11-04-2003, 06:20 AM
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Missster Lincoln
In article ,
says...
So where you be, Scopata?
m
The Eastern Shore of Maryland, in 7b. We normally get milder winters than
western MD, and if they get snow, we get rain. Many areas have a clay based
soil, which suffers from compaction, but I am lucky, and live in the former
self-proclaimed "Strawberry Capital of the World" which has rich, black
humus in a clayish base. It does get compacted, so a rototiller is handy
before creating a garden space. But it's good, fertile soil with decent
drainage.
The valley here is in a flood zone so the area upon which the house sits
was some kind of fill, including carpenter's fill, that might explain why
a few spots have historically had inexplicable problems. I used to religiously
mix expensive commercial mixes with the native soil but in the past few
years I've planted quite a few in the straight river bottom dirt, it's had
eons before the white man's strict flood control practices to collect all the
good stuff all the way down. The top two to three inches can turn into
concrete but below that it breaks up quite nicely.
Unfortunately, the March weather can do more damage here to my roses than
the rest of the winter does...some fifty to sixty degree days in February,
and there'll be little pink budlets peeking out off the canes. Then a
heartless freeze, and I get dieback. I got through the beginning of March
with only one casualty (a Chrysler Imperial tree rose) then we had that ugly
freeze which looks like it will cost me a couple Full Sails, and a Double
Delight. Those were, I might mention, also in containers, which may have had
something to do with it.
I could count on one hand the times I've seen those spring greens and reds
go all the way to blooming without getting zapped. So far this spring
only the weakest links have lost canes but I can see almost all of them walked
very close to the edge, knocked some of that exuberance right off the plant.
So they got the message, good, now WAIT!
Hopefully I can con more of the lawn from my husband, so they can go in the
ground where they belong.
I've never grown a rose in a pot, too lazy, they'd die for sure. I once
debated keeping one of the only two roses I've deliberately grown from seed
in its pot, but I put it in the ground and whitedog dug it up the first day,
destroyed it. bad decision. on account of that dog I've planted several
hundred big rocks, probably a thousand, to dogproof flower gardens and roses,
and it was probably the best thing I ever did in that that provide all kinds
of shade/moisture savers so things which have no business germinating here,
will. Typically, I'd use three big rocks per rose, it's a great way for
desert roses to save their water and I think it keeps their homeland warmer in
winter. Callie doesn't much bother the roses any more but she's still pretty
wacky.
m
Scopata Fuori
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