Sherry and Floridarose exchange is quite amusing, thanks. Hi Bart: peatmoss is bad for clay since they are both fine particles that bind together. If the clay is alkaline like mine, pH of 7.7, it acts like a base to binds with acidic peat moss, pH of 4. If you mix acid and base together, it forms tight-bonds which result in cement. Hi Kate: I don't get Dr. Huey for Austins since they become monsters here. I like my roses small and compact. Plus my zone is 5a, own-roots die without leaving behind the Dr. Huey eye-sores seen in houses for sale. Dr. Huey is only hardy to zone 6b, can't even bloom in zone 5a. Own-roots are much hardier than Dr. Huey, like Kim Rupert's Lauren is hardy to zone 2a. Hi Kittymoonbeam: Per your question of "I just got bands of Excellenz Von Schubert and just found out that they don't like alkaline soil/water. What to do with them?" Excellenz Von Schubert has multiflora Crimson Rambler in its parentage, and would do BEST with acidic rain water at pH 5.6 like my Blue Mist. My Blue Mist has dark-green leaves in our wet seasons only. Even when I fix my tap water with used lemons, my water still has lime, which binds with phosphorus, and make Blue Mist bloom less. Since your Excellenz Von Schubert also has a hybrid perpetual, Merveille de Lyon, in its parentage .... it's best to use a SOLUBLE high phosphorus, but very low nitrogen. Hybrid perpetual has as bad habit of lanky growth, lots of foliage, and stingy blooms. Sherry posted a link to buy SOLUBLE Monopotassium Phosphate at 52% phosphorus and 34% potassium, with low-salt index of 8.4. Excellenz von Schubert has many petals, translates to more demand for phosphorus, essential for blooms and root growth. My Sonia Rykiel has lots of petals. Within 1 month of purchase as own-root, I counted 15 buds/blooms in a pot watered with SOLUBLE MiracleGro NPK of 10-24-16. Then I put Sonia R. into the ground, and used Lilly Miller acid fertilizer at NPK 10-5-4, it became stingy. This fertilizer worked for Ingrid since her soil is abundant in phosphorus, versus mine tested deficient. What I would do with Excellenz von Schubert? Use fluffy, acidic potting soil like MiracleGro green bag with pH of 6.5 - The used lemon water with vitamin C helps with rooting, then I would use SOLUBLE fertilizer high in phosphorus for maximum bloom. In the Blueberry forum, those with fluffy soil, amended with organic matter like pine and leaves, grow a good crop of blueberries despite their alkaline soil/water. Fluffy soil encourages maximum root-growth, and cluster-root becomes more eficient in acid phosphatase, or secreting acid to unlock phosphorus from soil.

That would explain why the bands that I plant straight into the ground (after about a week of acclimation in their pots) do well for me. My soil is decomposed granite, to which I add organic bagged soil in the planting hole, so it's a far cry from rock-hard clay soil. The down side is that this type of soil needs more water, but I've found that heavy mulching with leaves helps quite a bit, and of course as the leaves decompose they enrich the soil, without affecting the crumbly structure. Ingrid

Hi HollyofRaleigh: Thank you for posting a great description of Mr. Lincoln ... that was funny. Firefighter is rose is awesome, except that the canes are more hallow, due to rapid growth. That hallow-canes become susceptible to cane-borers. If I have to do it all over again, I would use SLOW-RELEASED fertilizer like alfalfa hay, and STAY AWAY from chemical nitrogen, and to a lesser extent chicken manure ... both are high in salt & nitrogen. From eHow: "Rose Stem Borer - The larvae of the rose stem borer beetle tunnels beneath the bark of the rose cane. The cane may exhibit a swollen area. It often breaks off where the rose stem borer larvae entered. The larvae spend the winter deep in the cane's wood where the insect pupates. In the spring, it emerges as an adult." Read more : http://www.ehow.com/info_8231079_cane-borers-roses.html Organic means to control cane-borers are Safer-brand, see link: "Insecticidal Soap (Potassium Salts of Fatty Acids) - The soap will penetrate the insect's shell and kill it by dehydration." it's different from dish-detergent. http://www.saferbrand.com/advice/insect-library/garden-insects/sawfly-larvae/control-options Sawflies also damage rose canes. From eHow: "Sawflies The larvae of the sawfly can cause serious cane damage to the rose bush by girdling the canes. Once the cane suffers girdling it dies. The adult sawfly wasps appear black and yellow. During April and May, the female sawfly lays her eggs under the bark of the rose cane. The eggs hatch and the larvae quickly burrow deep into the cane's interior where they feed on the wood of the plant." Organic methods are cutting off part of the canes, there are other methods to kill worms, which I DON'T KNOW if that is effective for larvae. Some discussions from organic gardening forum: "I was reading somewhere that the Amish people use flour and baking soda to get rid of cabbage worms??? Is that true?" Applebutton "I have used just plain flour on my cabbages and brussels sprouts with good sucsess. the flour seems to make the worms gut explode-- and try to get it on the underside of the leaves as there is where the little stinkers like to hide." Emerald. "I have done this, just the flour, and it seems to work best on the little ones...I have heard that self-rising flour works best. " Pharmerphil. Here is a link that might be useful: Organic gardening discussion of flour to kill worms

Heirloom has New this year South Africa, but Chamblees had it last year. I find the price difference an insult on my intelligence. It's not double the price, it's more like 4 times. One of the last google reviews I read on Heirloom said they were the only place that sells own root roses. I don't know if the person was lying, or really doesn't know any better. Where would they even get an idea like that? I asked my husband how much those huge bags of Black Kow cost from last year, after seeing they had 1 pound of manure for almost 9 dollars. He informed me that the 50 lb bags were less than 5 dollars. Being a little overpriced doesn't annoy me that much, but that's not a little. They are ridiculous. I feel bad for anyone that is shopping there, if they think those are normal prices. I know it's probably a last resort for people that really want something not available elsewhere, but I wouldn't give them a dollar. The warranty description kind of contradicts it's self too. Everything that rings an alarm bell for shadiness is on that website. (at least for me) No judgement intended on anyone that likes them. Edit I agree Moses it can't be so expensive. A good example is ARE. Huge plants, for less than half that price. My order from ARE had canes as large as bare root grafted, yet were more than 50% cheaper than their 1 gal. I don't see how they are staying in business, but I guess you don't have to sell much at those prices.