" Does anyone have a Carpet Rose?

I have one and it stays close to the ground, plant and blooms.


I believe they are from a similar family as the Lexington roses I picked up
at HD a few weeks ago. There are a number of them, under different brand
names, but I think they originated as Meidelland (sp) products. They are
similar in habit as The Fairy, which is probably a progenitor.

My two are low growing, spreading, with small leaves, and buttery yellow
blooms, and quite healthy and disease resistant (so far.) For $3.99, they
were a deal. I'd like to go back and get some more of the other colors, as
they seem to be pretty hardy little buggers.

As with any polyantha or rose with discernable "wild" blood, think twice
before spraying them. My Bonicas dropped leaves and played moribumd for
weeks after a particularly optimistic spraying.

I have learned, that if I even suspect something may have rugosa or "little
wild guy" blood (sap?) to spray nothing but foliar feeding and Messenger,
and those at my own risk.

I use a higher concentration of fertilizer, and toss a few shreds of banana
peel in if I have it. There's loads of old clam and oyster shells laying
around, so I toss one or two in the container to leach out a trace of
calcium, just in case.

If fungal diseases are even affecting my rugosa and Bonicas (which is
unusual) then I *carefully* drench the area *under* the rose, around the
roots and base of the plant, extending past the leafline, with Mancozeb to
kill active spores. They hate the spray but at least this kills spores
before they can hop onto the leaves. If blackspot gets so out of hand that
they are dropping leaves anyway, then I do a very light spray over and under
the leaves with Mancozeb so the fungus doesn't get a chance to attack helthy
new baby leaves coming out to replace them.

It has been raining all week, cold and drizzling all Memorial Day weekend,
and I am now past my spray-by date. I have normally had my enormous first
flush by now, but only a few have bloomed, but all are covered with fat
buds. Except Jeanne LaJoie, and every other miniature, which are covered
with flowers.

It looks like it may be June before I get my first real show. B(


Scopata Fuori