supporting shrub roses ?

Hi all, I am preparing a spot for 3 roses I have. They are D. Austin shrub roses, Crocus. I thought it best to plant the 3 of them in a group in order to get a more impressive shrub.
I have never planted or grown roses before so I was wondering, would they need some sort of circular support or similar while they are getting established ? Or would they do a good job of supporting themselves in their little group ?
Gazania

 

I'm a totall beginner with roses Gazinia but i'm hooked i've gone from 3 to about 20 in less than a year...I personally would give them room...and not plant too close to each other and i wouldn't think there is any need for support....but wait and see what our experience rose growers advise first just to be sure

 

I LOVE roses !! Good choice
Lolimac is spot on. Give them room, plenty of air and a open position. In the middle of a border as a stand alone is perfect. They need sun, but do ok in part shade. The love a heavy soil, if you havnt got it then add plenty of food, thats garden compost or a well rotted manure. If planting as a bare root, just plant in winter a leave be, if planting as a potted plant in summer, make sure they get plenty of water in the first season.
No support is needed really for your bog standard Hybred T's or Floribunda's but room and air is the key. It helps keeps down fungi and rust.
Personally i give mine a spray twice a year with a fungicide, once about now when the new leaves are showing then again in Jul/Aug time just to keep the nasties at bay until autumn.
Good luck

 

Mr G ....i'm learning

 

thanks rose lovers !
I have dug a large hole allowing for around 18" between the 3 roses and I have refilled the hole with the soil I dug out plus compost and manure with a couple of handfuls of fertilizer. When I plant the roses (when the hurricane winds subside) I will dig in the roses filling in and topping with more compost and manure. Does this sound okay ?
I also picked up 2 other roses that havn't a planting spot yet, a jubilee celebration and a william shakespeare, both red I believe.
Gazania

 

Sounds perfect.
Make sure you plant them deep below the graft and heel in well to stop wind rock

 

Well, the deed is done. I've planted the 3 roses and all went well. I was a bit concerned about the depth as I had to use a pick to break up lots of pebbles which must have been layed under the top soil when the house was built.
Now I'm worrying about pruning, identifying suckers, green fly, black fly, wind rock !?
Got 2 other roses to plant yet when I decide on a location.
Do I let them grow now and think about pruning in the autumn ?
Gazania

 

Hi,

You tidy them all year round but pruning happens in Spring. Green and black fly is easy-squash them when you see them. There is some debate about wind rock-some think it forces the plant to send out more roots in an attempt to secure itself, some roses-weaker ones or climbers need securing-common sense with the wind rock is needed but firming them in well will be fine.

If they really are in that much danger from the wind then don't plant in that location.

They are easy plants to grow-not a mystery at all.

 

Hi Gazania, don't worry to much , just see how they get on first.

I have some older varieties which do quite well without any spraying. Theya re full of aphids atm, but its not doing them any harm. The new leaves, when opening, are unharmed. I just pick off leaves which look like fungal disease, but these roses even haven't got black spot. The healthiest is felicite parmentier -no fungal disease at all, nothing. Just some caterpillars last year:-). maidens blush is also almost as healthy.
Have some other old and new roses which do pretty much ok but the two before mentioned albas I can really recommend for health and vigour. The good thing is that maidens blush 1mtr is a nice small size shrub, good for smaller gardens and even felicite is not to big 1.5mtr. their flowers both smell like heavenand look great
Foliage is also exceptional, not as boring as many modern roses

 

Okay, it looks like I just have to keep an eye on them for now. I can handle squashing any creatures so that's okay.
I'm looking forward to watching them grow now.
Thanks,
Gazania

 

Jubilee celebration is a fab colour.

 

Hi there Gazania

Shrub roses - as the name implies - can be left to grow like other shrubs with minimal pruning to tidy them up. Alternatively, if you're pushed for space or get fed up with the plants flopping everywhere, you can give them a harder prune as you would with floribundas and hybrid teas. Plants which have to grow a whole new top every season need to be fed and pampered a bit if they're to be at their best - although roses rarely give up and die completely!

Roses are very variable in the way they grow. Some will maintain a fairly neat, bushy shape while others produce long scrappy shoots which can look a bit of a mess. In the Sissinghurst rose garden, which contains many old roses with beautiful flowers but a less than pleasing shape, they make a sturdy bent wood frame around the plants (probably made from willow) so that the new shoots can be tied in as they grow. This is the ideal, in my opinion, although it does help to have a team of gardeners on hand to do the work for you! I give my shrub roses a light trim in the spring and continue to shape them a bit throughout the season. If they become hopelessly ugly, I cut them hard back and give them a good feed. They soon recover.

 

Yes I'm looking forward to seeing the Jubilee open. I'm planting it close to Shakespeare so I'm hoping for a nice show of red.
Thanks for the advise ClaraLou. I've seen that rose supporting technique on T.V. , perhaps it was on Utube ? And there are a couple of bits of info on the internet as well. They have room to droop a bit but I wouldn't like to see them droop too much.
I'll wait and see and isn't that one of the joys of gardening.
Gazania

 

Well, my roses seem to be doing really well. I have a group of 3 'crocus' roses which are blooming and looking great. Getting buffeted by all this wind but holding in there. My Jubilee Celebration has also been opening a treat. Shakespeare has plenty of buds but I suspect it is waiting for the sun to show !
I have had to support the branches on the Celebration and Shakespeare as a couple are on the floor. I hope to avoid this next year when I have control over pruning.
Mmmm, might just get a couple more
gazania

 

I planted several David Austin roses in April (bareroot) ... they have all taken and have formed leaves (which are still tiny)

when would i spray them with something like Provado (or is it still too early?)