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Rose problems
laurensimmonds30j3npN-ik
Posts: 7
Hello, I have a 3 year old David Austen Rose which bloomed beautifully in the first 2 years. This year however it has not bloomed much at all and the leaves look very strange. I am a novice gardener and not sure how to fix. I got this Rose as a wedding gift so I would be very sad if it died. If it helps, I pruned it early spring (maybe I did this wrong or too much). I have fed it every few weeks since late spring when it started to grow again. I water regularly as its south facing so gets alot of sun . It is planted in a large pot because i rent my home and want to be able to bring it with me when i move. Any asvice would be really appreciated. Thank you
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Posts
I’m very much not an expert but here’s what I would do in general terms (even if the rose isn’t pot bound), given that the potting mix doesn’t sound like it’s been refreshed in three years:
- Use a pot at least 60cm in diameter and 60cm deep.
- The pot must have lots of drainage holes.
- I tend to use a plastic pot that sits within a decorative pot (that also has drainage holes) — easier to handle when repotting a few years later.
- Avoid using a pot shaped like this:
- Better shape below — easier when you have to ease the rose out for repotting:
- Position the pot in the sunniest spot you can provide.
- Put the pot up on wooden blocks or pot feet, so it can drain well.
- For the potting mix, I would use two thirds John Innes Number 3 and one third multipurpose compost or well rotted manure to counteract the heaviness of the JI3; also a handful or three of horticultural grit for extra drainage. Note: multipurpose compost alone does not have enough nutrients to keep a rose going in a pot for a year or two.
- Pot up the rose with the potting mix level with the current level of the rose in the pot.
- Water the rose thoroughly in its new pot (e.g. with ~12 litres of water) to help settle the soil around its roots.
- Water deeply (e.g. ~12 litres of water at a time) when the top two inches of the soil feels dry — this might be weekly but could be every 3 days if it’s been really hot. Keep in mind that a lot of foliage can prevent rain from getting to the pot so just check even if it’s been raining a lot. Being close to a wall/door may also mean it’s in rain shadow.
- In late winter — I usually do it in February — prune the plant; then scrape off the top couple of inches of compost carefully and replace with well rotted manure; finally scatter a handful of rose food with micronutrients (e.g. Empathy, Top Rose) around the base of the rose and lightly mix in.
- Every three or so years, repot the rose (or just put it into the ground, where it can independently search for the water/nutrients it needs from a wider area and won’t need repotting). Even if a rose is fed regularly in a pot, it will eventually use up the goodness in the potting mix and the best thing is to refresh the mix, as @Ceres mentioned.
- @debs64 mentioned this on another rose problem thread, and I think it could apply here too: “Roses are tough and I find they respond well to pruning. I would cut off all the dead/unhealthy bits then follow the advice given and your rose will flourish.”
At the end you mentioned pruning it, should I follow the steps as advised then prune now, or better to wait to prune until nearer February?
I’d say for now just to cut off any particularly small or poorly looking stems/leaves (really yellow or spotty leaves, or brown/dead stems).
And then in late winter you can prune it fully — a simple diagram here: https://pin.it/1W4VpcY