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WHY ROSES FAIL |
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With all the rose's hardiness and adaptability to extremely diverse conditions of soils and climates some varieties do not thrive. In the case of new plants this is usually due to the grower's lack of knowledge; in established plants it results much more commonly from over-attention than from neglect.
The chief causes of failure are loose planting, insufficient water at planting time, planting too deeply, manuring at planting time, allowing roots to become dry after unpacking, soil being too acid or too alkaline, poor drainage, rose-sick soil, diseases, excessive manuring at any time, deep cultivation, excessive watering, heavy frost, sunburn, excessive shade, droughts, proximity to established big plants, unduly heavy pruning, use of artesian water, arsenic in sheep manure, and plants of poor quality or in poor condition when purchased. Most of these problems are discussed elsewhere, from the aspect of correct gardening. They .are grouped here to direct attention to the possible results of incorrect work, but unfortunately this arrangement makes some repetitions and many cross-references unavoidable. Loose planting is more fully discussed in Chapter XI. It is most common in heavy soil, where firmer pressure is needed to obliterate air pockets. If the holes are dug from heavy soil, and light loam is used round the roots when planting, the soil will be more compact, but there is apt to be a type of pit in which water will stagnate, with fatal results to the rose. The neighbouring soil should have some light soil mixed in with it as well. |
