Oh O! What have I done?

Discussion in 'Rosa (roses)' started by JustPeg, Jun 27, 2008.

  1. JustPeg

    JustPeg Member

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    Hello Everyone,
    I'm new here and hope this question hasn't been asked too many times.

    I was looking at my new climbing rose and noticed most of the leaves have gone yellow and the flower heads are wilting and losing their petals.
    When I first planted the rose, I pilled it high ontop of the soil, as I am going to put brand new soil, manure mixed with top soil, in the garden as it has alot of clay in it. It's awful soil actually.

    I piled plenty of the thick black soil from my compost heap around it. It actually looks more like a Rose Hill or Mound.

    Should I have just left it in the clay and fertilized or is this just shock from being transplanted? I water it every 2 days and have fertilized with a basic one, as to not burn it with fertilizers I have no experience with?

    Long question, but I wanted to give alot of info also.
    Thank you,
    JustPeg
     
  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Sounds like it could be either transplanting shock (root damage) or overwatering.
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2008
  3. Eric La Fountaine

    Eric La Fountaine Contributor Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Hey Peg, I deleted your other post. We find it is better to keep the conversation in one thread. Otherwise it gets confusing. If no replies after a day or two you can always reply to your own thread to bump it back up in the queue.

    Not sure what is happening with your rose. I wonder if the compost may have been too rich or perhaps not fully ripe, so to speak. Not sure about your planting situation either. By mounding the compost around the plant, it would seem you are planting it in a 'compost pot'. There will be a sort of natural barrier for water transfer between these distinct mediums. It will be difficult for the roots to go into the clay soil where the normal dispersal and retention of water occurs. If this is a large area, it will not be such an issue. The first layer (compost soil) will distribute the water to the layer below as happens in nature and be able to retain moisture better. I think it would be better to plant the rose in the soil and use the compost as mulch. The nutrients will dissolve and sink down into the lower layer.

    Do you have any photos of the rose?
     
  4. JustPeg

    JustPeg Member

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    Thank you Eric.
    I can take a pic of it then post it on Saturday in the evening when I'm off work. Sounds like you've probably solved the problem, but I would however like you to see it. check back tomorrow evening if you have time.
    Thanks a "rose heap". lol.
    JustPeg
     
  5. JustPeg

    JustPeg Member

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    Thank you Ron, I thought of that too. But being a rose, I expected it to be a more complicated reason. They are finicky and tend to react to the slightest thing. But sometimes, the answers are right in front of our own noses and we can't see the forest for the trees. Thank you again. :)
     
  6. JustPeg

    JustPeg Member

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    Dear Eric,
    Sorry I haven't posted pics of the climber rose, Problem with my camera. Anyway, I did what you said. I dug the hole deeper in the clay soil and layed the compost in the bottom of the hole, I also soaked the rootball in a rooting fertilizer for transplanting roses, then filled the hole and poured more onto the surface of the dirt. I sure hope it works. This rose was a gift from a friend.
    Thanks again,
    Happy Gardening
    JustPeg
     
  7. Weekend Gardener

    Weekend Gardener Active Member 10 Years

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    I am trying to visualise what you have done around the rose. A picture would be useful. If you have buried the roots too deep, that would be a problem for watering and aeration. The other concern with fresh compost is what's in it. If it is high in soluble salts, it can create another set of problem.

    I would like to dispel the notion that roses are finicky. There are thousands of varieties of rose distributed between more than a dozen classes, and close to 100 subclasses. Amongst this large group of plants, there are those that are as hardy as nails, and others that need constant pampering. I.e., only some roses are finicky.
     
  8. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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  9. JustPeg

    JustPeg Member

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    Dear Ron,
    the Rose seems happy now. The flowers themselves are wilted, but the yellowing in the leaves is going and the limbs are picking up quite nicely. I think replanting it in the claysoil, with the compost goop in the bottom of the hole, worked well... I also soaked the rootball in a transplanting solution I got from Garden works. I think it will be just fine now.
    Thank you. I'll keep you posted.
    JustPeg.
     
  10. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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