I remember beds of HTs suckering back in the 50/60s - I think that was mainly 'cos their graft union was a good way above the soil surface and they were really bashed about by the North Easterlies in the winter, also Ma dug around them every spring to get the Ground Elder out - no wonder they suckered.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
..that's interesting..but gosh...that's a while ago...I don't remember roses growing as a child, only privet...lol...
I started growing roses from mid 1980's... and the only sucker I've ever had to deal with was on a standard..it suckered repeatedly to the point I got rid of it...
...on the issue of whether to bury the graft or leave it above ground... I think one of the main reasons for growing it above ground is that the rose won't develop it's own roots....if it's planted 3 or 4 inches below soil, it's likely to do just that, over time... and if so, will eventually discard the rootstock which can cause a deterioration in the plant...... not all roses grow so well on their own roots...
...regardless... I still tend to plant perhaps 2 inches below, or sometimes at ground level as a compromise... as like you say, they can suffer wind rock otherwise, and might need staking...something I don't like to do with any plant actually...think it looks rather ugly...don't you..?
Really grateful to you guys for all your expert advice and comments. Do new shoots like mine usually look very different from the main plant? ie large thorns?
..well, they can do Lyn seeing as you only planted it 3 months ago..so your rose is trying to establish itself... however, you've done the right thing by contacting Austin's...although they didn't breed this rose..it's been around a long time now..since 1937...and is best regarded as a Hybrid Musk rose..so there must be countless Ballerina's up and down the country...
...I wouldn't remove the stem at this stage...even if it does turn out to be a sucker..which I doubt...you will know when it flowers, as it will most likely be a small white flower with 5 petals..and very different to what you should have...don't worry about it...leave to develop and see what happens... you can always remove it later if it is...but also you wouldn't want to ruin your new rose by cutting off a young vigorous stem...
..I should add that, of course if it's the Ballerina shoot then you will know soon enough as it will flower itself before too long...
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That's also my experience ore recently Salino.
I remember beds of HTs suckering back in the 50/60s - I think that was mainly 'cos their graft union was a good way above the soil surface and they were really bashed about by the North Easterlies in the winter, also Ma dug around them every spring to get the Ground Elder out - no wonder they suckered.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
..that's interesting..but gosh...that's a while ago...I don't remember roses growing as a child, only privet...lol...
I started growing roses from mid 1980's... and the only sucker I've ever had to deal with was on a standard..it suckered repeatedly to the point I got rid of it...
...on the issue of whether to bury the graft or leave it above ground... I think one of the main reasons for growing it above ground is that the rose won't develop it's own roots....if it's planted 3 or 4 inches below soil, it's likely to do just that, over time... and if so, will eventually discard the rootstock which can cause a deterioration in the plant...... not all roses grow so well on their own roots...
...regardless... I still tend to plant perhaps 2 inches below, or sometimes at ground level as a compromise... as like you say, they can suffer wind rock otherwise, and might need staking...something I don't like to do with any plant actually...think it looks rather ugly...don't you..?
I do Salino - not keen on stakes - probably why I'm not that keen on standards - I was so relieved when I felt my lollipop bay could stand on its own.
Steaks on the other hand, are a different matter
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Really grateful to you guys for all your expert advice and comments. Do new shoots like mine usually look very different from the main plant? ie large thorns?
..well, they can do Lyn seeing as you only planted it 3 months ago..so your rose is trying to establish itself... however, you've done the right thing by contacting Austin's...although they didn't breed this rose..it's been around a long time now..since 1937...and is best regarded as a Hybrid Musk rose..so there must be countless Ballerina's up and down the country...
...I wouldn't remove the stem at this stage...even if it does turn out to be a sucker..which I doubt...you will know when it flowers, as it will most likely be a small white flower with 5 petals..and very different to what you should have...don't worry about it...leave to develop and see what happens... you can always remove it later if it is...but also you wouldn't want to ruin your new rose by cutting off a young vigorous stem...
..I should add that, of course if it's the Ballerina shoot then you will know soon enough as it will flower itself before too long...
The RHS website describes Rosa Ballerina as having "usually thorny stems" , so your long shoots sound right
http://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=5228
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.