Happy Friday everyone!

I am curious as to your thoughts on my experiences so far on growing
roses. I have 3 rose plants. 1 Buttercream HT by JP that I purchased 2
months ago from my favorite local nursery, and 2 JFK HT's that I
purchased 1 month ago from a nursery that has a good reputation, but
that I have never purchased from before. My experiences thus far:

Buttercream HT: No problems whatsoever. No disease, giving me lots of
blooms, reblooming quickly after I deadhead, or take the blooms inside
to enjoy. The plant has grown considerably in the past 2 months. The
japanese beetles have discovered this bush, but only after they
discovered my new roses.

JFK HT's: non stop challenges. First botrytis (sp?), than rust spots,
and what is left of the plant has been massacred by the beetles. Not
much growth (due in large to how much of the plant I have had to prune
from disease), not many blooms (for same reason). When I first
transplanted them I noticed 3 tiny little slugs (at least I assume they
were slugs, same color as slugs, definitely not white grubs) near the
root. Only when I planted the JFK's did Japanese Beetles discover my
garden.

So my question is...why has the Buttercream performed so much better
than the JFK?

1) Could it be the quality of the plant....should I not purchase again
from the nursery where I got the JFK's?
2) Is Buttercream known to be more disease resistant than JFK? (I
thought JFK had a good reputation as far as disease resistance)?
or
3) Is it shear luck....welcome to growing roses no one ever said it
would be easy...?


Thanks for your thoughts!
Heidi

"Heidi Stump" wrote in message
...
Happy Friday everyone!

I am curious as to your thoughts on my experiences so far on growing
roses. I have 3 rose plants. 1 Buttercream HT by JP that I purchased 2
months ago from my favorite local nursery, and 2 JFK HT's that I
purchased 1 month ago from a nursery that has a good reputation, but
that I have never purchased from before. My experiences thus far:

Buttercream HT: No problems whatsoever. No disease, giving me lots of
blooms, reblooming quickly after I deadhead, or take the blooms inside
to enjoy. The plant has grown considerably in the past 2 months. The
japanese beetles have discovered this bush, but only after they
discovered my new roses.

JFK HT's: non stop challenges. First botrytis (sp?), than rust spots,
and what is left of the plant has been massacred by the beetles. Not
much growth (due in large to how much of the plant I have had to prune
from disease), not many blooms (for same reason). When I first
transplanted them I noticed 3 tiny little slugs (at least I assume they
were slugs, same color as slugs, definitely not white grubs) near the
root. Only when I planted the JFK's did Japanese Beetles discover my
garden.

So my question is...why has the Buttercream performed so much better
than the JFK?

1) Could it be the quality of the plant....should I not purchase again
from the nursery where I got the JFK's?
2) Is Buttercream known to be more disease resistant than JFK? (I
thought JFK had a good reputation as far as disease resistance)?
or
3) Is it shear luck....welcome to growing roses no one ever said it
would be easy...?


Thanks for your thoughts!
Heidi


Hiedi,

I can't definitively answer all your questions but I will say this:

1. yes, side by side roses that are different will bloom differently-- one
could bloom much more than the other.
2. pests- yes, some are more appetizing to pests than others. I've heard
it said that thrips like light-colored roses more.
3. I gave up on JFK and dug it up. It hardly put out at all. It was a nice
rose when it bloomed, but mine rarely did.

hope that helps

JimS.
Seattle

On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 14:00:18 GMT, Heidi Stump
wrote:

Happy Friday everyone!

Back at you!


I am curious as to your thoughts on my experiences so far on growing
roses. I have 3 rose plants. 1 Buttercream HT by JP that I purchased 2
months ago from my favorite local nursery, and 2 JFK HT's that I
purchased 1 month ago from a nursery that has a good reputation, but
that I have never purchased from before. My experiences thus far:

Buttercream HT: No problems whatsoever. [...]

JFK HT's: non stop challenges. [...]

So my question is...why has the Buttercream performed so much better
than the JFK?

The first important piece of information we need before we answer any
questions is, where are you? Roses in general grow and behave
differently in different areas--for example, they get blackspot here
in the SE US, whereas they don't get it in some western places, where
they get rust instead. And so so. Japanese Beetles do not even appear
in all places. For sure, if you are in a place that is prone to fungus
and you will not follow a regular preventive anti-fungal treatment
program, you might want to consider giving up hybrid teas. There are
maybe three or four that might look nice for just a little while in a
swampy garden with no protection from fungus. Same with many
floribundas and other modern roses. You will hear all about resistant
roses from those who grow them!

But a general answer to your question is that they are all just an
accumulation of genes, like us. Asking why one does better than
another, aside from specific climate-related challenges, is like
asking why one person is short and another tall, or why diabetes runs
in one family and not another.

In the five or so years I have been interested in roses, I have seen
JFK sold everywhere, but I have not heard a single good thing about
this rose. Sad, as I would have bought it for the name! For me, living
here in fungus and thrip country, white roses are always problematic.
They just show more damage than other roses.

Buttercream sounds very nice--but then, it takes a while for disease
and pests to set in, so when roses are new in your garden, you still
have a few surprises coming.

I hope you'll tell us more about yourself and where you are.




