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| 1. What is an own-root
rose? |
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An own root rose is grown by rooting a cutting from a stock plant. It is
much more labor intensive for us to produce an own-root rose plant than
it is to produce one from budding on grafting root stock. Your own-root
plant will make a fine rose bush and reach a mature height at three years.
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| 2. How do own-root roses
differ from roses at the local nursery? |
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Own-root roses are started in our greenhouses in tree seedling pots, then
grown outside in their pots. Roses at local nurseries are grown in large
fields mostly in California and they are larger in size (bigger does
not mean better). Own-root roses arrive to greet you in the same pot
in which they were propagated. Their roots are surrounded by soil and
are not bared to the elements and therefore will not experience the transplant
shock that bare-root roses will.
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| 3. Can rose virus spread
from one rose plant in my garden to another? |
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Rose virus, although in the long run can be a debilitating disease of the
rose, can be spread only by budding or grafting. Thus since we start
with virus-free roses and maintain that by growing only roses from cuttings,
virus cannot be spread from an infected plant in your garden by cutting
blooms or pruning.
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| 4. Do own root roses
grow differently than grafted roses? |
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The first year they grow somewhat differently. They produce vigorous canes
of a smaller diameter than grafted roses. After their first pruning there
will be little difference from a grafted rose.
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| 5. Will my own-root
roses bloom the first year? |
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Just as grafted roses, own-root roses will bloom the first year with the
exception of some old garden roses, ramblers and climbers that do not
bloom the first year. (Our own-root rose seedlings start blooming in
just 6 weeks after germination).
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| 6. How do I plant my
roses? |
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Our recommendation for growing outstanding roses is to dig a big hole (2
feet deep and 2 feet wide). Fill the bottom 6 inches with well rotted
cow or horse manure. Save ½ of the soil that came from the hole and mix
it 50/50 with a good mulch or peat moss. Refill the hole, plant the rose
in the center of a 2 - 3 inch mound to compensate for the soil settling
later. Water well. When your rose is shipped it will come with planting
instructions.
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| 7. Why such a big hole? |
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For optimum results from any rose, grafted or own-root, dig a big hole
because rose roots will not grow well into compacted soil.
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| 8. Should I fertilize
my roses? What should I use and how often? |
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Yes. If you plant your rose in the Fall wait until Spring to begin fertilizing.
Start fertilizing with liquid fertilizer at ½ strength or use fish fertilizer
at full strength. If you plant in the Spring or Summer: start about one
month after planting and continue monthly until August. Always make your
last fertilizer application in August so that the roses may harden off
for winter The second year you may use granular fertilizer sparingly
or liquid fish at full strength monthly until August. The third year
use all fertilizers at full strength.
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| 9. What type of fertilizer
do I use on more mature plants? |
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On mature roses we recommend something like a 5-20-10- to 10-30-20 at ½ to
b cup per bush. Spread out around the drip line 2 to 4 times a year depending
on the natural fertility of your soil. We do not recommend a fertilizer
with a systemic insecticide in it.
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| 10. Why do people use
Epsom salts on their roses? Do you recommend it
for own-root roses? |
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Epsom salts, which is magnesium sulfate, provides an important trace element.
If you have just a few roses you may want to buy it at a drug store.
For those with more roses, the most economical way is to buy magnesium
sulfate at a feed store. Epsom salts promote stronger, sturdier stems,
richer green foliage and deeper, richer colors in roses. We do recommend
it for own root roses. The first year just a teaspoon or two in the early
spring. For mature bushes use ½ cup at the drip line.
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| 11. How and when do
you prune roses? |
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There are almost as many opinions on how to prune roses are there are gardeners.
We will give our methods based on some 60 combined years of experience
and having pruned countless numbers of roses. Know that the reasons for
pruning roses are: 1. For the health of the plant. 2. To shape the plant.
3. To renew the plant.
Repeat flowering bush roses
Prune 2 to 4 inches of the tips back to just above a bud eye at planting
time. From the second year on prune back to 12 to 18 inches to an outward
facing bud eye. You can leave the canes longer if you wish. The longer
the canes, the more blooms it will produce. The shorter pruned bush
will produce larger but fewer blooms.
Once blooming roses
Once blooming roses should be pruned only immediately after they have
stopped blooming as they flower on old wood the next year. Thinning
and cutting away dead or undesirable canes can happen at any time.
The second year and thereafter you may cut the bush back a foot or
two to shape it and encourage more branching. This also will keep it
smaller. Every other year we prune our once bloomers to 18 inches (only
immediately after blooming has finished) to rejuvenate the bush with
all new growth. If you desire a larger bush these roses will thrive
with no pruning. Removing old growth though will keep it healthier.
