I have noticed that one of my roses wasn't doing to well, but couldn't really put my finger on what the matter was. However, today I noticed a tiny palm starting to grow up in the soil. When I went to yank it out I could hardly pull it out. This seemed odd, because this happens all the time and they are normally very easy to get rid of. Anyway, I pulled the mulch back away from the plant and there is this really dense mycelial mat that is very fiberous around the plant. I went and head tried to water and I see the water just pools on top of the mat and takes a very long time to go through this mat. I would really like to irradicate (sp) this stuff. It takes over my compost pile.... turning it into nothing but a mat.... leaving no soil.... Early this spring I wanted to plant a hibiscus in the front yard and it was harder digging than clay. The Mat was a good six to seven inches and neither a sharp shove or spade would cut through this awful stuff. I had to rip it out by hand. It was a good 15 to 20 inches deep and maybe 10 ft by 8 ft. ( Yes, that was much bigger than the whole I need for my hibiscus, but I didn't want that stuff there. Now, I notice I have another patch and it seems to be taking over my roses. I don't think I can pull it out without affecting the the roots of the plant. The way the mat was in the front yard, this is probably all webbed around its roots. Also, I don't know how far or wide this mat goes until I start digging. But I am afraid if I do nothing the mat will continue to spread into the other bushes. This stuff is very nasty.... Help. I love my roses and don't want to lose them. Thanks for any help.

I have a lot of experience with planting roses in pots. Consider why you want to use pots instead of planting your roses in the ground. If you want to keep your roses in pots for a long time I would consider a larger pot (10gal+) such as: I got this one at Costco ($20) a few years back. Now, if you want to pot up your roses temporarily for the purpose of giving your roses a head start, which is what I did this past year, I would recommend using cheaper nursery pots (the big box stores don't sell these, I buy mine from Diamond Fertilizer for around $1 each). I go all out and create my own potting mix by mixing top soil with compost, Perilite, granular fertilizer, and peat moss (1 bag + 1 bag + ten cups + 3 cups + 5 cups). It's an inexpensive way to pot up several dozen roses, but is very labor intensive. I used to mix in the crystals for hydration, but I didn't see much of a difference so I cut out the expense. I have found that the Miracle Gro Rose Soil is good, but I get the same outcome using the competitions garden soil (it costs around $6 a bag). I did cover my garden beds in professional grade ground cover to stem off the weeds and prevent the roses from rooting down in the ground, as this sets them back a bit when you have to relocate the pot and tear up the roots in the process. I only have a problem with needing to raise the roses off of the ground during the extreme wet months, and even then there's no predicting what will happen. I have planted several roses on Dr. Huey directly into the ground and the average life span runs between three and five years with very good care. The ones that survive past five years are those that set off on their own roots and tend to be very hardy (Don Juan, Sonia, Mister Lincoln, Queen Elizabeth, etc.). You will have to keep to a regular spray program in order to achieve success with these roses. I've found that planting these roses close to a house tends to increase their success. Unfortunately, I've had limited success with those bagged roses once placed in the ground. They are extremely difficult to start to begin with. Once you DO get them started, they tend to be less healthy than potted roses you'd find in the garden center (my experience). Try posting pictures of your situation for better feedback. Good Luck! -Adrian.

Great looking bismarckia! One of my favorite palms for sure. Unfortunately, every palm I get from this point forward is going to be potted. I have a small patio attached to the home that I'm only leasing (the landlord okay-ed my ability to garden as I please) and between the two chinese fan palms and the washingtonia, canopy space will be just about full once they mature. A bismarckia would take over everything, haha. I'm actually pretty jealous of who gets to live here once they are all mature, because they're going to build the perfect privacy screen over the fence and fit just perfectly. Even though I looked far and wide for this washingtonia, I don't want to plant any of my less-generic palms in the ground and then be forced to leave them when I move in a few years. I'm nervous to repot the bismarckia because I know they have very sensitive roots. I'll be putting it into a ten gallon or fifteen gallon hoping to give it ample room and time to expand its root structures before I have to repot it again. My copernicia, bismarckia, second washingtonia arriving via mail today, and my triangle palm will all remain in containers and hopefully be planted in-ground once I get an actual home that I own within the next 2-3 years. Still lots of room to fill on my patio for plenty of other potted palms over the next few years. :D Looking forward to getting a licuala grandis and kentiopsis oliviformis for now!

You only need to be a member to qualify for a few of the categories. All others are open to non members. If you are anywhere near south Florida you should certainly participate! Even if you don’t think you’ll qualify. There are so many categories including small garden (for those who grow less than 25 roses) and Amateur.p for new exhibitors. We don’t usually host real and true ARS shows down here. Take advantage! Many exhibitors are new too do not be shy.