Oh how exciting! And Kordes roses to boot ! Thanks for sharing the great news, please keep us posted!

Wow! That is so cool. Are you at liberty to reveal some of the varieties that are on the list for trail?

It's good to hear, a move in the right direction. I wish your effort will be a great success. Thanks!

I would like to know though, why is the trial garden limited to Kordes roses?

It's not limited to Kordes roses, but that is what this particular trial is focused on. There have been many Earthkind trials that Texas A&M and Agrilife Extension have conducted and have resulted in a large number of roses already being certified as Earthkind.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkindroses/how-cultivars-are-selected/

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkindroses/cultivars/

When I get the confirmed list I will share it. We are taking the 10 best performers plus 2 controls from the study in Houston.

Great news, will look forward to seeing that list. Many of the newer Kordes varieties seem very promising. There are so many it's hard to choose!

I hope at some point there will be trials involving the various ground-cover roses -- Drift series, Meidilands, and Flower Carpets. Drifts were chosen for the organic rose garden at Virginia zoo and they have been fabulous. We have no Flower Carpets any more; the only one of those that did well was the red.

Can you tell us more about the study in Houston you referred to?

Nice to have another trial! Feel free to contact Newflora as we would be happy to give some input on which of the newer Kordes cultivars are performing well in our southern trial locations.

Varieties: Gaye Hammond, Easy Does It, Wedding Bells, Plum Perfect, Poseidon, Winter Sun, Beverly, Koko Loco, Desmond Tutu, Savannah

Controls: Carefree Beauty, Shreveport

Are the roses I will be planting in 4 random mixed beds. I don't think they are all Kordes roses now that I have seen the list but these are the names I have been sent.

Wow! I grow a lot of these and I can tell you right now you'll probably have excellent results with Easy Does It, Wedding Bells, Plum Perfect and Beverly at the very least. Cant wait to see how they do there, but in my humid, disease riddled garden, they do great. And I grow roses in a place where its widely believed you cannot grow roses. Hence my entire mission on my blog www.southfloridarose.com, trying to get people to grow roses down here. It can be done!

Not all your test roses are Kordes. Finished an ALL Kordes Earthkind trial at the end of 2015. Wow, did they preform well! Easy Does It, a volunteer favorite, Beverly and Wedding Bells are presently in our Extension Disease Resistant Rose Garden and doing quite well

Where are you Rosycathy? There have been Earthkind rose trials in the Northeast and Midwest - quite a few of them, but I never see the results published, which is a shame.

It may also depend on the results and the length of the total trial they are involved in. While those trials may be finished, the entire trial may not be.

Wish they had trials near here...Last year our "Easy Does it" lost 100% of its leaves by August... Some Roses that do well elsewhere can fail here... So EDI is not a good rose for here...2nd EDI that I tried here.... They were in different locations but had the same results...:-/

But glad your getting rose trials out your way KingcobbTX! :-)

Texas A&M and The Agrilife Extension service pioneered earth kind roses, so we kind of have it built in.

Kingcobb, these trials happened years ago at the NY Botanical Garden, in Nebraska, Illinois, Connecticut Farmers Branch, McKinney TX and so forth. They were billed as Earthkind with all the same protocol and many at Ag Extension locations just no published results to aid consumers in selections.

What differences will there be between having an Earthkind trial at MD Anderson Houston and in College Station? Same basic climate- same varieties- what new information will be gained?

My basic feeling is that they don't publish results from anywhere near here because the roses crashed, burned, and fell into the swamp.

Well the rose trials in Farmer's Branch went two different ways. The old ones were involved in the original establishment of the earthkind program. More recently they were demonstration based not trials. I can't speak for other states, but in Texas if the roses meet the standards than they get added to earthkind list. But it takes a lot for a rose to be no spray, no water, and temperature resistant all over Texas.

Also, I am not remotely near College Station. I am 5 hours away from there, so entirely different climate area.

If you follow the history of earthkind program, they have added roses pretty consistently at least here in Texas.

No water?

Is it really no water? My understanding was that the trials were pretty tough and I understand the idea of "Earthkind" as being completely self sustaining. But wow no water.

