Thanks Chris, I’ve sterilized seed mix in the oven and microwave before without problems, but I have had a few “mad scientist experiments gone wrong”. I’m not looking for another spectacular mess to clean up:) The bleach solution sounds much less risky. I’m sure a big believer in your “magic mix”. Although my bands did get mixed up too much to be sure about all of them, in one case I KNOW how superior it is. I bought a cute little mini rose at Trader Joe’s last spring. It was in a very tiny container, about a pint size. I went to pot it up to a larger container and found lots of cuttings had been shoved into the little pot. I separated them, planting most in a well draining bagged mix. I planted a couple of them in the last bit of “Chris’s Magic Mix” that I had leftover from my bands. I used the same containers, same roses, same spot on the patio. They sat in a little row, and one stood out before long. The one pot that contained your mix outperformed the others by far. So much so, that that’s the only one I kept. It’s a PM magnet, but it grew twice as large in 2 months as the others. You’ve got the perfect recipe there for pushing growth in little band size roses. It’s one of the most helpful things I’ve ever learned here. Can’t thank you enough for that one, and the loads of other things you’ve helped me with:) Lisa

Thank you, Darren! I didn’t even see your comment until now. I’m looking forward to seeing your Louise Odier. Yours is grafted, isn’t it? I think you might very well get a few blooms this year. Mine gave me a bloom the first summer, and it was a band size ownroot plant. Of course, I’m in So CA, so I’m sure that helped a bunch:) I never expected mine to become one of best bloomers and favorite roses. She’s just so full of chubby buds all clustered atop her canes, I can’t wait! I imagine just cutting one stem will make an instant bouquet. I’m absolutely shocked at how long it’s taking these fat buds to open. They did open much faster last summer, but I did have some very warm days last week. One day it got up to 91F, and Louise Odier is still taking her own sweet time. Salet is about finished completely, with just a few unopened buds remaining. I just couldn’t be happier with Louise Odier. I purchased her in one of my first batches of old roses without doing much research, and once in a while you get a happy surprise that way. If I was to look her up on Help Me Find today because I was considering ordering her, I’d strike her from my list. By the description there, she shouldn’t be so happy here. What a great rookie mistake that turned out to be! She bloomed from May until August or September last year, and that was after going into the ground in March of that SAME year! I can’t believe what a superstar this Bourbon Rose has turned out to be. As you might notice, I really love this gal! Here’s the SAME bud cluster! It’s so close, but our daytime temps are back down into the 60’s and 70’s. They are predicted to stay there for the next 7 days or so. I’m not sure how long it will take for it to fully open. I’m sure enjoying the long anticipation, though! Lisa We are having some very dry winds. I can see that the wind has browned the outer petals, just a bit on a bud or two. Here’s a cluster that’s higher up and exposed to more sun. It began later than the original shown, but it’s progressing a little faster. I just scrolled up and looked at the date. It’s been a full 15 days since I took the first picture of Louise Odier’s bud cluster! I’m sure that many of you in cold climates are accustomed to buds opening slowly, but I am not. Most of mine go from buds showing a hint of color to fully open in a couple of days, even at this time of year. One thing I’m noticing about this years buds compared to last years, is that a year of maturity has brought much larger, fatter buds. I’m so surprised and delighted by this slow and seductive dance Louise Odier is putting on for me....... Lisa

Biff, welcome, and I hope you keep on posting. This is rose lovers' home. I came to some conclusions about 'Louise Odier' this year after not pruning her over the winter, being so busy I never got around to it. I found she does need her canes shortened if she's to be grown as a shrub without support: right now her long canes and their blooms are on the ground. I think cutting them back to 4'-5' would be about right. Your way of training her looks good. LO also needs old canes cut out to encourage new ones to come along, as everybody but me probably already knew. I may do some belated pruning once spring flowering is over to remove some old canes. I don't get fall rebloom, probably because of our summer drought with no irrigation, but LO has nicely ornamental hips: orange-red and oval, with persistent black sepals, which make part of the fall show in her part of the garden. She roots easily.

Those are lovely, Adam! As Sheila said, I grow what I purchased as Louise Odier from Rouge Valley Roses. It has done so well that many experts on this forum felt it couldn’t possibly be Louise Odier. I get blooms from at least May - September, with a few still opening today. I wish that I knew the true identity of my rose. If it’s Louise Odier, I’d be able to say she does wonderfully in So CA. Jerri and Strawchicago suggested it might actually be Grandmother’s Hat, which would explain its fantastic health and near constant blooms. I’m sorry that I can’t be more helpful. Mine is quite thorny, compared to Jeri’s specimens of Grandmother’s Hat. This rose does great for me, whatever it really is. I wish I knew. June September Lisa