Sometimes that growth condition can be caused by a poor budding problem.

I recently refused water for one of my potted Bishop's Castle for about a week. It is totally dead now. I have owned two for three years now, and I have just been un-impressed with the performance in my conditions. I usually find new homes for my roses, but I refuse to go out in the heat to provide water for this rose.

Some roses perform better grafted, versus other do better own root in certain areas.

Or take what nanadoll suggests and go whole hog on soil tests. Soil acidity matters in nutrient uptake. Really go all out and pamper what roots you have. Dig 'em up and pot them up in great potting soil.

A lot of things about rose growing come with time and with you trying different things that may or may not work in your own personal growing conditions.

Keep an open mind and read about what makes plants grow.

Thanks for your thoughts. Yes, I've tried compost horse manure mixture, and steer manure. Radio Times didn't budge. I'm trying Miracid now. I wonder if it's a drainage issue so that the one Bishop's Castle gets all the water, which rolls off the other ones. I'll have to try Holly Tone. My soil is a little more alkaline than neutral. It could also be that my "soil" is really mostly sand and that nutrients just pass through.

If your soil is mostly sand, maybe you should fertilize more often, too. Miracid should help the alkaline situation. I've used it once or twice. Another good product is Hi-Yield Iron Plus other Minerals if chlorosis is a problem. Diane

I do not know how much of a slope you are dealing with, but we cut irrigation pipe, send it down into the soil in the root zone area of newly planted trees or plants, and then place the irrigation poly tubing and emitter down the tube. The water is sent directly to the root zone, however, I do not know how effective this will be in certain areas with a very steep slope/grade. Yes, alkaline, soil of sand, rocks, with a little caliche here and there for good measure. I agree with you that sandy soil does require more attention paid to feeding of the soil. I have used soil sulfur which seems to work too.

Those (Tone) fertilizers are good. I think the Holly Tone deals with alkalinity a bit whereas other Tone fertilizers do not address it so much... I think ( maybe someone will confirm). Diane seems to be addressing her garden needs from all angles; manure for the soil, Holly Tone, and it shows. Her garden looks amazing!

I guess I'll see what the additional fertilizer does. Yes, chlorosis occurs here, but mostly with certain susceptible varieties: Marie Pavie and Iceberg in particular.

Thanks for the idea for irrigation, Lynn. I've got to find some Holly Tone!

What to do with a plant that won't grow? It depends. Just yesterday I decided I'm getting too old to wait around a second year to see if Elina (usually a fairly vigorous rose) will decide to do anything at all. So I dug it up and planted a new one that I emergency ordered from Roses Unlimited.

I've grown two Elinas for a number of years, but both of them suddenly one spring just kind of quit growing. We had a bad winter that year, with some late hard freezes, and I had to trim them down to about 6-8 inches to get rid of the winter damage. But looking back now, I think they were more damaged than I realized. I replaced one of the Elinas last year and it is growing fine (we had a mild winter this year), and now I've replaced the second Elina--hope this one grows well also.

I've decided Elina's problem is that she really isn't totally hardy in Zone 6--unless we have milder winters (which we often do, but not always). So one answer to your question is, if its hardiness is kind of iffy in your region, then I wouldn't wait around to see if it will ever snap out of the growing slump it has fallen into.

But there is another side to this issue. I have been growing an Austin shrub called Jubilee Celebration for about 8 years now--and this is the first year it started this new season with vigorous, indeed robust, health and strength. (We had a mild winter, remember.) I was astounded. I've been threatening for years to spade that little wimp that just kinda drooped and never really grew--though when it managed to put out a few blooms, they were absolutely lovely! So lovely, that I'd talk myself into waiting one more year for it to get out of its slump. Did that for EIGHT YEARS! I'm so glad I did--it is the happiest plant growing and blooming with vigor! It was worth it (although I was rather ashamed of it for a number of years there.) In this case, I was fond enough of the rose that I waited for it to thrive. I'm kinda thinking now that like Elina, Jubilee may not be fully hardy in my zone. After a bad winter, it suffered more damage than I realized, I suspect. All it needed was this year's mild winter and a generous feeding of Rose-Tone--and she's frolicing happily around my backyard!

So the answer to your question would seem to be: It depends. : )

Kate

As Ann advises, you could gently transplant it into a pot with good potting soil & see how it responds, as pot conditions are easier to monitor & control than an open garden. Like all transplants this time of year, give it a shady resting place till it perks up & then gradually expose it to more sun. Have seen this revive many a rose that's been struggling. Such a soft touch, invariably give roses this potted & pampered routine to see if they can turnaround...Then again, the individual rose you have may just be a dud. The field hospital potting maneuver can help determine if that's the case, if you're so inclined.