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#1
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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! |
#2
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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! |
#3
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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! |
#4
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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? |
#5
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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? |
#6
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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) |
#7
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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! |
#8
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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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