Yes, it could be the maple tree. Not just the shade but the roots of the tree will compete for water and nutrients as well. The closer the plants are to the base of the tree the more they have to compete and the tree always wins. Maples are shallow rooters and lazy they'll spread fat and wide to get the water they want. If you're watering the plants the tree will send root that way looking for the water.

Thank you! I figured it must be the tree >:( . I hate this tree so much!!!! It was here when we moved here 5 years ago..it's only about 10 years old..the people who planted it didn't put any thought into it. For one its so ugly, it's leaves are 'purple' but let's be honest, they're more brown than anything..and its in the very far right corner of my yard??!! Just odd placement all together....I am one of those people where, if I'm planting a tree it's gotta have more than just 'shade' benefits...I planted 3 tri colored Beech trees, they're good for shade, but also are GORGEOUS in color and get really ornamental branches that look cool once leaves fall...I also plant for fall coloring, which is why I planted Ginko trees...they turn an amazing bright yellow in the fall!! Where as this tree just turns more brown, and sucks up all the water from my already severely dehydrated yard(due to extreme drought). Is it wrong to want to have this tree removed? I know it sound crazy but I feel bad if I cut such a young tree down only because it 'doesn't fit my landscape'...can anyone give me opinions on what you would do in my position? Thanks for your help :)

Maples are notorious for having shallow roots that travel out from the trunk just below the top of the soil. Root competition is a very annoying problem. Fertilize the rose more to compensate for the nutrients the tree roots are getting and the tree roots increase accordingly, taking away more nutrients from the rose.

The solution is to plant no roses within the root zone of a tree, particularly maples, or expect a difficult battle to win.

In your case I don't think it is root competition. Tree roots discontinue growing beyond the drip line of a tree. Are your plants growing beyond the tree's drip line?

I think you may have soil or shade issues. Also, your video seems to indicate that there is turf/weed growth too close to the plants. Nothing but mulched soil a minimum of a foot out, in all directions, from each rose/ornamental grass.

You should do audio book CD's, your English diction is excellent, and you have an unguent voice.

Trees, in general, like virtually any other plant, have roots that extend far past the drip zone. They MUST or they can't thrive. Water falls off the canopy at the DRIP ZONE, hence the name. This is where the water is concentrated and where the feeder roots really start to proliferate. It's common for the area between the drip zone and trunk to remain relatively dry compared to the drip zone and beyond. Those horizontal roots also help stabilize the tree, helping to prevent it from being pushed over by winds. I've read that it's common for the horizontal roots of many trees to extend more than the height of the tree in every direction.

Thornworn ty, I always felt my voice was annoying ?? Lol, as a matter of fact I was reluctant to post the video because of it! So thanks for the compliment:) and I have to agree with Seil and Roseseek because when I dug up the rose to move it over a hair, there were roots coming from the trees direction that were entangled with rose bush underneath....and at first I was thinking it wasn't the case only because it happens on the other side of my yard as well.. only in the same area...but different side of yard..but now that I look, the neighbor has 2 huge trees right next to that part of my fence..idk why I've never put that together before? Well that stinks regardless...I hate this maple tree so much!! I wish it wouldn't riddle me with guilt if I removed it, because I'd do it in a heartbeat!!

You're welcome! Give yourself permission to remove the offending tree. It is YOUR garden and YOUR tree. If you would prefer something else and can afford it, DO it. Will you be happy finding that tree offensive and dealing with its negative effects for the next 25+ years? And, don't be concerned about your voice. Nearly everyone I know (myself included) doesn't like their own voice and hates hearing it on recordings. I believe it's probably part of the "Human Condition". Don't worry, I think that makes you "normal"!

I would not be able to grow any roses in my tiny urban yard if I had not removed a 40 ft tree. Its shallow roots were also threatening the patio. I planted a Seiyru Japanese maple in its place which is a delight to behold.

Yeah I think that's where I'm at at this point. Tree has got to go and I'll plant another that fits better with my taste yet still provides some shade. Thank you all for your helpful suggestions and responses

I had some roses that weren't doing great. I figured it was something I was doing. I was digging in that area to plant a few more and found a root from a nearby cherry tree, about 20 feet away from the tree (which is fairly small, an ornamental okame tree). I've removed the root at the base and the roses seem to be doing much better.

Oh wow...so maybe I won't plant a tree there after all?? Lol

I Suggest you research the roots of whatever tree you are considering first.

Do not feel any guilt ridding your yard of this maple: it is a cultivar of the Norway maple, which is considered an invasive pest species. Here's a quote from the Western Oregon University: "The Norway Maple is an invasive pest that should be discouraged from growth." The purple form is commonly planted in suburban yards, and escapes by seeding itself all over. You would be helping the local environment by "discouraging" it from growth.

Yes, the ginko and european beech are also not native, however, they are not known to reseed themselves wantonly around a neighborhood, county or state. Although beeches have very thirsty roots too, just thirst is not the point here; when it comes to competition for the entire environment , the Norway Maple can out-compete almost any other tree (there are other tree thugs too that share this infamy).

Sunny

I have to say that I have a very nice maple tree (a cultured variety, called October Blaze) in a bed and I have roses around it. It's gotten very large and I do have to limb it up this winter. But I have been able to keep the roses doing well. I have mostly OGRs there, which don't seem to mind the tree that much. On the side that doesn't get much sun when the tree is leafed out, I have once blooming OGRs, mostly damasks, which are doing quite well. They get plenty of sun in the late winter/early spring as the tree is slow to leaf out.