[Monty_girl]

I'm just wondering if anyone else enjoyes growing roses as much as I do? This is my second season growing them. I have 4 plants right now. My climbing rose is doing great. But my other 3 have issues with spots and brown edges on the flowers. I've feed and sprayed and all that good stuff. I'm just wondering if it's just that they are cheap plants I got from Wal-Mart? My climbing is from Lowes and maybe just a better plant?

So any roses lovers, Advice?

[bebop]

I have one rose bush. but it is fine. I have seen them with brown spots though. maybe over doing on them?

[gardenergirl]

Black spot on roses can be tough to get rid of. Some roses are resistant to black spot, which means that even though they get it, it doesn't affect the plant's overall health. I've got some like that, and I'm glad it doesn't kill them off, but it is unattractive. Especially if you also have rose slugs skeletonizing the leaves (my huge rose complaint). I've heard the best preventative for black spot on roses is starting treatment early, before it shows up, and continuing to treat throughout the growing season. There are a number of products out there. I've also heard from my favorite nurseryman that a solution of milk and water, and/or baking soda and water sprayed on them can help. You can check out Dave's Garden Web for info. They've got great folks in the forums with lots of knowledge.

My new favorite right now is one called Distant Drums. It's a shrub rose that looks like a hybrid tea. The bud starts out deep rose color, and then as it opens it lightens to paler pink, tan, and cream. It's stunning. Very very thorny, though. So is my favorite climber, Joseph's Coat, which shows a variety of yellow, orange, coral pink, and such all at once depending on how open the bloom is.

I tried a Knock Out rose last fall, and it's doing extremely well. That seems to be a super easy one to grow.

Love them. Yesterday I cut a bunch to bring inside, and it's so satisfying to see such beauty and know that I grew it.

gg

[Monty_girl]

My roses had a really bad night. We had a horrible thunderstorm come through at 2am with 70mph winds. I lost half of my queen elizabeth bush. I couldn't let my blooms just lay on the ground,so I brought the one's that were still together in the house.

The Joseph's coat sounds very pretty. I'm wanting a yellow climber for my lattis next to my patio. Do you have to buy those online? I've not seen them around here.

Knock out roses sale out the same day they come in around here. I've not been able to find a plant this year.

Any tips on helping a plant stand up. I lost most of the one side of my plant last night and it's leaning to one side now.

[Perna]

I have a clematis that came with bamboo supports to hold it up; 3 kind of teepeeish. I'd just get a tomato wire/cage or something or even an interesting stick/branch with a few "prongs" still left on it and use that.

I had a rose in my old yard that was/is beautiful. You don't have a nursery near you? They could probably order the climbing yellow if they don't have one.

[SeptemberMorn]

Here is some non-specific information for you. You can ask the rosarian what would be best for black spot. I control mine with a good fungus control but I need to spray at least once a month if not more often. You have to make sure and get the underside of leaves as well as the tops. It's a pain to use a pump bottle so I have a small sprayer used ONLY for these kinds of sprays and I keep well marked one for weed killer. Not taking any chances!

Below the link is the formula I follow for feeding my roses. I'm not too gun-ho on Miracle Grow anymore, so I intend on adding more blood meal, bone meal and fish meal/emultion again halfway through the season.

Contact a Rosarian at the American Rose Assn.

WHEN TO START FERTILIZING ESTABLISHED BUSHES Immediately after pruning, incorporate organic amendments into the soil. As the soil warms with the weather, the organics will start to break down and supply a slow release nutritional diet to your roses, as well as feeding the soil micro-organisms. A basic recipe would include, per bush:
1 cup bone meal or superphosphate (0-20-0)
1 cup cottonseed meal
1/2 cup blood meal
1/2 cup fish meal
1/2 cup epsom salts (magnesium sulphate)
Water thoroughly first, then spread the ingredients evenly around the bush, under the drip-line (outer perimeter) of the bush. Scratch lightly into the top 1-2" of soil and water well again. In warm climates with long growing seasons (January-February pruning and blooms through November-December), a second application is beneficial in early September for fall bloom cycles.

About two to three weeks after spring pruning and adding organic amendments, new growth will appear. Chemical fertilizers, whether liquid or dry, can be applied at this time, and will provide an instant food source for this heavy feeding period. How often to apply is a subjective decision, based on the amount of time and devotion you have, but once a month should be the minimum.

[bebop]

I have a knockout and it is super easy. I thought at one point this year that it was a lost one but put on some miracle grow and boom she was off again! it is doing wonderful and blooming great!

I don't grow roses, but I just wanted to say hi monty!

[(JD)]

I have used micible oil on my rose bushes in the past for mites, but I prefer a more natural ingredient to prevent bugs: ground white pepper. Dust as often as needed.

Roses like clean feet. What I mean by that is they don't like mulch and rocks and junk around their trunks, as pretty as that might be.

Prune often. If you allow it to become large and unwieldy, then it will be more susceptible to breakage. Any good lattice, if near a wall, or yes bamboo staking, will work. Whenever I clip a rose, or dead head one, if it's the last one on the stem, I prune it back to just above the first sprouting leaf. Yes, I lose some future roses, but it keeps the plant healthy, and also allows it to live through hurricane winds (keeping it close.)

[BalishBun]

i am purchasing a home and it does have rose bush, so far no roses.

[Monty_girl]

Hey all, Hi Rainbow

I have some chemical stuff on my plants. Like food/ bug stuff I had to put in just under the surface. I really want to go organic as much as possible since I have out door cats. Sept, would that be safe around cats?

We just moved into our house last year and this is all new to me and my husband. But we love our plants.

[MyBestKids2]

We have 2 yellow and 1 red rose bush. They are thriving right now. I enjoy snipping and putting a vase inside the kitchen to admire.

[Monty_girl]

I love snipping my roses and bring them in. Since I lost most of my blooms in the storm the other night, I brought the ones I could save in. I have a glass swan that I put my roses in. The body of the swan is where you fill it with water so it looks like the roses are floating. My pink roses smell the greatest. I just have to keep my youngest cat from drinking all the rose water.

[crazybones]

hmh i actually have the same problem with tht whole like browning of leaves and such except i am growing a tropical tree and and ivy plant i always thought that the browning was caused by getting to much sun so i moved them and so far turning out great