old rose bush ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) This belonged to my grandma and has to be at least 50 years old. I inherited it 3-4 years ago when my aunt wanted it removed from her yard. From there, it lived in a container until the spring of 2011 when I planted it in this location. Darn thing grows and looks healthy. But then it gets "gangly" and only produces a few flowers that only last a few days. Then it's done. Except for getting "ganglier" ... reaching out to at least 4 feet in every direction. It's on the south side of the garage. I cut it way back on Feb. 14th as per my aunt's instructions. Fed it with Microlife/Cottonseed Mill mix two weeks later. Gets watered when needed. I don't see any bugs or signs of disease. Like I said... it looks pretty healthy to me. But then again... I suck when it comes to growing roses. So.... what should I do, or not do, next to get this old thing to thrive?
I had a rose from my mothers garden, it was a climber, as long as it was growing on a trellis it was happy. Is the 'bush' really a climbing rose and needs something to support its far reaching exploits? Jerry
Cheryl, That's an antique rose, and many of them were single-time bloomers. Also, antiques don't need as strong pruning as the more modern roses or hybrids. If you take out any canes that are obviously dead, any canes that are rubbing another cane, and any cane that is absolutely straight and has few leaves (these are growth canes which use a lot of the plant's strength and don't bloom) that's about all the pruning you need to do. The tall new growth with the reddish leaves are not growth canes and don't need to be removed. If you post a picture when it blooms, we may be able to get your rose identified. It may well be a climber, or a shrub rose that "fountains".
here's a picture of the bloom while it was still in the container in 2010. grandma's rose 2010 ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) Also when I pruned it back in February... all branches were cut off... only the "base" remained. Everything you see in the first photo is new growth.
Try putting a trellis behind it.In the pot,it was forced to be stationary. Now that it's not being contained, and is in the ground where it can show you it's natural form, you'll see exactly what it is. Continue to give it the same feeding elements and wait and see what happens. I tend to think it's a rambler/ climber. When they are (climbers - ramblers) are pruned severely in the fall, they tend to lose they're blooming power. the color and the leaves are right on for this time of the year.
Gaila... just some more info... it was gangly in the container too. And it had a trellis. It didn't climb on it, just poked through. It was not pruned at all in the fall.
Then it may be grafted from a Dr Huey rootstock. They tend to do this sort of thing.Don't trash it, it may just surprise you later. the rose has held up well over the years. I had a rose that was similar to yours. it would grow gangly one year and straight up with a different color the next year. I eventually gave it away. Maybe someone else will chime in and offer more insite.
