ROSES

[TiggerBear]

Ok the cosmos, I get it. I'm an idiot about roses.

I love them enjoyed helping my dad as a child with a lush enormous hedge of them. But as an adult I've got problems galore.

On an earlier blog I talked with Becke about pruning help, and I was going to ask her about fall rose bush pruning advice. Till last week, when discovered that I killed my last 2 roses bushes.

It was my 3rd attempt.

When we moved into this house I had such dreams of my own rose hedge. That first early spring I bought 7, all good for slight shady, all supposedly good for the area I live. Sent the men out to dig the giant holes required. Followed the new cut back practically to the ground instructions. Good results, nice fragrant blooms the first year. A mild aphid problem, tried the mist with pepper and water, ended up going with the ladybug release program, and it worked. Did the fall prune. Lost 2. Come that spring replaced the lost ones. That spring and summer got to watch all of them die from some white leaf blotch and 3 of them just died no apparent reason.

So I try again, dig all the soil up, new dirt new plants. These wouldn't even grow right. No decent height, only 2 scraggly blooms. They didn't even make it until fall. Between the aphids, which I could get rid of and some withering browning (yes I watered them every morning) oddity; all 5 died.

So this spring I decided to juts try 3. Got nice ones good for even full shade (according to the package). Once again followed the instructions. No aphids this year. Good growth, no blooms though. One died this summer. Caught a dog peeing on it, likely the cause. And now this fall the last 2 dead. Went out to find them hard crumbly husks, after I was sick a week. Lots of water this year, too much. (shrug) Mabey...

I need help!

I follow package instructions. I follow this book on roses I was given. I want really want to try again this spring. But at this point my hubby just claims it a waste of money. Oh he'll let me do it. I think he's just tired of watching me be so frustrated.

So my friends, I need advice. What am I doing wrong?????

[becke_davis]

Yeah, well I don't believe the package -- roses like sun. At least all the roses I've grown did. And they don't like root competition. They prefer to be watered at the roots than sprinkled on from above, so the leaf fungi don't have at them.

I've heard that the white and yellow flowering varieties are less hardy, and shouldn't be pruned until spring. Some ramblers/climbers are supposed to be better pruned in spring, too. If you want rose hips (if you are growing a variety with hips), ditto. Otherwise, I prune in fall.

Tigger, what kinds of roses were these?  Did you buy them bare root or in containers? I've actually had better luck with bare root -- I just soak the roots in a bucket overnight, before planting. Where you buy them can make a difference, also the brand, and the hybrid or cultivar. 

But you might have your extension agent do some soil tests on your yard -- there is a small fee, but not much. And it could save you money if it means your plants don't die.

[Choisya]

I agree with Becke that roses like the sun although the old variety Zepherine Drouhin, which tolerates a north facing spot, is an exception. And they do not like to share their bed with anyone else. Black spot is an inherent disease with roses and it is difficult to eradicate..  It is carried by aphids so keeping on top of those is essential.  For hedging, rosa rugosa, is perhaps the best choice and in a warm climate like yours TB the roses bred in southern China are probably the best, like the climber Rosa banksia lutea. .

This advice re zones may help. Here are some warm climate varieties.  They should always be well mulched so as to keep in the moisture. Regular feeding is essential as they are a very greedy plant - they are another plant which like blood, fish and bonemeal and high iron feeds like seaweed.

[becke_davis]

That's true -- my Zephirine Drouhin rose has survived many years, with very little attention and not a lot of sun. I have it growing with a Henri clematis -- it's beautiful when they are both in bloom at the same time.

[TiggerBear]

Well I'm going to have to see if I can find the names of the ones I bought somewhere. I've bought nothing but hybrids. And they were well what do you call them when it is a root ball with growth, surrounded by a dirt clump, a cloth bag, and then plastic wrap? I wouldn't exactly call that potted but..

I can tell you before I go looking the color and shape of the blooms, some I got to grow others I just saw the package image. 3 dark reds, wide blooms but close petals(saw). 5 which were snow white and had that in their name, large tight blooms(saw sort of and saw). 2 pale pink large loose blooms(saw sort of). 2 standard red average size roses(package). 2 dark blush pink, big but standard shaped blooms and and blush was in the name(saw). And 1 that had miniature blooms with orange, yellow, pink, and mixed of the three blooms (saw).   With success problems I tried changing varieties.