Climbing and Rambling roses
Pruning to remove dead or undesirable
canes can happen at any time but is best in the spring before new shoots
have appeared. Limit ramblers
to 6 - 8 canes coming from the base. After the rambler or climber is
4 years or older, cut 1 or 2 or the oldest canes at the base and remove
to renew the growth of the plant. Much depends on how you have your
climber or rambler trained. Don't stress out about how to do pruning.
Watch your rose grow. See what it wants to do. With your pruners "negotiate" with
your rose and convince it to grow the way you want it to.
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| 12. How far apart do
I plant climbers or ramblers? |
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We recommend planting climbers and ramblers 6 to 8 feet apart. If you really
want to grow a lot of them you can plant at 4 feet but you will have
to deal with their vigor. Planting at wider spacing and training the
canes horizontally will encourage more blooms from the lateral growth.
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| 13. How much should
I water my roses? |
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Roses love water. Provide 1 to 2 inches of water a week per plant. A tuna
fish can makes a great, economical water gage. Ground level watering
is best but overhead watering is fine if you water in the mornings so
that the plants do not go into the night with wet leaves.
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| 14. I have a lot of
shade in my garden. Can I grow roses in the shade? |
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Some roses may grow reasonably well in partial but not dense shade. They
will produce fewer blooms and may grow a little more "leggy" but
still provide beauty.
Albas and hybrid musk roses, in general, are recommended for partial shade. In our print catalog, those roses that can tolerate some shade are indicated by the letters 'SH' in the code at the bottom of each rose description.
All
roses do well in full sun. Most roses do well with 6 hours or more a
day of sunlight with some needing as little as 4 four of sunlight.
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| 15. How long can my
roses stay in the pots that they were sent in? |
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Our own-root roses may stay in the pot they arrive in for a month or so.
You must keep them well watered so they do not dry out. Water every day
in warm weather. If your ground is not ready for them we suggest you
pot them into larger pots.
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| 16. Can my rose be grown
permanently in a pot? |
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You may pot your own-root roses into large pots if you wish as long as
the pot is large enough to accommodate the size of the plant. Smaller
sized roses can live indefinitely in the appropriate sized pot. They
must be watered every day and given winter protection where winters are
cold.
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| 17. Can I plant my roses
with companion plants? |
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Roses combine very well with other plants. Lavender, cat mint, poppies,
delphiniums, ladies mantle, pansies and fox glove to name a few have
all done very well for Louise. Bulbs that have to be removed or replanted
every year are not suggested.
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| 18. How close to the
house can I plant a rose? |
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Factors to consider: As with planting anything near the house you must
consider the available sunlight. Planting on the south side of a white
house in warm climates may create a overheated situation. If you are
planting a climber next to the house, keep in mind how you want to handle
your rose when repainting your house.
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| 19. I live in a very
tropical climate. Which roses do well for my area? |
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Most old garden roses need some winter chilling to perform well. The exception
being Tea roses, China roses, Noisettes and Species from tropical climates.
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| 20. I hear that own-root
roses are disease free. Does this mean that I will
never have to spray my roses? |
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Own-root roses are just as disease free or disease prone as the same variety
in a grafted bush. We test the roses we offer in our gardens and strive
to offer the best. Roses may be grown in most climates without spraying
if you don't mind a few blemishes. Southern areas are more blackspot
prone.
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| 21. My rose has grown
a lot but has not bloomed. Have I done something
wrong? |
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Extra vigorous varieties, also climbers and ramblers may put all their
energy into growth the first year or two and not bloom until the second
or even third year. The major cause for this after the first year is
over fertilizing.
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| 22. How do I treat for
aphids? |
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While aphids may be disposed of by using insecticides, there are alternatives.
Knock them off the plant with a strong spray of water. Attract birds
to you garden to feast on them. Pick them off by hand. If you have only
a few roses, picking them off by hand is very easy. The newest buds appeal
to them the most. Run your fingers along the stem, squishing the bugs
as you go. There are other insects that like aphids for a meal, when
you order these they always seem to end up in the neighbors garden.
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| 23. I need to move large
rose bush. When and how is the best time to transplant? |
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The best time is when the rose is dormant. First prune the roses back to
about 1 foot or less. After it is moved it will have less top growth
to support and will give the roots time to establish themselves. If you
must move a rose during the growth season, do it the same way and after
planting give some shade for a week or 2 and plenty of water. You should
have 80 to 90% success.
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| 24. My own-root rose
is smaller than the ones for sale at the discount
center. How long will it take to grow to maturity? |
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Our own-root roses are smaller. They have plenty of vigor and are free
of rose virus. More than 50% of all grafted or budded roses are infected
with rose virus although they may not show symptoms for a few years.
