@PeterAberdeen, spraying insecticide is generally not an effective cure against sawfly, more likely to kill off beneficial insects. Your best defence is to inspect the underside of each leaf and rub them off when small - the bigger ones on top of the leaves can be picked off and squished. Pick off badly damaged leaves. Also inspect the canes for vertical slashes - they saw these wounds to lay their eggs in - and scrape them out with your fingernail. When the slugs mature they drop into the soil to pupate, voila, more sawflies the following year, so you really need to pick them off all roses not just Molly. It is a time-consuming and thankless task. They won’t kill your rose, some just live with the damage. However, I had a really bad infestation this year that defoliated several of my roses so badly they didn’t have enough energy to bloom 😠 My ‘Love Song’ is only just recovering and producing new growth, so I may see some blooms later.
As Tack says, you need the heavier soil-based JI No.3, mixed with some lighter MPC to help with drainage. Roses in pots need lots of regular deep watering to get right to the roots and feeding to keep them healthy and blooming. An inorganic granule food like Miracle Gro slow release food for shrubs and roses is good - lightly mixed in the top inch of the potting mix. Then fortnightly liquid tomato feed during the summer to encourage blooming.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Anyone here (probably @Tack has it) thinks Grafin Diana (Kordes) is not worth the real estate? My issues.. it blooms pretty late in the season and hence has a smaller season compared to others.. blooms are small for a hybrid tea but habit is mostly HT with single blooms at then end of extremely thorny branches.. rarely a branch would have a cluster.. For now it is on the WL to be axed before next season.. others in the possible list are Harlow Carr, Rose de Molinard..
I got rid of it last year @cooldoc for all the reasons you mention. I loved it as a smaller plant but it became hideously wide and thorny in a pot. I do miss the early season foliage colour and the black buds though.
‘Too much bush and not enough bloom’ is a common complaint on other forums about Grafin Diana @cooldoc but be interesting to hear other views here. If Tack has it it’s probably magnificent! It’s a shame about La Rose de Molinard blooms spoiling in rain because when conditions are right the highly scented blooms are superb.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Does anyone know where to get cheap Tomorite this year (£4 or under)? Wilko now only sell it in large 2.5L bottles that are much harder to wield IMO.
Had really been looking forward to rosa Dame Deborah James but... this isn't it.
The curse of the Harkness mislabel strikes again. They must pick their roses for despatch using the wobbly mechanical claw from an arcade plush toy grabber machine. Looks uncannily like the Starlight Symphony I just got from Cottage Memories.
Lavender Lassie
Some of the just-opening buds of "Bouquet de la mariée" were stymied by the twenty minutes of rain we had a few days back, but those blooms that have struggled open are nice.
Marchenzauber, already straining out of its temporary 40cm pot.... As is the The Sun and the Heart, which is only supposed to be tiny. Will find it better accommodation when the ground isn't rock-hard.
And for Elbfee, in thanks for the Petit Prince pics, another one of Fragrant Plum.
Armada... many more flowers this year but still stubbornly refusing to grow a third cane.
My first clematis opening... at long last... forget its name. With Bathsheba. And probably my favourite rose I planted from bareroot this year- Liliana.
Does anyone know where to get cheap Tomorite this year (£4 or under)? Wilko now only sell it in large 2.5L bottles that are much harder to wield IMO.
Not sure about good prices, but I agree the 2.5L bottle is difficult to handle.
I usually transfer my bulk liquids to a smaller bottle where it’s easier to pour and measure from. As you can see, I favour an old 1.5L Gro-Sure bottle with handle — stained from old Tomorite and seaweed extract transfers 😅
I do the pouring in a beaten up washing up bowl, so if any liquid spills during the transfer (which happens often), I can rinse it out/dilute with water and use it so nothing goes to waste.
Posts
As Tack says, you need the heavier soil-based JI No.3, mixed with some lighter MPC to help with drainage. Roses in pots need lots of regular deep watering to get right to the roots and feeding to keep them healthy and blooming. An inorganic granule food like Miracle Gro slow release food for shrubs and roses is good - lightly mixed in the top inch of the potting mix. Then fortnightly liquid tomato feed during the summer to encourage blooming.
Pretty blooms spoiled by the remains of petals that refuse to budge off the plant.. I am frequently deadheading..
..strewn petals are all part of the appeal, but this is too much.. I find it a total mess..
'Sophie's Perpetual'..
.. a seeded Poppy..
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1068976/roses-autumn-winter-2022-23/p41
Had really been looking forward to rosa Dame Deborah James but... this isn't it.
The curse of the Harkness mislabel strikes again. They must pick their roses for despatch using the wobbly mechanical claw from an arcade plush toy grabber machine. Looks uncannily like the Starlight Symphony I just got from Cottage Memories.
Lavender Lassie
Some of the just-opening buds of "Bouquet de la mariée" were stymied by the twenty minutes of rain we had a few days back, but those blooms that have struggled open are nice.
Marchenzauber, already straining out of its temporary 40cm pot....
As is the The Sun and the Heart, which is only supposed to be tiny. Will find it better accommodation when the ground isn't rock-hard.
And for Elbfee, in thanks for the Petit Prince pics, another one of Fragrant Plum.
Armada... many more flowers this year but still stubbornly refusing to grow a third cane.
My first clematis opening... at long last... forget its name. With Bathsheba.
And probably my favourite rose I planted from bareroot this year- Liliana.
I usually transfer my bulk liquids to a smaller bottle where it’s easier to pour and measure from. As you can see, I favour an old 1.5L Gro-Sure bottle with handle — stained from old Tomorite and seaweed extract transfers 😅
I do the pouring in a beaten up washing up bowl, so if any liquid spills during the transfer (which happens often), I can rinse it out/dilute with water and use it so nothing goes to waste.
@zugenie I wanted to say thanks for the tip on uploading photos, that’s even faster!
Pheno Geno Draga/Hallie opening up more in the sun — it stays a bit more red for me @ElbFee although the old flowers do go magenta as you can see
Souvenir de St Anne’s:
Lady Hillingdon, shrub form. In second year ‘creep’ stage:
Royal Celebration:
Munstead Wood has thrown up a thick 5ft basal towering over the rest, topped with an unusually large cluster. Never seen this vigour before: