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To stake or not to stake?
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Posted by femmeradsy Newcastle, NSW (My Page) on Mon, Aug 22, 05 at 20:47
| What do people think about staking roses? Obviously standards are staked, and miniatures and ground covers don't require it, but what about your good old bush roses, hybrid teas/floribundas etc?
On a Gardening Australia Roses special, Peter Cundall stated that all roses should be staked, so I emailed the ABC for further information. They said it was to protect from wind: that an unstaked rose may rock in the wind, this can damage the roots, and damaged roots send up more suckers.
Peter Cundall obviously knows what he is talking about, yet I have never heard this advice elsewhere, and I've not seem bush roses staked in the gardens I have visited. What experiences have others had? Do you stake? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: To stake or not to stake?
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| I've never staked bush roses but I must admit I sometimes wish I had. It depends on how windy your garden is. Peter Cundall used a very short wooden stake which, I think over the years, would become mostly hidden by mulch and the rose itself. Maybe this is why you havn't noticed them in other gardens. |
RE: To stake or not to stake?
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| I definitely stake my roses, though I didn't at first much to my sorrow, as many of those rocked in the wind and suckered. I found the hard wood stakes better than the ones sold for staking tomatoes, and we use a star dropper or a tripod for the BIG roses. You don't really notice the stakes once the roses are leafed out, the only time you really notice them is when you've pruned. Von. |
RE: To stake or not to stake?
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| I have a windy garden, and I have had to stake only three of my 200 or so bush roses. This occured when they were fairly new, had lots of growth on top, but their root development was obviously not enough to stabilise them. After a year or so, when roots were stronger, I removed the stake. For this reason I plant roses with their bud union as near to the ground as possible - it gets the roots down deeper and gives the bush a lower centre of gravity. |
RE: To stake or not to stake?
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Did not know you should stake and have not. We get a lot of wind here but so far so good.
Cheers
Judy |
RE: To stake or not to stake?
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| All very interesting - thanks (this forum is so helpful!) Yet my roses are already planted - 5 new ones this year, and 5 planted last year (which have not suckered). It isn't a windy spot, and driving a new stake in may in fact cause root damage in itself! Perhaps the best thing to do might be to wait and see for now. If they don't sucker, they are ok as they are. If they do, then it is worth the risk to drive in a stake then. What do people think? |
RE: To stake or not to stake?
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- Posted by Snodge Outer Sydney (My Page) on
Tue, Aug 23, 05 at 23:19
| I haven't staked any of mine either. I've had suckers (one on each) on Agnes and Papa Meilland, but can't recall getting any on others. Papa Meilland is tall and might have been blown around a little, but I'd be surprised if that was the case with Agnes. The worst suckering I've seen in my yard was when we moved in and the existing garden included some badly suckered roses, but they were in front of the granny flat protected from the wind...go figure. |
RE: To stake or not to stake?
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| I wouldn't drive a stake in once the rose has been growing. You can really only safely stake a rose at planting time. We have fierce winds from the NW, N & NE at certain times of the year, and once they're blowing there's not much you can do to stop them rocking - regardless of where the bud union is - if they're not staked. Von. |
RE: To stake or not to stake?
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| I stake as I have a somewhat windy garden but think about it - you grow the plant all year and BOOM!!! The flowers are gone in a second from a gush of wind. Stake them and enjoy! I do. |
RE: To stake or not to stake?
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- Posted by lozza Vic. Oz. (My Page) on
Wed, Aug 24, 05 at 17:58
| Can I add some thoughts. We get more suckers from poorly prepared understocks. I can't agree that rocking around in the wind leads to suckers. It is unwise to use a vertical stake bear the base of the plant other than at planting time, and even then the understock needs to be secured to the stake. As the understock grows, there is a big chance of strangling the rose with the tie. Despite it being unsightly for some, the best way to stake mature roses is to insert the stake in the ground at an angle of 45 degrees, and perhaps 12-18 inches from the base of the plant, so that the stake runs through the centre of the plant. Secure two canes to the stake, and the plant will be locked in place. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Staking
RE: To stake or not to stake?
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| Thanks for the drawing Lozza - yes I've had to do it that way and it works very well. Can I pick your brains over something which occurred recently while planting new bareroots? Dick accidentally hit the understock with his spade and pierced the outer layer exposing the hardwood. He said put some sticky tape over it - will this be enough? Or should I not worry? Von. |
RE: To stake or not to stake?
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- Posted by lozza Vic. Oz. (My Page) on
Wed, Aug 24, 05 at 23:13
| Don't worry. What is best to do is use a sharp knife to trim any tang of wood, in other words clean the wound and remove any piecesprotruding around the wound. No binding necessary. If severely severed, I think there is a huge chance of disease entering the wound which will rarely heal cleanly. |
RE: To stake or not to stake?
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| Thanks for that - much appreciated! |
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