In article m, Shiva
wrote:

On Sun, 06 Jul 2003 10:32:37 -0700, Cass
wrote:

who knows.

The soil is fabulous, full of organic material,
rich and black. The young bare roots that died are all in the new bed,
the one a professional dug and amended for me, and I added to over a
year or so. He drilled under the clay beyond the hardpan into the sand
for drainage. Here is the kicker: right across from the young dead
grafted roses, DOING GREAT are these own-roots, from Muncy's and Roses
Unlimited, planted last fall after hanging around in pots WAYY too
long: Payl Neyron, 2 Abraham Darbys, Golden Celebration, Pat Austin,
and Penelope, Tradescant. They are actually blooming and full of buds.

In one of the other large beds in the back, ownroot Granadas, The
Prince, Tamora, and Radio Times thrive, while older bare roots bought
in 2000-2002 languish. Much dieback, no leaves. Very odd. I'm glad I
at least got the granular food down early in the rain spell. I see
some new foliage now. Also--the new bare roots in the front bed on the
hill are doing great. *Shrug* I have waxed philosophical about
it--always the thing to do during sucky times. I don't have the urge
to replace the dead roses, but to buy some next year that I REALLY
want to grow.

Hey, I can't explain it either. But I did read an article in the
American Rose Annual that said argued that since different fruit tree
rootstocks are known to have different effects on the grafted scion and
do differently in different soils - some are dwarfing with other
produce giantism -some are incompatible with particular cultivars -
some are drought resistant - some confer greater resistance to certain
diseases -- so, the article said, if all those effects are know from
fruit tree root stocks, it make perfect sense that the same happens in
roses. I believe it to be true.

I'd say 50% of my budded roses fail or are virused or both. I'd say
under 5 % of my own root roses fail or are virused or both. Nope, I
don't buy the party line about budded and OR being the same. Maybe in
some places or with some roses. Not here and not with all roses.

I have duplicates, budded and OR, of a number of roses I really like,
where my original budded plants are unsatisfactory for a variety of
reasons (awkward, virused, not vigorous). Every one of the OR's is a
superior plant. Period. And yet some of my best roses are budded onto
Huey. And Huey grows like a demon here, suckers from root divisions
everywhere. So I can't say Huey is the problem.