I have a bed of hybrid tea roses, planted 12 years ago. The roses seem to suffer from blind shoots too often, and the original graft areas, just at ground level, look ancient, although they occasionally produce new canes.
Should I dig them up while still dormant, and replant in the same bed? or can I leave them planted as is, just remove and replace soil without disturbing roots?
I am thinking of adding about 50% Milorganite (or in NJ, OceanGro) to the soil before replacing. Perhaps also peat and fine pine bark? Drainage is good here in the Pine Barrens, sandy soil, and they receive full sun.
Any thoughts on rejuvenating this old bed would be appreciated, thank you.
John
I would consider a somewhat more composted wood product than pine bark. Landscaper’s soil ammendments are typically composed predominantly of composted wood products. In addition to that and some peat, I mix in of a good bit of alfalfa meal (available as horse feed), well-composted poultry manure, blood and bone meals, and a dash of epsom salts, among other minor ammendments, but it depends on your soil.
Some organics will actually tie-up nitrogen while they decompose. I don’t know if the alfalfa meal does this, but since I dig it in under dormant bare-root plants, I figure that’s OK. And any warmth generated by microbial activity, I figure, can’t hurt root development.
In the south, folks will frequently bury the graft. I’m not sure of the rationale – perhaps in the hope that the part above the union might root? Most of the rosarians I know tend to replace their grafted roses periodically. You might want to evaluate whether your plants are worth trying to keep.
At this time of the year you can probably just cut the bushes down to just above the graft. This will get rid of most of the old wood, and new wood will replace it. However, before you do this, make sure that the roses are protected from roaming and hungry animals. New growth is very easy to damage, and if your roses are in an area where dogs and deer and children or careless adults travel, your roses may need that old wood to protect themselves.
Peter
You’re going to read many varying theories and experiences, but under IDEAL conditions, most I’ve seen here and many people I’ve corresponded and spoken with agree that the average maximum “productive” life expectancy of most budded varieties is about 25 years. Notice “ideal” and “maximum”. Many are worn out much earlier than that for many reasons, culture being a major one.
Personally, I love horse manure. Water very well before application. Keep it away from the bud unions so they don’t get buried, and water well after application to flush through the “nitrogen” and thoroughly wet it so it keeps “cooking”. Of course, this is best accomplished with heat, so the bacteria keep digesting it quickly. I never dig anything into the soil once things are planted in it because in my climate, the insects, birds and other critters keep that done for me quite well, without disturbing any roots and without generating “groves” of Dr. Huey. Adding some balanced organic fertilizers and something generic and inorganic such as Grow Power Plus seems to work wonders on the stuff we call “dirt” here. More than enough nutrients to get and keep things cooking and growing, yet no where near enough to actually burn anything. From experience, it even breaks up hard sandstone plateau scrapings.
Unless the roses you’re thinking of replanting are particularly valuable to you, or difficult to replace types, it just might be the perfect opportunity to replace them with potentially healthier, more useful things to your obsession. Otherwise, if I were doing it, I’d use whatever organic fertilizers you can easily and cost effectively obtain, likewise with renewable organic amendments, mulch and water well and let Nature do the hard work for me.
Interestingly, there was an article in a 70’s, if I recall correctly, ARS annual about the composition of pine bark and the neat effects it was shown to have “cleaning” nematodes from the soil. I’ll have to add it to the list of things to look for.
John, how big is the bed you are talking about. Are your roses still dormant ?. If iot is possible and you would like to save all the one’s you have, can they be dug, kept somewhere, take some of the soil away and place some fresh ammended soils that other members have come up with, just an alternative idea.
Thank you all very much for your helpful suggestions, you’ve given me some good ideas to think about.