My mother has a rose garden in her house in the Channel Islands and it's a
very old one. (My family has owned the house for 50 years and it was there
when we moved in) The roses really aren't thriving, even the younger
replacements and we're wondering what she can do about this. It seems clear
that the soil is 'rose sick'. Moving the rose garden to another area isn't
an option and this location is ideal as it's towards the end of the sloping
garden but hidden from sight by a hedge so that nobody has to look at a load
of bare sticks in winter!
We're all wondering whether the rose beds can be dug out and new soil
imported to refill them and if so, to what depth they should be dug out etc.
She very much wants to keep it as a rose garden because she's always known
it that way and my late stepfather loved it dearly. Has anyone else ever
tried doing this to rejuvenate old rose beds?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

"Sacha" <sacha [at] privacy.net> wrote in message
news:C0BC0B1C.321ED%sacha [at] privacy.net...
> My mother has a rose garden in her house in the Channel Islands and it's a
> very old one. (My family has owned the house for 50 years and it was
there
> when we moved in) The roses really aren't thriving, even the younger
> replacements and we're wondering what she can do about this. It seems
clear
> that the soil is 'rose sick'. Moving the rose garden to another area
isn't
> an option and this location is ideal as it's towards the end of the
sloping
> garden but hidden from sight by a hedge so that nobody has to look at a
load
> of bare sticks in winter!
> We're all wondering whether the rose beds can be dug out and new soil
> imported to refill them and if so, to what depth they should be dug out
etc.
> She very much wants to keep it as a rose garden because she's always known
> it that way and my late stepfather loved it dearly. Has anyone else ever
> tried doing this to rejuvenate old rose beds?
> --
> Sacha
> www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
> South Devon
> (email address on website)
>
The RHS were trialing planting in cardboard boxes full of fresh compost, I
think the idea is by the time the rose gets through the box its got going.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

On 19/6/06 10:30, in article 44966cc2$1_3 [at] mk-nntp-1.news.uk.worldonline.com,
"Charlie Pridham" <charlie.pridham [at] lineone.net> wrote:

<snip>
> The RHS were trialing planting in cardboard boxes full of fresh compost, I
> think the idea is by the time the rose gets through the box its got going.

Interesting idea, though I suppose one could just dig a large hole and fill
it with fresh compost, too. It's a bit like the idea that you can plant
something in the wrong soil as long as you start it off in the right
compost, I suppose.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

In article <C0BC0B1C.321ED%sacha [at] privacy.net>, Sacha <sacha [at] privacy.net>
writes
> The roses really aren't thriving, even the younger replacements and
>we're wondering what she can do about this. It seems clear that the
>soil is 'rose sick'. Moving the rose garden to another area isn't an
>option and this location is ideal as it's towards the end of the
>sloping garden but hidden from sight by a hedge so that nobody has to
>look at a load of bare sticks in winter! We're all wondering whether
>the rose beds can be dug out and new soil imported to refill them and
>if so, to what depth they should be dug out etc.
Is this possibly the sort of situation that Rootgrow or Rootgrow plus
might help? As it happens we were buying a couple of new roses at the
weekend and Pococks who are a local rose specialist suggested this
particularly as one of the roses was to replace another that hadn't
grown so well for us.

Promotional stuff of possible interest here:
http://www.eastofedenplants.co.uk/rootgrow.htm

maker's websites:
http://www.friendlyfungi.co.uk/
and
http://www.plantworksuk.co.uk/mycorhhiza/frameset.html

Regards, Colin
--
Colin Brook - Winchester (UK)
mailto:colin [at] cbassoc.demon.co.uk
Tel:+44(0)1962-714030 Fax:+44(0)8701641293 Mobile:07976258703

On 19/6/06 14:11, in article yuI+XrJOKqlEFwmj [at] cbassoc.demon.co.uk, "Colin
Brook" <colin [at] cbassoc.demon.co.uk> wrote:

> In article <C0BC0B1C.321ED%sacha [at] privacy.net>, Sacha <sacha [at] privacy.net>
> writes
>> The roses really aren't thriving, even the younger replacements and
>> we're wondering what she can do about this. It seems clear that the
>> soil is 'rose sick'.
<snip>
> Is this possibly the sort of situation that Rootgrow or Rootgrow plus
> might help? As it happens we were buying a couple of new roses at the
> weekend and Pococks who are a local rose specialist suggested this
> particularly as one of the roses was to replace another that hadn't
> grown so well for us.
>
> Promotional stuff of possible interest here:
> http://www.eastofedenplants.co.uk/rootgrow.htm
>
> maker's websites:
> http://www.friendlyfungi.co.uk/
> and
> http://www.plantworksuk.co.uk/mycorhhiza/frameset.html
>

