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Post by oldmoleskins on Oct 13, 2006 20:26:06 GMT
I cleared the area around the apricot "mystery rose" today and will be gravelling it over horticultural matting to keep weeds down. I may put a circle of nice old flint cobbles I have 'in stock' around it. The plan is to create an area about 2m square of similar apricot scented roses, just outside the kitchen door. Having revealed it, the rootstock is huge and gnarled and mossy - (not too good) - and the plant is generally unbalanced. If I were to mulch it within my stone circle what should I use and what feed could I incorporate - and most particularly, does it matter if it comes up the rootstock a bit, or should I dig down a bit to create a depression first? ie are they sensitive to ground level built up around the stem? And before you ask - no I didn't cut it back like that - that's how we inherited it - the secateurs are for scale... OM.  |
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Post by 4pygmies on Oct 15, 2006 4:59:52 GMT
I should dig down a bit OM if I were you. Give it a good dollop of muck and a bit of a prune. I'm not an expert on Roses (can you tell?) but I firmly believe in the benefit of animal muck and judicious use of secatuers - it's been there for years after all. I'd try and avoid altering the ground level though as you might find you're rejuvenating the wrong bit of rose. I propped up an old rose that was only growing east in another garden and eventually managed to get it to grow in all other directions but it took 3 years before it looked decent! Then my ex husband chopped it down and built a shed there anyway.........
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Post by Dr Bill on Oct 15, 2006 8:57:39 GMT
I'm no expert either, but the recent advice when planting roses seems to be to plant them deeper than the graft site so that the rootstock is completely buried, so I wonder if you should try to raise the soil level a bit?
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Post by 4pygmies on Oct 15, 2006 11:09:07 GMT
Oh dear, who you gonna call? Rosefriend??
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Post by Rosefriend on Oct 15, 2006 14:00:31 GMT
Just seen 4P's reply - sorry if you feel ignored.....
cor OM - that's a lovely example of a rather neglected rose isn't it. Moss - get that off - very gently though.........
I do not think that that is the bud graft - could be but in my experience with roses (yes the bud graft should always be 5cm under the ground) is that they do tend to pull themselves down a bit as well....... except for my FIL in law's roses - he always say that in summer they need a hard stream of water to their roots...... yes well all his are wobbly........and tend to give up the ghost in a hard winter...........
If it is the bud graft - well yes it is too high, ... but after all these years of surviving I personally wouldn't worry.
Horse manure - if you can get it - great - NOT near the bud graft though........ leave a largish circle free.... if you want to dig down a bit ... well make the circle a little larger.... you don't want to disturb the hair roots, and horse manure too near could burn the roots.
That branch that is on the right hand side of the pic - wait until spring and cut it back even further - it will send a message to the blind eyes in that area and will probably reward you with new growth.
Oh and that matting is too close in my opinion - cut it back a little ... leave a little more space for fertilising and watering. Sorry OM - but well you did ask.......
I really wouldn't worry too much about it... it has obviously been around a while and is probably happy......
Rosefriend
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Post by oldmoleskins on Oct 15, 2006 18:00:22 GMT
Well, thanks all - and unless I get howls of "Nooooo..." what I'll do is to widen the free area by cutting back the mat, go down just a bit (without exposing hair roots) to create more of a 'dish' to receive the muck, mulch it, then wait til spring and prune it, including the apparently dead bit on the right - oh, and gently get the moss off in the meantime...
A supplementary:
I previously asked about taking cuttings from this one. I obviously need to do that soon - so could I give it the final prune now while I'm at it - or go back for another hack in the Spring??
OM.
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Post by Rosefriend on Oct 15, 2006 18:57:07 GMT
Hi OM
I must admit that I would have taken cuttings sooner but take them asap - you can always take more next year.
Final pruning - oh dear no I wouldn't - it should always be in the Spring. Cap it so that high winds do not destroy it.
I always find that pruning roses would be so much easier if we knew what kind of a winter we would get - especially here. I have a couple of roses in the garden that are beautiful but they die back to nothing each year. Then of course it takes them ages to come through again - but I put up with it because they really are lovely.
I don't suppose you have managed to find out the name of the rose have you?
Rosefriend
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Post by oldmoleskins on Oct 15, 2006 19:58:06 GMT
No, not ID'd for sure yet - but have made contact with the previous owner who claims it's "written down somewhere", so there's hope yet...
OM.
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Post by Rosefriend on Oct 16, 2006 7:53:14 GMT
If you could ID it for sure it would be marvellous ..... keep us up to date OM
Rosefriend
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