Just a solid reminder that there are parts of the country where water is a scarcity and not something readily available for all gardens.

On the no water aspect, in 2011, one of the hottest dryest summers on record, the earthkind perennial trial received irrigation one morning in late July. That was a Summer that it literally never rained and we set a tecoRd for consecutive 100 degree days. The trials are irrigated during establishment and than after that only receive water rarely. So yeah the drought tolerance is pretty heavily tested.

Regarding publication, below is a response listing Earthkind Rose data publications:

"Included below are selected scholarly publications featuring our work on Earth-Kind® Roses.

A manuscript detailing our Northern Earth-Kind Rose Trials has just been submitted to HortTechnology for review.

Data is being analyzed from our National Earth-Kind Rose Research in Farmers Branch.

Recommendations as to which roses are worthy of the Earth-Kind designation are based on a combination of peer-reviewed research, randomized, replicated field trials, and the advice of Extension personnel and leading rose experts. It
is these recommendations, rather than scholarly publications, that are designed to aid consumers in their selections.

***********************************************************

Refereed Articles In Scientific Journals

Zlesak, D., V. Whitaker, S. George, and S. Hokanson. 2010. Evaluation of Roses from the

Earth-Kind Trials: Black Spot (Diplocarpon rosae Wolf) Resistance and Ploidy.

HortScience 45: 1779-1787.

Harp, D., D. Zlesak, G. Hammond, S. George, and W. Mackay. 2009. EarthKind Rose Trials

- Identifying the World's Strongest, Most Beautiful Landscape Roses. Floriculture and

Ornamental Biotechnology 3(1): 166-175.

Mackay, W.A., S.W. George, C. McKenney, J.J. Sloan, R.I. Cabrera, J.A. Reinert, P. Colbaugh,

L. Lockett and W. Crow. 2008. Performance of Garden Roses in North Central Texas

under Minimal Input Conditions. HortTechnology 18(3): 417-422.

.

Peer-Reviewed Proceedings

Zlesak, D.C., D.A. Harp, K. Zuzek, J.J. Sloan, A. Owings and S.W. George. 2015. Earth-Kind®

Rose Trialing: An International Model for the Identification of Regionally-Adapted

Landscape Roses. Proc. Sixth International Symposium on Rose Research and

Cultivation, Ed(s).: Debener and Linde. Acta Hort. 1064, ISHS 2015, pages 123 - 129.

Abstracts In Scientific Journals

Zlesak, D.C., D.A. Harp, K. Zuzek, J.J. Sloan, A. Owings, and S.W. George. 2013. Earth-

Kind® Rose Trialing: An International Model for the Identification of Regionally-adapted

Landscape Roses. Sixth International Symposium on Rose Research and Cultivation,

Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany, page 11.

Zuzek, K., D. Zlesak, D. Harp, J. Sloan, R. Nelson, G. Church, K. Benton, A. Owings, N.

Howell, and S. George. 2013. The Earth-Kind® Research and Plant Evaluation Program.

2013 International (Plant) Trials Conference, Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square,

Pennsylvania, pages 29-30.

Church, G., D. Zlesak, D. Harp, K. Schofield, J. Sloan, G. Hammond, P. Smith, and S. George.

2012. Response of Selected Landscape Roses to Low-input Cultural Practices, High

Disease Pressure, and Severe Heat and Drought Conditions. HortScience 47(9)

(Supplement) - 2012 ASHS Annual Conference, p. S230-S231.

Zlesak, D.C., J. Griffin, D. Harp, K. Cue, N. Howell, T. Blunt, R. Nelson, and S. George. 2008.

Initiation of the northern EarthKind® rose trial. HortScience 43: 1144-1145.

Mackay, W.A., W. Crow, P. Colbaugh, S.W. George, C. McKenney, J.J. Sloan, and R.

Cabrera. 2001. Performance of 33 Rose Cultivars in North-Central Texas under Minimal

Input Conditions. Southern Region ASHS. HortScience (Abstr.) 36: 841.

Invited Book Chapters

Harp, D., D. Zlesak, G. Hammond, S. George, and W. Mackay. 2011. Earth-Kind Rose Trials:

Identifying the World's Strongest, Most Beautiful Landscape Roses. In: The

Sustainable Rose Garden, ISBN 978-1-935149-16-3.

