What do to with a runt rose bush

 

The previous owners of my house planted a row of 6 rose bushes.  One
of them is a "runt"; 1/2 the size of the others right now and never
seems to catch up.  It seems healthy, just small.  I know almost
nothing about roses.  Is there something I can do to help it catch
up?  Fertilize the small one?  Cut the big ones back?  I'm near
Albany, NY (whatever zone that may be).

 

On Sun, 9 May 2010 13:10:40 -0700 (PDT), Chris Nelson


There are many types of roses, all with different growing habits...
you can always move them.  Are you north or south of Albany, I'm
south.  I'm not a big fan of roses, they're too fussy.  I have one
hybrid rose bush that the last owner left as a foundation planting, it
it died I'd not feel bad.  There are a lot of wild roses here growing
in my hedgerows, I hate their thorns.

 


Yes, I know.  But these appear to all be the same type.  They spout at
the same time, have the same color foliage and blooms, etc.


I might end up doing that; ripping out the runt and redistributing the
others.


North (lower Saratoga county).


These pretty much just grow.  I feed them now and then but not much
else.

 

On 5/9/10 1:10 PM, Chris Nelson wrote:

Some roses simply grow small.  Some grow large.

I have seven roses growing in a line parallel to my driveway.  Closest
to the public sidewalk is 'Oregold' followed by 'Paradise'; both are
quite small bushes, about 2 ft tall.  Then there are 'Brandy' and 'Pink
Perfume'; both grow medium size.  The next one is 'Honor' followed by
'Mr. Lincoln'; both can grow taller than I am.  Finally, I have '4th of
July', a climber growing along a wire that runs from the eaves of my
neighbor's one-story house to about 10 ft up on the side of my two-story
house; I have stand on a bench to prune it and to remove dead flowers.
You can stand on the public sidewalk and see all seven plants in bloom
without the plants in front hiding the ones in back.

--
David E. Ross
Climate:  California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at <http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary>

 

On Sun, 9 May 2010 13:10:40 -0700 (PDT), Chris Nelson


Give it time.  There is LOT to know about roses and they are typically
high maintenance if you want them to look their best.  I wouldn't want
to provide care for more than a few.