"Andrew G" wrote in message
...

"Robby" wrote in message
...
I have a problem in that I have had to remove six rose bushes, out of
fifty,
due to the originals being attacked by a serious strain of a virus.
I did this three years ago and immediately took out about half a metre
of
soil which was arround these roses & replaced it with good stuff. I then
placed six new rose bushes in the new soil.
I was told by some rose "experts" that the new roses would not grow.
They
where 50% right. Half have grown only to a height equivelant to about
six
months growth however the others have survived quite well!
I wish to remove the recalcitrant 3 bushes remaining with one each of an
"Ian Thorpe", a "Fiona's Wish and a Mother'sLove rose.
Any suggestions re preparing the existing soil.

I don't know of anything that will help prepare the exisitng soil, rather
than taking it all out. Say a metre deep, and replacing with good soil.
Our ground cover roses at work suffered severe dieback at work, and one of
the possible causes was a soil problem, someone here suggesting that and
that roses will never grow there again. We perservered pruned them back to
just stumps, and problem solved.
So all you could possibly do is remove all soil, and hope the virus isn't
in
the other roses and not yet showing
Good luck


Thanks in anticipation,
Ian J Robinson,
Mid beach area of South Australia.



Thanks Andrew