Great news for central and southern Texas. For the rest of us, meh. Imagine no water in the Southwest. DOA

There is a great trial on drought tolerance going on at UC Davis

http://ucanr.edu/sites/WUCOLS/We have been entering Kordes roses into the trials since 2013. The roses are being judged with Yuccas, grasses, and other more famous drought tolerant plants. Doing pretty well although it is clear that some varieties handle this better than others.

This current trial is in neither central or southern texas. Earthkind roses are tested to grow well throughout texas.

I have been following these trials as closely as possible for 2 years now. I can't begin to express how frustrating it has been. Wish I knew what the point of the trials are if no results are ever forthcoming.

Patty, A) Did you read the post that I put up listing a lot of the articles that have been published with the data?

B) If you are referring to recent earthkind trials, an Earthkind trial is 5-10 years in length before results are published. These aren't short term rose trials over a couple of years. The trial at the med center in Houston is in its 4th or 5th year currently, but results aren't ready for publication yet.

I am seriously getting confused at the frustration? University level research trials are long term. They aren't conducted over a few years.

The all Kordes EK trial I was involved in was on Long Island, NY(z6b-7a)2012-2015. First year watering was done by soaker hoses to help get the roses established. For the three years after that, rain gauges were placed in the garden to monitor rainfall. Watered only once or twice in the season when we went 2 weeks without rain. New study in progress involves Easy Elegance Roses. With both studies, anyone walking by always commented(s) on how beautiful the roses were(are).

When is the last time Earthkind added a rose to the list? I looked at the site: justhttp://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkindroses/cultivars/

It looks like only the original Earthkind trial varieties are shown.

From the perspective of an industry person- 8-10 years is very slow. Do you have any idea how far we are moving genetic improvements in that time frame? The trial results will be out of the cycle of the improved rose cultivars being introduced. I guess the question is what additional information do you gain in 10 years that you would not already have in 3-4 years? ADR is still the world's gold standard in testing and they do this in 3 years in 11 different climatic zones.

For those that are interested there was a bit of information on the Houston Earthkind trial published by Gaye Hammond in the American Rose magazine in 2016 - sorry I do not remember which issue.

3-4 years is ridiculously short and is the reason that some roses that do well in ADR end up having issues. If you did a rose trial the past 3 years in texas you would think they are all drought tolerant...why record rainfall. If you did it the 3 years prior than you would have no drought tolerance due to record droughts. Industry trials are designed to market and sale roses for the breeders. That isn't our focus. The study Gaye refers to is the same one this is coordinating with. As for additions, the original earthkind roses were only about 6 or so I believe. The 2 most recent cultivars were added in 2010.

I thought yall would be interested in an Earthkind trial, but if that's not the case, nevermind.

Roses that come through Earth Kind also end up having issues... trialing is not a perfect science and it cannot be translated to working in every climate and every circumstance (soil, pH, shade, salt and so forth). Add to that the truth that as we develop disease resistance through breeding - those diseases are also busy mutating- so we will always be working on improving disease resistance. If you want to test drought tolerance come to the West Coast as it never rains in summer unlike east of the Rockies where gardeners often rely principally on rain. We can give you very good drought tolerance results in a couple of years.

I really disagree with your statement that "industry trials are designed to market and sale (sic) for the breeders." We do trials so that we can provide the best plants possible. it not only is for the specific cultivar but also to inform the breeding program's future program. Far more involved and tested in far more climatic conditions than Texas has. I do not think you really know the industry.

Focus- this is an Ag Extension project is it not? My long association with Ag Extension has taught me that the mission of Ag Extension is to help industry to improve and help the public. My Ag Extension agents are showing up here in an hour to give us some much needed assistance. A wonderful organization.

Yes I know the M. D. Anderson study quite well. Most of the roses in that study I donated. In fact I have sent hundreds of roses to Earthkind trials.

