roses

hello there, i'm new to the site and to england and i've never grown roses before. i've read some of the posts on roses but i did want to know about climbing roses...do i cut them down or leave the branches in place? they are not very large yet, maybe about waist high....any other advise on flowering plants that thrive well here would be much aprieciated as well.
:confused:
lillylover

 

Hi there and welcome. In respect of the climbing rose, can you tell us a bit more about it - ie. how long has it been planted, and what are you intending to grow it up. This information will kind help in providing some advise as to what to do with it in the spring . Climbers like all but ramblers are best pruned in the spring - but we will wait for some other information.

In respect of other flowers - being a temperate island, the range of what can be grown is large - so its more about what you want your garden to look like than what flowers here :D .

 

okay, my roses are going to be trained against lattice (straight up, no arch)....i also have a friend that has one that is about twice the size and she wants to train it over an arch for a walk way...they have only been planted for about 4 months. i do have a few more questions about roses...some of them are turning white on the leaves and on the flowers, what should i do? my friend also has two climbing roses that she has never seen flower, at least we think they are roses...lol.

next year i think i will do a japanese garden in the back...so any idea's on plants would be fantastic!

lillylover

 

White on rose leaves = mildew! Needs to be treated with a spray for same. It's quite common but if it gets a hold, the plant could be in jeopardy so treat soon and regularly (according to directions on spray bottle!!!)

Roses that don't flower are deprived little souls! Check they have been fed with a good fertilizer (e.g. horse manure) or rose feed (blood, fish and bone) and watered enough. Roses need a surprising amount of water in the summer months but shouldn't be left standing in it - good drainage, in other words.

 

i was wondering if the white leaves had anything to do with the roots getting into clay...i had a beautiful red rose that started to turn white, i moved it to a new spot and lined my garden bed so the roots didn't get into the clay and the white competely went away. was that a good move, lining my garden i mean? as for the spray, i will get some tomorrow...thank you soooo much.

lillylover

 

Nope, roses love clay - its nutrient rich and hold water. As Michaelmas daisy says this is likely to be mildew. As they are newly planted chances are that its lack of water, they take time to get roots established - so spray them as against mildew fast, and give them a drink;/feed every two weeks for the next two months and they should be fine.

In respect of pruning - I wouldn't touch them now - they sound quite stressed enough. Come spring - and we are talking beginning of March unless we have a hard winter, then end of march - come back to us preferrably with a picture. It may be that pruning should be left til 2007.