Washington: Some roses not blooming

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by mmdeaton, Aug 26, 2010.

  1. mmdeaton

    mmdeaton Member

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    Location:
    Granite Falls, WA USA
    I live at 1600 ft in the Cascade Mts. East of Everett, WA. My front garden gets six+ hours of sun (when there is sun) everyday. About 7 years ago, I transplanted from my garden in Seattle an own root rose given to me by a friend. It is given to spreading via roots and has grown very healthily the entire time it has been in the ground, not encompassing and area about 4 ft in diameter. It sends up top growth at appears to be where flowers should appear, but they never do.

    The soil is sandy and well-draining. We get 60-100 inches of rain a year, but not in July and August of most years. I have amended the soil and I water deeply once a week from June on if there is not sufficient rain. Our soil is naturally acid. My rosa rugosa, moss rose, and two magic carpet roses bloom just fine in a different bed, but with similar conditions.

    I have a climbing rose of garden origin I purchased from someone at a farmer's market about 6 years ago, and this was the first year it has bloomed, but not very abundantly. Again, it has lots of leaves and looks healthy.

    Two years ago, I was told to put Epsom salts around the roses to get more blooms. It has not worked for this particular rose, and did not seem to have a very dramatic effect on any of the other roses.

    I was told by a woman at a local nursery to put bone meal on the roses that are not blooming. However, this was in early August and I was concerned about fertilizing too late in the season. Should I have put bone meal on the plant? Can I still do it, or should I wait until next year?

    Also, if bone meal is the answer, is there a way to make bone meal tea? If I spread bone meal around plants and rake it in or water it in, it still seems to attract forest creatures (and my dog). I have stopped using blood meal for that same reason.

    My basic fertilizer for everything is 3 parts cottonseed meal, 1 part bone meal, 1 part blood meal, 1/2 part kelp meal, 1/2 part greensand, and 1/2 part dolomite lime. This formula is one suggested by Steven Solomon in Growing Vegetables in the Pacific Northwest. It seemed to me it ought to be find for most plants, although I have thought about making up a bucket with less nitrogen for flowering plants.
     
  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Location:
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    What variety is the rose that is producing blind canes? Any sign of rose midge?

    Multiple cultural mistakes mentioned, including:

    - Amending of planting areas intended for long-lived plants

    - Application of epsom salts

    - Application of bone meal

    - Routine fertilization without sampling and testing of soil

    List of links to related discussions:

    http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda chalker-scott/Horticultural Myths_files/index.html
     
  3. mmdeaton

    mmdeaton Member

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    Location:
    Granite Falls, WA USA
    I do not know the variety of the rose that is not blooming. I know it is on its own root, as that is the only kind of roses my friend who gave it to me grows. It is a shrub rose and it spreads easily via roots or runners.

    I did sample and test the soil in the garden where the roses grow; I do this throughout my garden each spring. It showed no deficienies in N-P-K and acid Ph, which is common for the soil in the Cascades.

    I have not yet applied any bone meal this year, as I mentioned in my post, because I was unsure if I should do it so late in the season. There is no sign of any pests at all on the plant. It appears to be very healthy, with good color, no damaged or deformed leaves at all.
     
  4. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Location:
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    >I have not yet applied any bone meal this year<

    Good. Don't apply any later this year, or next year, or...

    See page on bone meal via link in list at above link.
     

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