Can't go with just the warm climate ones. I get frost as early as November and as late as April. I'm right there on the border region. But you can't tell me I live in the wrong area. I see LOTS of people having success in my neighborhood alone.

[TiggerBear]

Oh a they always had the bed to them selves. Keep them well weeded too.

[becke_davis]

Jackson and Perkins Beautiful Roses Made Easy 

Jackson and Perkins Beautiful Roses Made Easy 

Reliable Roses 

Hardy Roses 

200 Tips for Growing Beautiful Roses 

Growing Roses in Cold Climates 

Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book 

100 Old Roses for the American Garden (Smith and Hawken Series) 

Complete Guide to Roses 

Roses 

Roses 

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TiggerBear wrote:

Well I'm going to have to see if I can find the names of the ones I bought somewhere. I've bought nothing but hybrids. And they were well what do you call them when it is a root ball with growth, surrounded by a dirt clump, a cloth bag, and then plastic wrap? I wouldn't exactly call that potted but..

I can tell you before I go looking the color and shape of the blooms, some I got to grow others I just saw the package image. 3 dark reds, wide blooms but close petals(saw). 5 which were snow white and had that in their name, large tight blooms(saw sort of and saw). 2 pale pink large loose blooms(saw sort of). 2 standard red average size roses(package). 2 dark blush pink, big but standard shaped blooms and and blush was in the name(saw). And 1 that had miniature blooms with orange, yellow, pink, and mixed of the three blooms (saw).   With success problems I tried changing varieties.

Can't go with just the warm climate ones. I get frost as early as November and as late as April. I'm right there on the border region. But you can't tell me I live in the wrong area. I see LOTS of people having success in my neighborhood alone.

Roses can be grown just about anywhere, if you grow the right kind. There are roses that will survive in Alaska and Canada, and roses that do well in tropical climates, too -- or in Florida and Texas, anyway. It's just a question of finding out which ones are best for your area. Here are some books that might help -- and no, I'm not suggesting you need them all!  But one or two might be useful. 

ROSES 

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[TiggerBear]

200 Tips for Growing Beautiful Roses 

That's the book I've got.

[Antonia-Amaris]

I live in maryland and I have 5 rose "trees" (cream, coffee, tea, chocolate and cinnamon) on the northern side of my house the only other thing that I can manage to get growing there is moss Will have to get a camera to actually show you what I mean by "tree" but when I bought them the horticulture consultant said they were the best option for minimal sun light ( that was 5 years ago) I am more hands off when it comes to roses they seem to do best when they have their way to grow and "wander" naturally

[becke_davis]

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TiggerBear wrote:

200 Tips for Growing Beautiful Roses 

That's the book I've got.

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It's a good one -- I have it in my collection, too. I have quite a few books on roses, because they can be tricky.

[becke_davis]

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Antonia-Amaris wrote:

I live in maryland and I have 5 rose "trees" (cream, coffee, tea, chocolate and cinnamon) on the northern side of my house the only other thing that I can manage to get growing there is moss Will have to get a camera to actually show you what I mean by "tree" but when I bought them the horticulture consultant said they were the best option for minimal sun light ( that was 5 years ago) I am more hands off when it comes to roses they seem to do best when they have their way to grow and "wander" naturally

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Hi Antonia, welcome to the Garden Book Club! By tree, do you mean a "standard" rose or a "climbing" or "rambling" rose?  I'm curious what the names are of the roses you have -- do you happen to remember them? 

These are "standard" roses:

[becke_davis]

These are climbing and rambling roses:

[Antonia-Amaris]

They are standards they were named cream, coffee, tea, chocolate and cinnamon or so the consultant said thats what they were called. I will try to explain them as I dont have a way to photo graph them yet. The cream well its cream colored, coffee is  cream with a hint of a very light reddish brown, tea is peachy with golden undertones, the chocolate is nearly brown like a cocoa powder and the cinnamon is like a terracotta color. Sorry I have never really read up on roses  and I went to a consultant in order to  find something to  put in my front yard  because the moss as lovely as it is was rather plain >.>

[Antonia-Amaris]

Oh what are the names of the roses in pictures 3, 5 and 7?

[becke_davis]

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Antonia-Amaris wrote:

Oh what are the names of the roses in pictures 3, 5 and 7?

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Antonia - There are so many millions of roses, even with pictures, I'm not sure I could identify the ones you have.

The ones you asked about are:

#3 - Blush Noisette

#5 - Danse de Feu

#7 - Sally Holmes