Save the Pompon de Bourgogne!

Discussion in 'Rosa (roses)' started by singer74, Apr 11, 2008.

  1. singer74

    singer74 Active Member

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    Location:
    Upstate NY - Zone 5/6
    Hello all,
    I have a very small (2-year-old?) Pompon de Bourgogne that I planted late last summer by our front door. It reached about 16" high by fall, but then this winter it froze back almost to the ground. Its teeny little canes are still green, are about 5" tall and have no leaves. A couple bud swellings are evident here & there, so it is still alive.

    The spot where it now resides doesn't get any direct sun. I didn't know very much about this rose when I planted it, and now that I know it is going to stay small (and that it needs some sun!!) I'm thinking of transplanting it to a container and putting it in a sunny spot on our deck. Is it safe to dig up the plant now and pot it? Any special considerations or tips?
     
  2. plantenthusiast

    plantenthusiast Active Member

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    Location:
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    Singer74,

    Sounds like your rose will need winter protection in future seasons; this can be achieved by mulching around the base of the plants (don't pile it up on the trunk or it may be prone to rot) and setting up a little enclosure made from burlap & stakes. Another option (I believe your specific variety gets to be about 2 ft) is to pot it up, and to move it to a sheltered location to overwinter, such as an unheated greenhouse, cold frame or unheated garage. Be sure to check the pot each season to ensure that the plant has enough room; it may need to be potted up as it gets bigger.

    If you do decide to move the plant, do it while it is still dormant, although I would say perhaps it may do better after danger of frost has past (but preferably before it leafs out too much). Make sure you amend the soil and give it some compost or well rotted manure. Try to keep the rootball intact when you dig it up, as this will help to ease transplant shock. Please note that your rose may suffer serious transplant shock if you move it during growing season immediately to a sunny location. For regular care, your rose will do best in full sun, partial sun at the very least.

    If the stems are dead, then prune back to a nice set of buds that are swelling; the inside of the stem should have green in it when you cut it off. It should get growing in no time!

    Good luck,
     
  3. Weekend Gardener

    Weekend Gardener Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
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    It will never do well without direct sunlight - you have to move it to a spot where it will get at least 6 hours of sunlight. Pompon de Bourgogne (Burgundy rose or centifolia parvifolia) is hardy - reportedly to USDA Zone 4-5. But a weak rose, for example one grown in shade, is going to be significantly less cold hardy.
     
  4. singer74

    singer74 Active Member

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    Thank you both for the info. I am in Zone 5-6 which should be more than adequate for this variety, but having it in shade all the time probably has weakened it. I have a sunroom that is unheated and uncooled. I am going to dig the plant up ASAP and pot it, then keep it in a not-too-sunny part of the sunroom until our weather warms up, and then move the container out to the sunny part of the deck. I'll try to remember to post back in a month or 2 and let you know how it's doing! :-) I'm sure it will be fine though, if it could survive an entire fall season in full shade and then a whole winter. I have a few other "baby" roses (including some wild cuttings) in the sunroom and they just love it out there.
     
  5. 1950Greg

    1950Greg Active Member

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    Location:
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    Be carefull with roses in containers. They do not like their roots exposed to heat. Black plastic pots are not the best choice when placed in direct sun light. I like to double pot some of my cuttings by putting a bigger pot on the outside for some insulation. I suppose ceramic pots would be a better choice in the long term.
     
  6. Weekend Gardener

    Weekend Gardener Active Member 10 Years

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    Greg is absolutely right. The smaller the container, the bigger the problem. The pots of my container plants are shielded from the sun. In any case, if you are using a nursery pot, you would want to put that pot into a decorative pot to make it look good.
     
  7. singer74

    singer74 Active Member

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    Location:
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    Containers can be tricky I guess.... I forgot that we do have a built-in, raised container in the corner of our deck that is about 1.5' x 2' x 2.5', and all that's in it now is some violas. That spot gets several hours of sun a day. I would attach a pic but it kind of looks a little scuffed now because the deck needs refinishing! :-)

    I had a hydrangea in there last summer but unfortunately that plant didn't make it (it was already sick when I put it in there). How do you think that would work?
     
  8. Weekend Gardener

    Weekend Gardener Active Member 10 Years

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    That's a good sized container - it will be happy there as long as it gets more than 5-6 hours of direct sun light per day. What kind of soil do you have in there? As a rule, I prefer to replace the soil in the container. I use Sunshine #4, with some water absorbent polymer crystals, bone meal and slow release fertiliser added. Make sure there is good drainage. I usually put in a one inch layer of 1/2 to 1 inch lava rock in the bottom, and cover with a piece of landscape fabric, before I throw in the potting medium.
     

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