Very many thanks. I'll pass all that on to her - sounds as if it could be
a real help.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

true, thinking behind it is soil which is rose sick will affect the
ability of new roses to establish and grow strongly, but by time the
cardboard has rotted the rose will be strong enough to not be too badly
affected by soil sickness. well, thats the thinking at least

Charlie Pridham Wrote:
> The RHS were trialing planting in cardboard boxes full of fresh compost,
> I
> think the idea is by the time the rose gets through the box its got
> going.
>


--
Tiger303

Sacha wrote:
> My mother has a rose garden in her house in the Channel Islands and it's a
> very old one. (My family has owned the house for 50 years and it was there
> when we moved in) The roses really aren't thriving, even the younger
> replacements and we're wondering what she can do about this. It seems clear
> that the soil is 'rose sick'. Moving the rose garden to another area isn't
> an option and this location is ideal as it's towards the end of the sloping
> garden but hidden from sight by a hedge so that nobody has to look at a load
> of bare sticks in winter!
> We're all wondering whether the rose beds can be dug out and new soil
> imported to refill them and if so, to what depth they should be dug out etc.
> She very much wants to keep it as a rose garden because she's always known
> it that way and my late stepfather loved it dearly. Has anyone else ever
> tried doing this to rejuvenate old rose beds?

Jersey or Guernsey or elsewhere?
As a Guernseyman, I could say Jerseymen can't grow roses!
If in Guernsey, she may know the rose beds in Saumarez Park, which I
believe were dug out a few years ago (to some degree) and replanted. The
roses there currently are not too good or vigorous!
Water and feeding seems essential even if the soil is changed.

I believe I have seen in gardening book that top 18in. needs replacing
if you are digging out the soil!

On 19/6/06 23:23, in article 449723d4$0$657$bed64819 [at] pubnews.gradwell.net,
"Eric" <e.ferbrache [at] newtelsurf.com> wrote:

> Sacha wrote:
>> My mother has a rose garden in her house in the Channel Islands and it's a
>> very old one. <snip>
>
> Jersey or Guernsey or elsewhere?
> As a Guernseyman, I could say Jerseymen can't grow roses!<snip>
>
Oh my, are we going to get into that one? Too late for the Muratti?!
I think that I'll just say that between the entire family we know both
Saumarez Park and Samares Manor!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

Sacha wrote:
> On 19/6/06 23:23, in article 449723d4$0$657$bed64819 [at] pubnews.gradwell.net,
> "Eric" <e.ferbrache [at] newtelsurf.com> wrote:
>
>> Sacha wrote:
>>> My mother has a rose garden in her house in the Channel Islands and it's a
>>> very old one. <snip>
>> Jersey or Guernsey or elsewhere?
>> As a Guernseyman, I could say Jerseymen can't grow roses!<snip>
>>
> Oh my, are we going to get into that one? Too late for the Muratti?!
> I think that I'll just say that between the entire family we know both
> Saumarez Park and Samares Manor!
Well....just tell us how YOUR roses grow in Devon!

On 20/6/06 22:10, in article 4498644f$0$656$bed64819 [at] pubnews.gradwell.net,
"Eric" <e.ferbrache [at] newtelsurf.com> wrote:

> Sacha wrote:
>> On 19/6/06 23:23, in article 449723d4$0$657$bed64819 [at] pubnews.gradwell.net,
>> "Eric" <e.ferbrache [at] newtelsurf.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Sacha wrote:
>>>> My mother has a rose garden in her house in the Channel Islands and it's a
>>>> very old one. <snip>
>>> Jersey or Guernsey or elsewhere?
>>> As a Guernseyman, I could say Jerseymen can't grow roses!<snip>
>>>
>> Oh my, are we going to get into that one? Too late for the Muratti?!
>> I think that I'll just say that between the entire family we know both
>> Saumarez Park and Samares Manor!
> Well....just tell us how YOUR roses grow in Devon!

For ourselves, we grow very few. I have a Gloire de Dijon going up a wall
because it's one of my favourites but I must admit it's got blackspot. One
of the things Ray dislikes about them is that they do get all the ills going
in this climate. I've mentioned this before on urg but David Austin do a
section of those least prone to disease and I've read elsewhere that
Portland roses are more disease resistant than most. In my Jesey garden I
did have Dottie P which grew like a wonderful weed and I saw it in several
gardens in such laces as Ile de Brehat and areas around St Malo.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)