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Old 16-04-2008, 07:00 AM posted to rec.gardens.roses
Gail Futoran Gail Futoran is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jan 2007
Posts: 115
Default Roses busting out all over!

"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote in message
...
Here it comes! 3 times this week a front will sweep through. Time
will tell.

I have one road protected from flooding, now for the drive way and
the
entrance way. I'm trying to divert water from an upper hilly area
that
streams across my property cutting my small road system.

It takes a pick to get through the road, but water slices easily.
This old
ocean bottom is a dense clay. We buy a dump truck load of
wood/clay/sand mix and then rototill in it into the new cut out
garden. So the 'virgin' soil never have had a rose in it is mixed
with native clay - so the roses and other plants begin to accept
native clay in their root development.

My beloved and I heard on a mystery/plant show that roses don't like
being
planted in the same 'old' ground of previous rose bushes. No
reason - I
tend to think it might be disease or missing a unique chemical
element that
roses absorb. When we get into that position, I suspect we will
just rotate
some of this fortified soil into a different kind of garden or
replace dirt
taken from behind the Yard Barn.

Martin
Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated
dot net
TSRA, Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's
Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.
http://lufkinced.com/


Hi Martin -

I always replace the soil when a rose dies
before putting in a new rose. In most cases
that means just replacing a smallish amount
since the rose bush roots haven't extended
very far (for some reason the rose never
flourished). But even with older roses with
roots that extend quite a bit, I don't go
overboard and try to replace all the soil that
the rose roots touched.

I do use the "old" rose soil in other parts
of my garden where there aren't roses and
haven't noticed any problems.

My roses have been blooming now for
a week or two. Some of the new plants
are doing really well, others lagging
behind. My Dr. Hueys are blooming like mad,
more than I've ever seen before. We didn't
get all that much rain this spring, so I don't
know what they're responding to. But I'm
enjoying them while the blooms last.

Old garden roses are also blooming quite
well, moreso than usual. I was even
encouraged to do serious weeding so I
could enjoy the blooms!

Gail
near San Antonio TX USA Zone 8