Chris, you donated all the Kordes roses to the Earthkind Trial that was completed on LI in 2015. Remember thanking you at a GROW East event sat the time. I will check my emails for Dr. Z's final results from the study and email them to you

The trial that roseycathy is referring to is one of three that were announced. But nothing was ever published that an average gardener could fined. Who are the trials for or what purpose do they serve?

I put the link to this one on hear last year Evaluation of Roses from the Earth-Kind® Trials: Black ... - HortScience

'Carefree Beauty', the control rose in the studies, consistently received the LOWEST scores from our evaluators, This can be an indication that even with an EarthKind designation for your zone, a rose might not perform up to expectations

The university of Georgia has their trial results online

http://ugatrial.hort.uga.edu/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.showpage/pageID/26/index.htm

Those UGA trials were what sent me searching for other plant and rose trials.

I was able to find the Northern Earth-kind Trials. These included several sites from Minnesota to Iowa to Denver and New York. They had test plots of Kordes Roses, Earth-Kind roses and a third group that I can not remember at the moment and is no longer included in their information. The first information was to be released in the fall of 2015.

I found the Biltmore rose trials and was able to access the winners.

Now there is the A.R.T.S. (American Rose Trials for Sustainability) Since they seemed to have many of the same test sites as the earth- kind trials I was assuming they had reorganized.

We also have the American Garden Rose Selections that has replaced the All American Rose Selection Trials.

I'm not a person who would be considered (in the know) so it has been hard enough to find these studies. We seem to have many good trials going on. The A.R.T.S. trials last for 3 years before planting a new group of roses.

As I said I was happy to read of these trials. Something we needed in the states but how do we find out the results for any of these trials. When they are published that is. I personally hope that I don't have to search thru issues of hort. science to find any results. Most of what is written soars right over the top of my head.

Try the American Rose Society's site for some of the trials they are involved in such as Biltmore and AGRS. The results are usually made available shorty after the trials are completed.

Well, I think it's great anytime roses are trialed for further observation. ADR is the gold standard, but even then sometimes roses perform differently than predicted.

I do like how forward thinking and progressive Kordes is with genetics. The reason I've turned away from exhibition roses to hardy garden roses. When you're short on space, time and season length- you want roses that perform!

Probably the most classic Kordes rose is Sunsprite.

It was a much loved rose and fantastic variety, rare true yellow hue, vigorous growing, disease resistant. In my mind Sunsprite is to yellow roses as Mr. Lincoln is to red roses.

In the South, I've yet to find a yellow rose that's happy here AND looks/smells like Sunsprite. I grew it in Ohio and it was a marvelous, healthy and productive plant.

For red, we have to make do with Oklahoma and Chrysler Imperial. Mr. Lincoln seems to be a Yankee (!) and not a good red for the South,.

first fall after establishment with weekly watering when we didn't receive rain over the summer.

This is year 2:
Well after a summer where we got a total of 2.25 inches of rain from the middle of May to the beginning of September with 5 straight days over 110 degrees in July, the skies opened up and we have gotten about 8 inches since Labor Day and the roses (and weeds) are happy. Note, this is with no irrigation all summer long.

Wow, they look great. Can you list the names of some of the varieties we are seeing here?

looking good! I'm really enjoying this thread!

Varieties: Gaye Hammond, Easy Does It, Wedding Bells, Plum Perfect, Poseidon, Winter Sun, Beverly, Koko Loco, Desmond Tutu, Savannah

The red ones are obviously Desmond tutu, the big huge yellow ones that are blooming like crazy I believe are Gaye Hammond, the other yellow is winter sun, the light pink one is savannah. and the darker pink is wedding bells. The orange one is easy does it.

Carefree beauty and shreveport are our controls. Carefree beauty is there basically to record blackspot pressure, which with no humidity and hot temperatures all summer, has been largely negligible, but will be interesting how that changes this year as we move into fall.

roseycathy, If you're still following this feed, I was wondering if you have detailed information on who is trialing Easy Elegance roses on Long Island. I'm interested in hearing the results. Thank you.

The trial is being conducted by the Cornell master gardeners of Nassau(East Meadow, NY) thru Texas A&M. The coordinator is Dr. David Zlesak, The study is completing its 2nd year of evaluations.

Thank you for such a quick response! I'll contact David. Enjoy your weekend!