years ago

    Treehugger: We have the wettest year ever: 2 months of constant rain. I'm thinking about testing Azomite. How was Azomite for your plants? Did that work well in greening-up leaves, and deepening colors? Thanks for any info.

  • strawchicago z5
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I'm having a hate relationship with Lady of Shalott as own-root. Wimpiest own-root ever in the 80+ own-root that I grew. My next step is to give it Azomite to see if it'll improve.

    Lady of Shalott as own-root was so wimpy in perfect potting soil, so I moved to my clay made VERY FLUFFY with coarse sand & gypsum, gave 2 blooms. Still black spotted, so I moved to 1/3 compost, 1/3 clay, 1/3 sand. Refuse to bloom & prone to blackspots despite sulfate of potash and gypsum & other additives.

    Our summer can get hot & dry, I'll move Lady of Shalott, this is the 3rd and final time to less sun .. it's listed in partial-shade category in David Austin's website. Partial shade means 4 to 5 hours of morning sun.

    Lady of Shalott's leaves are very similar to multiflora, most likely having a multiflora parentage with its being so pale, even in neutral pH potting soil & rain-water.

    Nothing wrong with the soil, I moved Poseidon from pot into Lady's previous rejected position, Poseidon broke out in 9 buds and 100% healthy. I wish folks would be honest about each rose's downfall to help others avoiding the same costly mistake.