Rose Gardening Community

Hi,

I am only just learning about roses, so pardon my ignorance. I have three cabbage-like roses. The flowers get to the point where they are about the size of a baseball and seem ready to open when they turn completely brown.  They seem healthy up to that point and the leaves and stalk look fine. We have had an amazing amount of rain. Nearly 20 days in the past month, which is unusual for NJ.

Hey, Mike.  Yeah the rain could have something to do with it, especially with the old, cabbage-style roses (certain antiques and English roses sometimes do this).  Have they been in the ground long?  I've found the older a rose is in its establishment, the better it tends to do (exception being a number of Hybrid teas and miniatures).

-Brandon

Hey, Mike!

Yeah, the rain may have something to do with that. A certain number of antiques and English roses have the nasty habit of "balling," which is where the rain/moisture gets on the blooms and reduces them to brown yuck.  The bad news is that there's not a whole lot you can do about it, except dead-heading them when that happens so you'll have the chance of getting more blooms.  The good news is that sometimes those varieties become stronger and more resilient as they get older (English roses tend to deal with rainy situations beautifully).  If those roses have been in the ground for more than a year, go ahead and feed them and hit them with some epsom salts to get extra fortification for theif systems.

Hope that helps!

-Brandon

Hi Brandon,

 Thanks for answering. They've been in the ground for perhaps three years. Ironically, this year they really took off size and cane-wise, however the flowers look terrible. Someone has told me it might be botrytis, so for lack of a better plan, I will spray for that specific problem. I'm hoping it won't spread to nearby newer roses, but it hasn't as of yet.

Good luck with that, sir.  Go ahead and deadhead, too.  That trimming will promote new growth & possibly blooms!

Brandon

I also have a variety of roses in my garden.  Since I don't have enough space I planted it them big teracota pots 'coz they grow so fast.  Yes, when I was just beginning to plant roses, I also thought that they are infested (due to its brown color) when they are budding.  So I looked for crawling insects; but I saw nothing.  When they bloom, you can see its full color and beautify.  If you want your roses to produce more flowers, you can cut those stems where you want them to bud.  Roses are easy to maintain as long as you water them regularly.

 I have a variety of roses in my backyard.  When I was still beginning to plant roses, I also thought that the buds of my roses are dry, brown or infested.  I tried to look for some crawling insects, but I found nothing.  Everyday in the morning I visit them, seeing to it that they are not infested.  When they bloomed their texture, color and form were just beautiful, they smell so sweet.  My neightbors can't help but adore them.  May we always have a rosy life!

 Hello...Mike

I think that trimming will promote new growth & possibly blooms!