I planted three bare rooted DA Sophy's Roses this winter and while they are all doing well with healthy growth, the blooms have been very disappointing. They are very pale and seem only to last on the bush maybe a day or so. Has anyone had any experience with this rose? Will the blooms improve as the bush matures? What could be the factors that may be causing this disappointing lack luster display?

Cheers
Startingout

I'm no expert, but I've not disbudded my new bareroots and they all seem to be coping.
My Sophy's Rose was bought potted and went into the ground in autumn last year. The first flowers were small, but never pale. This spring they are much larger.
I shot out at 6pm to take this photo, hence the peculiar light.
Can't be exact about life on the bush, but I haven't found them particularly shortlived.
She has a distressing tendency to mildew, but puts out multitudes of flowers which are very pretty.

I'm in Semaphore in Adelaide...soil sandy loam....
My Sophy's are at the front of my rose bed and would get around 7 hours good bright sunlight each day. Gave them an application of Seasol when planted. I did water each day when first planted in winter...but now they are getting watered by dripper say once or twice a week if its hot.
I always thought that if you watered longer and less often that THAT would encourage the roots to go deeper? I guess that's not the case with new/young roses...
The bed has had regular doses of cow poo and some blood and bone.
They are mulched with cow poo and pea straw. I have put some osmocote down too and at one stage had given them a treat with miracle grow...but thought that might be pushing things.

Have I been doing anything wrong??

And I also thought that you don't prune new roses for the first year....so I'm learning all time.

I've taken your advice.... just come in from giving them all a nice big drink...and will keep that up each day.... and a light prune.

Thanks for any tips

The amount of water is simply amazing and has been constant for a week now. I am starting to think we are in for a lovely lovely wet summer!!!

Well, all I say here is based upon my experience and some cool advices I got from rosarians. For example, yesterday I've spent some time at the local nursery and was inquiring about some new Austins. And again, I've learned something more about them. It's an endless process.

If you want your full grown roses bloom like crazy, just light prune them .. we all know that ... but, also, cut the watter supply too, for some time (and then just add some water after few days, much shorter dosage).

By lacking some water rose won't spend her energy into growing but will rather try to complete her natural full cycle of development, which finishes in full blooms.

And then again, if you want them to grow again, just add more water.

Of course, all your baby roses you want to grow first, to become great bushes and that's why you water them well, every day. And prune them well. Don't even wait for blooms to develop -- you can cut them straight away, as soon they start to bud.

Also, before you plant them, water the soil well for at least 2 weeks before planting. Water has to go deep and the soil must be moist. Same is with unfinished rosebeds: if you still have some place to plant more roses in your rosebed, water that spot well, don't neglect it, even if you're gonna plant your rose in few months.

- Tom

Now before I write another book Startingout I'd suggest you go to www.reliableroses.com.au and use Laurie (Lozza) Newmans culture notes for a free, online, year round guide on rose growing where all aspects of rose care are discussed.The information there would be particlarly suited to someone in your climate range.

- Tom

Tom, a Falstaff with 130 blooms? - Id like to see that. I planted a potted one last summer and now I know why it put out two stems reaching for the sky with one lowsy bloom on the end! Can I "fix" it now by the same light prune process?

Also can you guys tell me how I should winter prune my DA's? Are the treated differently than other roses?

One other thing.....I've seen people on the boards mention OGR's......what are they?

Must say I love this forum....but gosh those Ads are annoying.

Thanks again

PS. OGRs are Old Garden Roses. Or, all those roses found in gardens of yesterday, before today's wildly popular Hybrid Tea (HT) roses came strongly to the market. Dwell more into OGRs -- you'll find them more appealing and interesting than today's "sugar candy", barbie dolls HTs. :-)

I bought a book called Old Fashioned Roses by James Young to read while we were travelling along the highways.

Now I am wondering where the next rose garden will go !!!!
Marion