Our roses also experience no transplant shock. Within 2 to 3 years they
will be as large or larger than the rose from a discount center.
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| 25. I live in a cold
climate where the ground freezes in the winter.
How do I protect my roses in the winter? |
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In cold climates there are many methods used for winter protection of roses.
The main factor is insulating them from the cold and drying winds. We
suggest you check with your local rose society, county agent, master
gardeners, or nursery for advice on winter protection as practices vary
from area to area. We suggest you use the zone rating on our on rose
class descriptions and check with the USDA Zone may to be found under
Rose Information. When you plant the correct rose for your zone it will
survive with little or no protection.
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| 26. My rose blooms only
at the top of the canes and they are 10 feet tall.
How can I make the rose bloom all over again? |
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Train the canes horizontally to get more blooms.
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| 27. The leaves on my
rose bushes are yellow and falling off. What does
that mean? |
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It could be just the natural ageing of the leaves. It may mean a lack of
water or check the leaves for blackspot. Even a rose that has been nearly
defoliated by blackspot may be reinvigorated by summer pruning back to
18 inches or so. Remove and destroy all the affected leaves. Do not put
them in the compost pile.
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| 28. The catalog said
my rose was supposed to be fragrant but it isn't.
Why? |
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Sense of smell varies from person to person just as the sense of taste
varies. Some varieties provide a fragrance that everyone may smell and
others may be more subjective. For instance: John and I and three others
of our staff were in the garden checking fragrance. The beautiful, deep
pink, climber 'Viking Queen' produced a fragrance that John and two others
found outstanding. One of the staff and I could smell nothing. I know
a rose breeder who says he can never smell any fragrance on a yellow
rose.
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| 29. My rose doesn't
rebloom like it is supposed to. What is wrong? |
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If your rose doesn't rebloom it could be a once blooming variety. Check
the variety description on the web page or in the catalog. It could be
an extra vigorous variety that is being over fertilized and is putting
all its energy into growth and not bloom. It could be that you have the
wrong rose.
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| 30. Can I plant roses
under pine and fir trees? |
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We have a number of rose planted under fir trees, although since they get
reduced sunlight they may not bloom as much.
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| 31. Can I spread bark
dust around my roses? |
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Good fresh bark dust is fine. Beware of old compost barkdust that may contain
fungi. As barkdust breaks down it draws nitrogen from the soil, so just
a little extra fertilizer may be called for.
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| 32. How do I take care
of hanging basket roses? |
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Hanging basket roses need frequent watering during warm to hot weather
as they may dry out rapidly. In areas where winter protection is needed
you may bury the pot and all at frost time. Dig them up again in the
Spring. You can also put them in a garage where the temperature doesn't
drop below 28 degrees. Be sure to give them some water once a month or
so.
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| 33. The local nurseryman
suggested using mushroom compost when I plant my
roses. Is this okay? |
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If you put the mushroom compost in the bottom of the hole as a fertilizer
when planting your roses it is fine. I hesitate to suggest using it as
a top dressing as customers have reported problems with fungi being introduced
into the rose garden.
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| 34. Which kind of manure
is the best? |
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First of all manure should be well aged for a year or more to be on the
safe side. We do not recommend using manure around the roots. Use it
in the bottom of the hole or as a top dressing around the bush. I think
manure is the best fertilizer of all and will produce great roses. Apply
2 inches deep on the surface of the soil once or twice a year. My preference
is horse manure. It is best obtained from stables that feed alfalfa hay
and do not bed their stales with straw which contains seeds that will
germinate in your garden. Steer manure is also a good choice.
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| 35. Is it ever too hot
to plant roses? Should I try to protect them from
direct heat? |
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Roses are very heat tolerant. During very hot weather give them plenty
of water. With new, young plants some type of shading using a shingle,
cardboard, or shade cloth could be helpful. The major factor is don't
let them dry out. Our greenhouse on a hot summer afternoon will sometimes
reach 125 degrees with no damage to roses as long as they get plenty
of water.
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| 36. How can I protect
my rose from deer? |
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I know of thirty different methods of protecting roses from deer. Unfortunately
28 of them don't work. A big dog and or an 8 - 10 foot fence will do
the job.
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| 37. Will any of my own-root
roses "sucker"? |
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Own-root roses may send up new shoots from the base from time to time but
they will be the same variety of rose not some unwanted root stock.
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| 38. Can I use a root
stimulant when I plant my roses? |
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You may use a root stimulant but it is not necessary.
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| 39. How much growth
will my climbers put on in the first year? |
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This will vary by the vigor of the variety. Climbers and ramblers will
put out from 3 to 8 feet of growth the first year. Ramblers are the more
vigorous of the two.
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