Rose sickness: how long before the soil is "bad"?
2 years ago
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How long after RRD can the soil be planted
Comments (5)FWIW the two roses I had with RRD last year were huge and there are very large holes where they were. One has already send up two new roses, one with RRD (now also dug up). The other hasn't sent anything up, yet. But I think this year I'll put cardboard down, with mulch over it, because on really big roses, I don't think we can get rid of the roots. I think the possibility of root to root transmission needs to be watched for. And the bigger the rose, the more roots. (Rule of thumb: if I can dig it out, I can replant within three to six months. If Larry digs it out, wait a year. I don't think I could have dug out James Galway, and I know I couldn't have dragged it to the burn pile, it was too heavy.)...See More'rose sick' soil?
Comments (9)As a local CR, I doubt you have 'rose sick soil' more than you have depleted soil since Phoenix-area soil is typically alkaline, heavy clay, high in calcium, low in humus. Have you added any chelated iron, soil sulfur or phosphorus, other than what's in the rose food? If not, your roses have probably used up everything available to them. Once a year, I add 1/2 cup triple super phosphate and 1/2 cup Dispersul directly into the soil for each large bush (less for smaller, more for for climbers) right after winter pruning. Two times a year, in March and September, I apply 1 TBL Kerex chelated iron into the soil around each large bush (again, more for large, less for small). Phosphorus doesn't move through the soil with water and sulfur is extremely slow to break down. By auguring 6-10inch holes at the leaf line around each bush, you're applying these nutrients right into the root zone where they're needed. Chelated iron moves through the soil so it can be scratched in. Another addition that might help your garden is Epsom salts twice a year. The magnesium sulphate helps green up the bush plus it's supposed to encourage new basal breaks. Again, I apply it to the soil surface in March and September, our active growing seasons. Actually, I throw a handful around each bush when it looks like rain, lol. I prefer Dispersul to the yellow pellets as it breaks down faster. What kind of organic rose food are you using? Millers Blue Label, Mills Magic, Dr Earth and Berridge private label all contain alfalfa, cottonseed meal and at least two other 'meals'. Although I use some or all of them, I still use a handful of alfalfa pellets around each bush, too. Once a year is ample, IMHO, but some folks brew up their alfalfa tea. There's a recipe for every rosarian but it's effective at pulling roses out of the doldrums, too. Remember, summer sucks for people and roses, both. Don't add any fertilizers during the June thru mid-September timeframe and don't spray anything more toxic than water for what few bugs we have. Once it's cool enough to work outside again, start up your fertilization program. I like to pour a little fish emulsion around each bush in mid-September to give them a treat. It's getting more costly, though, so they may not get as much as they want this year. The Phoenix Rose Society meets tomorrow, 07-15, 7:30pm, at the Valley Garden Center, 15th Ave between Thomas and McDowell Rds. If you have time, we'd love you to attend. There are four other rose societies in the city but Phx is the last one this month. Sctsdl, West Valley (Peoria) and Glendale don't meet again 'til September. Mesa/East Valley's next meeting is Aug 14....See MoreRoses (and others) before the heat arrived (long)
Comments (12)Thank you, Kai and Carol. Florence, thank you and I wish those WERE rain drops instead of sprinkler water... Acacia trees are common here but they usually have green leaves. The flowers are pretty and fragrant. When trees mature they give a lot of very filtered shade, very pretty. Beth, I am glad you are considering another rose:-) Organic, BC gets some PM, not too bad. The bush is very pretty, somewhat spreading, the blooms nod a little. Mine gets blasted with high pressure sprinklers and even then it doesn't lie down. The blooms are fragrant, open well, don't shatter, rebloom is good. I think my Yves Piaget is permanently infected with botrytis, even now half the blooms are not exactly looking their best... I think you should get GT! Color shades sometimes are influenced by so many things, from soil condition to weather... Masha...See Morehow long before roses respond to granular fertilizer?
Comments (2)Dr Earth claims that in warmer temps there organic fertilizer starts working 10-14 days after applied then releases gradually over the next 2 month period... Depends on the temp and how fast the soil microbes etc. break the organic material down for use by the plant...Some organic material takes longer times to break down than others... So hard to give you an exact answer... Osmocote which is a non-organic fertilizer states it takes 1-2 weeks at warmer temps to start releasing nutrients... What kind of granular fertilizer did you use?...See More- 2 years agolast modified: 2 years ago
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rifis (zone 6b-7a NJ)