a rose question

[Ladygardener]

I bought a rose the other day L'Aimant. It's a bush rose and supposed to be highly perfumed. ;D I've never grown a rose before and Amo kindly gave me advice r.e it not having many roots. Well it seems to droop a lot in the full sunshine, I suspect it may not be as hardy as this heatwave needs it to be so I have it in a spot which it does seem to like better.
Sorry to drag on, my questions are 1. do roses usually need a lot of water or is it because it's newly planted. It was in a 5 ltr pot so it's a good size.
2 I planted it up to just below the graft. Was this the right thing or should I have covered the graft.
Sorry to be so inexperienced and I have looked at other threads about roses but there's too much info there for my head. ;D

[Rosefriend]

May 7, 2008 17:08:27 GMT Ladygardener said:

I bought a rose the other day L'Aimant. It's a bush rose and supposed to be highly perfumed. ;D I've never grown a rose before and Amo kindly gave me advice r.e it not having many roots. Well it seems to droop a lot in the full sunshine, I suspect it may not be as hardy as this heatwave needs it to be so I have it in a spot which it does seem to like better.
Sorry to drag on, my questions are 1. do roses usually need a lot of water or is it because it's newly planted. It was in a 5 ltr pot so it's a good size.
2 I planted it up to just below the graft. Was this the right thing or should I have covered the graft.
Sorry to be so inexperienced and I have looked at other threads about roses but there's too much info there for my head. ;D

LNG - I suspect what has happened is that you have just planted/bought it and we get this wonderful weather (it may have been in a GH as well) - it needs water but will only accept so much. Don't move it again - leave it where it is - perhaps a little shade from the midday sun (sheet of newspaper perhaps) and water it either mornings (my preference) or evenings when it is cooler. If it was in a 5litre pot it should have some fairly good roots already - depending on when it was potted up.

1. Roses tend to need more water in the first year - I rarely water after that unless we are getting a super summer and then everything needs more water.

2. The graft should always be approx. 5 cms under the ground. So - the easier way is to mound up the earth around the graft, setting it deeper - if that is possible. If it is going to stick out like a sore thumb, no matter what you do, you could dig it up and replant. Try mounding up slightly first and see what happens.

Roses are pretty tough things actually but there are some simple rules that one should follow for really good roses.

Hope that helps a little - let us know how things have gone.

RF

[Ladygardener]

Oh thank you RF for your very helpful advice. I ment to say it's in an old bin I got from a skip the other day so I've not actually been digging it out to move it. I now have it where it will not get any midday sun and it does look happier when I came home from work than it did yesterday. I think you are right about it maybe being in a greenhouse before.
Thankfully I had the sense to ask here for some advice. I'll replant the graft below the soil. You've been a really great help thanks again.

[Rosefriend]

If it is in an old bin and you can move it around , that is great.

Either wait until we have a little cooler weather to plant it out or gradually get it used to the heat.

Good luck

RF

[Amo]

And do be a little patient LNG. I always think the first year is for a plant to get happy. It sorts out all the bits underground you can't see. NEXT year it will say thank you. ;D

[Ladygardener]

Thanks you guys for your support, it's got it's grafted bit planted underneath the soil now and it's looking really happy.

[Rosefriend]

It certainly looks happy enough to me LNG - I am looking forward to seeing it in flower.

RF

[Ladygardener]

Thank you RF it owes its life to you and Amo for your good advice. ;D