Rose growers thread!

[cybercat]

My yellow knockout is in blocm but none of my others. I need to replant my purple tiget for I am putting a pussy willow near that spot. It will be put over on other side of garden where I can care for it easier.

 

[Chickenberry]

We just planted a pussy willow this last week... it was rooting in a vase! I love all flowers and have quite a fews, but I haven't grown roses very much at all.

 

[AquaEyes]

Chickenberry, where are you located? Do you know your USDA hardiness zone? If you want to try some out, I can make recommendations. "Rose" doesn't equal "fussy Hybrid Tea." People have been growing them for hundreds of years, and there are gorgeous ones that behave well in the garden.

OK, so I'm just trying to make another rose addict....

 

[galanie]

Quote:
The crazy thing is blooming more than I've seen it bloom in years. I think the key here is "More than I've seen it bloom" because it was literally growing to the top of 15-ish foot trees and going from tree to tree. I never prune antique roses except to "tame" them a bit. I was taught long ago not to unless one wants to dead head spent blooms or cut them back a bit. This Cherokee will get itself cut on though some just so I will be able to get between the rose and the coop that is 10 feet from that fence. Once upon a time, it nearly blocked that whole area. If I should need more rose, I'll just take cuttings and have more of this huge, invasive monster. Not for the sake of having a pretty rose so much as having a huge, nasty barrier. And I can always say "Oh I just love that rose!" but not for the reason most would guess LOL.

I've found rooting them is no problem using my mom's technique. She used an old 2 liter plastic bottle and a coffee can. Here's a PDF on how to do that: http://texasroserustlers.com/Library/Propagation/Cuttings.pdf - the pamphlet doesn't show a coffee can being used but you'll get the idea. After viewing this (Mom was co-author, posthumously edited by my brother), now I know where my wordiness comes from

I've done this and left the cuttings on the north side of the house in the shade and gotten near perfect success rates, depending on how diligent I was in keeping the things moist but not soaked.

I can't believe how much fun I'm having discussing roses; that was never really my "thing." Or so I thought.

 

[galanie]

mom'sfolly :

I want to add that when my chickens free range they eat the leaves from the roses. They prefer the flavor of one rose over all others, they eat the pinky climber like it is candy. They literally jump up as high as they can to get its leaves. They leave the other roses pretty much alone. Just something to think about if your chooks and flowers are sharing space.

My black orpingtons like the leaves off my Cherokee rose but the buffs don't. It makes me chuckle. They don't eat it enough that they'd strip it though, they just browse at it from time to time.​

 

[starina]

Thanks for the propagation info, Galanie! Aquaeyes, I see you're in the Buffalo area, I'm between Rochester and Syracuse. I think I'll go out and throw some Rosetone around this morning, I've run out of alfalfa pellets.

 

[AquaEyes]

Oh, in case any of you were wondering, Starbucks has a "grounds for gardens" program. If you stop in one by you, you can ask for them to be saved for you, and you can take them for rose mulch.

 

[kfchickenlady]

Quote:
YES!! I have a friend who is a master gardener, she gets her grounds from Starbucks, you should see her garden!!! Definitely good for the roses, I heard that one a few years ago, its good for straggly sweet peas too. I think it lowers the soil pH for one thing, but what a good idea!

 

[halo]

Need some recommendations. The side of my house has nothing planted. I was going to go with a hedge of azaleas, but it gets way too much morning and early afternoon sun. I dont want anything that takes over like my Duchesse does. Id like something that grows a nice bush, but doesnt get very large, maybe 2-3 feet. I will need probably.....oh, 5 or 6 of them, to put alongside the house. Ill make a long bed maybe 3 feet wide the legnth of the house to plant them. Any ideas? I was thinking knockouts, but would like to go with somemore more OGR-ish, if there is such a rose.

 

[halo]

Well, I answered my own question. I got several Marie Pavies...I think they will go very nice alongside my house. I like how the description is "bulletproof"...my kind of rose.