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Old 31-07-2004, 12:51 PM
HelixStalwart
 
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Default Rose newbie questions...

Hello folks,

I have "inherited" (i.e. no one else in the building does ANYTHING in
the garden) a tiny patch of communal garden with 5 roses (and room for
one more) in it and I have a few hard-hitting questions. First, the
details...

===

The garden has two strips, one about 2m x 0.5m with three short (knee
to thigh high) roses - they have no old growth to speak of and are on
poor shape but are still hanging on in there with some mixed
yellowy-pink or pinky-white blooms growing on about 3 or 4 new stems
on each bush. They have been infrequently weeded, never fed and only
occasionally pruned. Let's call these #1, #2 and #3.

The main area, 2mx2m has two older and taller roses, about
chest-height and VERY woody. This patch was totally choked with
head-height weeds and saplings which I have now removed, exposing the
roses. One bush (#4) has one old stem, thickly wooded but just about
productive on its tip and two new stems, both spindly and leggy. The
other bush (#5) is sick - very sick. It has no old stems (they were
all dead) and one new stem, again very thin. #4 has a few leaves left
and poor #5 has none - yup - none!

We are in Scotland (UK) - we get short summers and long wet winters
with lots of damp weather, so I guess I can say it safely here -
fungus, black spots, rusty bits and aphids. All 5 plants have fungus
on all leaves, to varying degrees, but the two older roses are in very
poor shape - since cleaing the weeds and putting down a load of rose
feed, they have all started to sprout. #4 has sprouted on all its thin
stems and it is good vigorous growth but poor #5 is only slowly
sprouting. It has pushed out a couple of leaf buds which with time may
recover.

I have sprayed for fungus and aphids once, and intend to repeat in
about a week. I'd say the soil is slighty clayey (sp?) and fairly
drained with some organic material (we have worms, lots of worms -
plus plenty of creepy crawlies!) and houses a dense crop of bulbs
(mainly tulips, self-regulated over about 10 years). It is south
facing and gets a lot of rain and wind.

Now, I don't have a fortune to spend on this patch - it is not a show
garden, and I can't even see it from my part of the building, but I go
past it every day and I want to rescue it. I have a spade, hoe and
fork, plus secateurs, and a bag of general rose feed. There is room
for one more rose in the larger patch which can have a fresh start. I
think fungus will be a fact of life, so there's not much I can
probably do there. I will not have a lot of time on a daily basis to
work on the patch, but I do want to save it, so will be checking it
every few days.

===

Now the questions...

Which bushes stay and which, sadly, have to go? (Anyone in the UK will
know we folk in Scotland rarely throw anything away!)

How can I improve the soil?

How can I make any surviving roses healthier?

Do you have any beginners advice for me? I.e. is it the correct time
of year to put in an extra rose or should I wait till next year?

Please feel free to cut and paste bits of my above post in any (much
appreciated) answers.

Thanks!
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Old 31-07-2004, 02:57 PM
HelixStalwart
 
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Default Rose newbie questions...

A correction - #1, #2 and #3 have only two new stems on each bush,
though #5 has finally pushed out a leaf!
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Old 31-07-2004, 02:57 PM
HelixStalwart
 
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Default Rose newbie questions...

A correction - #1, #2 and #3 have only two new stems on each bush,
though #5 has finally pushed out a leaf!
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Old 31-07-2004, 04:51 PM
HelixStalwart
 
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Default Rose newbie questions... more info

I have just read a site saying roses eventually decline - all these
roses are over 10 years old - opinions please?
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Old 31-07-2004, 04:51 PM
HelixStalwart
 
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Default Rose newbie questions... more info

I have just read a site saying roses eventually decline - all these
roses are over 10 years old - opinions please?


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Old 01-08-2004, 08:47 AM
Patrick Scheible
 
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Default Rose newbie questions...

HelixStalwart writes:

Which bushes stay and which, sadly, have to go? (Anyone in the UK will
know we folk in Scotland rarely throw anything away!)


Most roses are pretty tough plants, once they're established. Hard to
say without seeing them, but even if they lose all their leaves and
everything down to an inch above the ground they can usually come back.

How can I improve the soil?


General purpose balanced fertilizer as directed on the box. Compost
once a year is nice. Mulching is a big help keeping down the weeds
and helping it live through the winter.

How can I make any surviving roses healthier?


I'm not sure how much rain you get during the summer. If it gets dry,
or even less wet, they'd be helped by water. Aim for a total of about
1 inch of water per week, in two or three soakings, if there isn't
that much rain.

Do you have any beginners advice for me? I.e. is it the correct time
of year to put in an extra rose or should I wait till next year?


Spraying is controversial here. If the plants are otherwise healthy,
a touch of blackspot and a little insect damage now and then probably
won't hurt it. But spraying may endanger the beneficial insects that
keep the harmful insects under control, thus hooking you on expensive
chemical controls. I see why exhibitors spray all the time, but that
sounds like it's not what you're after. My philosophy is that any
rose that's too fragile to survive without frequent spraying should be
replaced. Washing the aphids off with water regularly does a lot of
good.

However my philosophy is based on the U.S. Pacific Northwest,
practically rose heaven (except for Bourbons). Your needs may be
different. See if you can get local advice.

Oh, yes, time of year. If you buy roses already potted anytime that
the ground isn't frozen is okay to plant. If you buy bareroot roses
they'll be cheaper but a little harder to get started, they want to be
planted when they're dormant in the winter.

-- Patrick
in Seattle, USDA zone 8 (but really warmer for last 20 years)
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Old 02-08-2004, 08:12 PM
HelixStalwart
 
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Default Rose newbie questions...

One bush (#4) has one old stem, thickly wooded but just about
productive on its tip and two new stems, both spindly and leggy. The
other bush (#5) is sick - very sick. It has no old stems (they were
all dead) and one new stem, again very thin. #4 has a few leaves left
and poor #5 has none - yup - none!


Update - even after just a few days of the rose feed and watering, #4
has pushed out two new shoots from the base - baby stems I guess!

Next step, some compost for the soil!
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Old 02-08-2004, 08:12 PM
HelixStalwart
 
Posts: n/a
Default Rose newbie questions...

One bush (#4) has one old stem, thickly wooded but just about
productive on its tip and two new stems, both spindly and leggy. The
other bush (#5) is sick - very sick. It has no old stems (they were
all dead) and one new stem, again very thin. #4 has a few leaves left
and poor #5 has none - yup - none!


Update - even after just a few days of the rose feed and watering, #4
has pushed out two new shoots from the base - baby stems I guess!

Next step, some compost for the soil!
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