Mailing Rosebushes
Mislabled Roses
Mr. Lincoln losing leaves
Mushrooms
Need Help with an Empty Bed
Northern Exposure
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Mailing Rosebushes

Question:
A friend of mine wants me to mail her a rosebush, and I was wondering if I cut it way back, if it would come back next year? 

Answer:
Summer is the bad time of the year to be sending a rosebush. It's likely to arrive well done from the heat. Wait until cooler fall temps or next spring. And yes you should cut back unless sending a potted plant but it's still a bad time to ship live plant material. 

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Mislabeled Roses

Question:
I heard that Gemini is supposed to be white with a little bit of pink at the edges. However, mine is not like that at all. I bought it at WalMart three weeks ago, pot grown and now it is planted in the ground. It is already blooming but all white blooms. No sign of pink at all.

Answer:
WalMart is notorious for mislabeled roses and it sounds like you may have a mislabeled rose.

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Mr. Lincoln Losing Leaves

Question:
Good morning, I have a problem with my Mr. Lincoln rose dropping all it's leaves. Three years ago it was beautiful with several blooms. Last year I started having black spot & mildew disease so I started using fungicide and have always used proper fertilization but as of now I have three healthy looking stems & no leaves. I sure hate to lose this beautiful plant and I'm open to suggestions. I thank you for your time and wish you a pleasant day.

Answer:
Leaf loss is typically due to blackspot, too much water, not enough water, spider mites, or too much heat. Spraying for blackspot is not a one time thing. You must start a regular schedule with what ever fungicide you use, starting at leafout in the spring and continuing until the first hard frost in the fall. Spider mites can cause leaf loss on the lower part of the bush. Check for small spots on the underside of the leaves. Watch them and if they move they are spider mites. They usually appear during hot dry weather. Washing the underside of the leaves daily with a strong flow of water from a water wand for a week will usually knock them off and interrupt their reproductive cycle. Then you can spray under the leaves each time you spray your fungicide to control them.

Original message from ARS Cyber Consulting Rosarian Committee

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Mushrooms

Question:
I have changed 13 plants to bigger pots this weekend. I moved Graham Thomas too, which is a big one. Before moving for few days I noticed mushrooms sprouting every single day. I took them out. Just when I was changing the pot, I noticed some kind of white substance on the soil (could be fungus)? Is it good or bad? My Graham Thomas doesn't bloom constantly ( I wish he is in full bloom always, my favorite). I am wondering if this fungus has anything to effect flowering. Help is appreciated.

Answer:
Chances are that white substance is the mushroom spore looking for some rotting woody matter to grow. Mushrooms will often grow in potting soil that contains a lot of partially composted wood chips. I have some Peter's potting soil that looks like it's made mostly from wood chips. At my old house I had removed some very large cottonwood trees and had the stumps ground out. After 16 years I still had mushrooms growing from those areas. Mushrooms are one of the many ways nature breaks down woody materials. As they die the nutrients they take up are released back into the soil in a form usable to the plants. The new fungicides like Compass were actually developed from the properties of mushrooms (a fungus) that prevents other fungi from growing near it. It's a class of fungicides called strobulins.

I don't believe your Graham Thomas is affected by the mushrooms. It's a fast grower and probably needs a bigger pot. To avoid the mushrooms, use a potting mix that doesn't contain so much wood, or horse manure. The commercial mushroom growers grow them in a processed horse manure so horse manure can also promote them.

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Need Help with an Empty Bed

Question:
So this is my second post today....lol... There's a lot I want to do with the yard and lately my mind is just constantly clicking with new ideas, etc. I have a great start so far - just want to expand on it all.

I have a pergola off the deck in the back - behind this area is a garden bed. I currently have petunias and snapdragons there - but only perennials I have in the bed right now are bellflowers and mums. (2 each on either side) -- there is a cedar tree planted in the middle as well. I'm planning on relocating the bellflowers to a new bed I'm putting in this fall so those will be gone from here. I thought about putting some roses in here -- but I think I'm going to have to move that cedar tree.

Answer: 
Dear, I'd love to help you fill that empty bed but my wife says "No Way!"

That Cedar tree is not a problem now but will be in the future. Best to move it while it's small so move it now. Do you want roses you'll need to fuss with and winter protect, or something bushy, hardy and carefree. You will not have as many choices for the later as someone from the south, but there are many available.

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Northern Exposure

Question:
I would like to have some roses in the bed front of my house, but my house faces north (actually, slightly northwest) and I have the feeling that you will all tell me "Don't do it! Have mercy on the little roses, Jen!" Anyway, it gets about half a day of sun, but it is afternoon sun.

Answer:
I had roses growing on the north side of my home in Griffith. I studied the sunlight for a few weeks. Close to the house there was no sun so I planted hostas and astilbes. About 10 feet out from the house I found I got 3 hours in the morning and 4-5 in the afternoon The roses planted there did well. The shadow of the house in the winter kept the ground frozen and protected the snow cover so they overwintered well in that location.

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