1) Could it be the quality of the plant....should I not purchase again
from the nursery where I got the JFK's?
2) Is Buttercream known to be more disease resistant than JFK? (I
thought JFK had a good reputation as far as disease resistance)?
or
3) Is it shear luck....welcome to growing roses no one ever said it
would be easy...?


Thanks for your thoughts!
Heidi

On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 15:34:54 GMT, in rec.gardens.roses you wrote:


3. I gave up on JFK and dug it up. It hardly put out at all.

Unlike its namesake...

On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 10:53:02 -0500, dave weil
wrote:

On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 15:34:54 GMT, in rec.gardens.roses you wrote:


3. I gave up on JFK and dug it up. It hardly put out at all.

Unlike its namesake...

G Not only that, but in those days one didn't get threatened with
impeachment or other legal action if one did so outside the conjugal
bed. Not half bad, Dave. Every now and then you show a real spark! G

On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 17:03:15 GMT, (Shiva) wrote:

On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 10:53:02 -0500, dave weil
wrote:

On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 15:34:54 GMT, in rec.gardens.roses you wrote:


3. I gave up on JFK and dug it up. It hardly put out at all.

Unlike its namesake...

G Not only that, but in those days one didn't get threatened with
impeachment or other legal action if one did so outside the conjugal
bed. Not half bad, Dave.

Well, I *am* a half-wit, after all...

I tried to grow JFK a year or two ago -- I didn't even need to "shovel
prune" the plant, I just pulled it out of the ground. The replacement I put
in last year seems fine, although I don't like the hungry look in the ivy
approaching it!

Anne Lurie
Raleigh, NC




"Heidi Stump" wrote in message
...
Happy Friday everyone!

I am curious as to your thoughts on my experiences so far on growing
roses. I have 3 rose plants. 1 Buttercream HT by JP that I purchased 2
months ago from my favorite local nursery, and 2 JFK HT's that I
purchased 1 month ago from a nursery that has a good reputation, but
that I have never purchased from before. My experiences thus far:

Buttercream HT: No problems whatsoever. No disease, giving me lots of
blooms, reblooming quickly after I deadhead, or take the blooms inside
to enjoy. The plant has grown considerably in the past 2 months. The
japanese beetles have discovered this bush, but only after they
discovered my new roses.

JFK HT's: non stop challenges. First botrytis (sp?), than rust spots,
and what is left of the plant has been massacred by the beetles. Not
much growth (due in large to how much of the plant I have had to prune
from disease), not many blooms (for same reason). When I first
transplanted them I noticed 3 tiny little slugs (at least I assume they
were slugs, same color as slugs, definitely not white grubs) near the
root. Only when I planted the JFK's did Japanese Beetles discover my
garden.

So my question is...why has the Buttercream performed so much better
than the JFK?

1) Could it be the quality of the plant....should I not purchase again
from the nursery where I got the JFK's?
2) Is Buttercream known to be more disease resistant than JFK? (I
thought JFK had a good reputation as far as disease resistance)?
or
3) Is it shear luck....welcome to growing roses no one ever said it
would be easy...?


Thanks for your thoughts!
Heidi

I tried to grow JFK a year or two ago -- I didn't even need to "shovel
prune" the plant, I just pulled it out of the ground. The replacement I put
in last year seems fine, although I don't like the hungry look in the ivy
approaching it!

Anne Lurie
Raleigh, NC




"Heidi Stump" wrote in message
...
Happy Friday everyone!

I am curious as to your thoughts on my experiences so far on growing
roses. I have 3 rose plants. 1 Buttercream HT by JP that I purchased 2
months ago from my favorite local nursery, and 2 JFK HT's that I
purchased 1 month ago from a nursery that has a good reputation, but
that I have never purchased from before. My experiences thus far:

Buttercream HT: No problems whatsoever. No disease, giving me lots of
blooms, reblooming quickly after I deadhead, or take the blooms inside
to enjoy. The plant has grown considerably in the past 2 months. The
japanese beetles have discovered this bush, but only after they
discovered my new roses.

JFK HT's: non stop challenges. First botrytis (sp?), than rust spots,
and what is left of the plant has been massacred by the beetles. Not
much growth (due in large to how much of the plant I have had to prune
from disease), not many blooms (for same reason). When I first
transplanted them I noticed 3 tiny little slugs (at least I assume they
were slugs, same color as slugs, definitely not white grubs) near the
root. Only when I planted the JFK's did Japanese Beetles discover my
garden.

So my question is...why has the Buttercream performed so much better
than the JFK?

1) Could it be the quality of the plant....should I not purchase again
from the nursery where I got the JFK's?
2) Is Buttercream known to be more disease resistant than JFK? (I
thought JFK had a good reputation as far as disease resistance)?
or
3) Is it shear luck....welcome to growing roses no one ever said it
would be easy...?


Thanks for your thoughts!
Heidi

Heidi
I have JFK and it is next to Crimson Bouquet....give CB a 10 and JFK a
3....I should shovel prune it, but will keep it around another yr and then
use its spot for a more colorful rose. JFK gets thrips, sun damaged
edges....it is a lousy rose! (IMHO) I keep hoping it will get better, but I
really haven't seen a "super" rose from it in several yrs....
I am sure the nursery's plants are fine, it is that particular rose.

--
Linda S. in So. California (zone 10)
**Anxiously awaiting the birth of identical TWIN granddaughers in Aug.