On 06 Jul 2003 19:15:51 GMT, (Unique Too) wrote:

(Shiva) writes:



I'm not sure this is a theory, but maybe a possibility. I assume the own root
roses were potted, not bare root?

Yes!


If so they probably had a better root
structure than the bare root grated roses even after 12-18 months.

The grafted ones that died were mostly this spring's babies, in the
ground for three months or so. A few were older grafted roses, dying
by cankering/dying back one cane at a time. Borers--the bad kind--I
think, as I see the holes. But borers alone have never killed my
grafted roses. Usually it takes canker, too. The borer damage and the
canker seems to work together. ONLY when I do not spray. The last time
this happened was in 2000 when I tried not spraying at all. So MUCH
canker in the garden--it actually killed Moonstone.


Can you break it down further, do you have any grafted roses that were not bare
root? How have they faired?

Good question! Rio Samba, 2nd year potted, 3-gallon, in the ground the
whole two years--going big guns! Dropped its leaves but made more
pronto! Bloomed right through baldness, bless its heart! Gold
Medal--cankered, big time. I removed half of it. It is in its third
year, 3 gallon potted, in the ground the whole time. Antigua--one of
my first roses. Brought it back from a one-cane wonder last year, BIG
basals from applying Mill's mix, so cool! Now--dead. Big borer holes.
Angel Face--finally dead, Yipee! ! 2000 potted, in and out of
theground, borer holes. But ALL of these are in the back bed, not the
new side one. The back one has good mulch, the side no mulch, just the
pine straw I mounded the bare roots with. Also between the back and
the side bed is a row of potted roses, ownroot and grafted, all alive,
some borers, some have dropped all leaves. Lagerfeld, La Paloma, Great
Century, Touch of Class, Europeana, Sonia Rykiel.


On the other side, in moving roses I have seen a big difference in the root
structure of own roots vs grafted roses. The own root roses I have moved have
had a large solid mat of small roots near the soil level. The grafted roses
have a much smaller mass of these small roots and a bigger number of larger,
far reaching roots. I know most of the grafted roses I have moved are on
fortuniana, but even the ones on Dr. Huey and multiflora have had similar root
systems. I have found it much easier to move own root roses because I can get
a good root ball and save many of the small feeder roots.

This is really good to know, thanks. Bear in mind too that all the
roses did just fine in last year's drought when I had to go out and
give them a soaking twice a week.


Just some thoughts.

I appreciate your time.

Julie