The subterranean life of rosa rugosa
 

I planted a lot of rosa rugosa alba 2-year-old plants to make a hedge a
little late in the year. Eventually, _many_ weeks later and probably
encouraged by a belated extensive watering program they started to show signs
of life and there are many new shoots emerging. What is odd is that in every
case the shoots are coming not from the stem that was visible above ground
all along, but elsewhere in the root system. Some have more than one such
shoot visible. I know from other rose lore that suckers occur regularly so
this form of growth is not exactly unheard of.

I recently went back and looked at a place I lived in previously where I had
panted some regular rose rugosas several years ago. In each case, there were
several separate stems coming from the ground, presumably all from the one
root system in each case.

This is how perennials spread but I suppose many roses could spread in
exactly the same way. I'm just thinking aloud, but wondering how many other
shrub/species roses do this. I'm all for it as it means a hedge can become
denser at the base from new low growth, so its definitely a good thing...
--
VX (remove alcohol for email)

In article m,
VX wrote:

I recently went back and looked at a place I lived in previously where I had
panted some regular rose rugosas several years ago. In each case, there were
several separate stems coming from the ground, presumably all from the one
root system in each case.

This is how perennials spread but I suppose many roses could spread in
exactly the same way. I'm just thinking aloud, but wondering how many other
shrub/species roses do this. I'm all for it as it means a hedge can become
denser at the base from new low growth, so its definitely a good thing...

It is a pain in the neck when a grafted hybrid dies and you try to
get rid of its rootstock. There is one that I have been trying to
deal with for over 5 years ....

I think that it is the dog rose, but wouldn't bet on it. Anyway,
you are quite right that some roses do sucker and others don't.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Thu, 2 Jun 2005 21:06:39 +0100, Nick Maclaren wrote
(in message ):

It is a pain in the neck when a grafted hybrid dies and you try to
get rid of its rootstock. There is one that I have been trying to
deal with for over 5 years ....

I think that it is the dog rose, but wouldn't bet on it. Anyway,
you are quite right that some roses do sucker and others don't.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In my new garden, where the previous owner had everything hacked down to the
ground by scythe before leaving, there are a lot of big fat and fast-growing
rose shoots coming from a huge trunk, looks very much like a big old graft
rootstock with none of the original top on it. I'm leaving it for now in case
it turns out to be something I might quite like to have a huge vigourous bush
of. The "trunk" is over 6" across so it was really something, once apon a
time. If it isn't at all desirable i will utilise glyphosphate to extinguish
it, assuming it works on, er, trees.

--
VX (remove alcohol for email)

In article m,
VX wrote:

In my new garden, where the previous owner had everything hacked down to the
ground by scythe before leaving, there are a lot of big fat and fast-growing
rose shoots coming from a huge trunk, looks very much like a big old graft
rootstock with none of the original top on it. I'm leaving it for now in case
it turns out to be something I might quite like to have a huge vigourous bush
of. The "trunk" is over 6" across so it was really something, once apon a
time. If it isn't at all desirable i will utilise glyphosphate to extinguish
it, assuming it works on, er, trees.

That is indeed impressive. Most of the rootstock roses are decorative,
though perhaps not enough to want a bush that size! Still, it might
be something on its own roots.

Glyphosate does work on woody plants, but you may have to use it quite
a few times.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.