How can I help my sickly rose?
If there is no interference with the plant from critters, this usually relates directly to the health of your bush’s soil.
The best type of soil is described as sandy loam with active microbial activity which provides a rich source of organic matter that breaks down and releases nutrients into the soil, adding vigor to your plants.
Additionally, naturally occurring soil microbes continue to thrive and work their best in soil that is rich in organic matter.
5 things to help your ‘Charlie Brown’ bush
1. Check trunk & main cane health
rubbing canes showing sores & brown skin
eaten leaves or bark from critters
brown canes or no-leaf canes
soil or mulch covering over the crown joint
Pruning with sharp, clean pruners all the dead, diseased, or crossing canes is a good start toward cleaning up the above-ground bush to head off trouble. Actually, this is the point of the hard pruning in early Spring every year.
Be wary of crown gall – it can infect all your roses
If you find crown gall anywhere on the bush, like the below pic, full stop.
- Cut and remove the cane below the gall, then dispose of it.
- No choice. No composting. Then clean all your cutting tools with 50% bleach/water & let dry.
- After removal, tag the bush so you know which one had the gall.
- In fact, partially dig out the soil and replace it with new soil, then new mulch 2X the drip line.
Sorry, it’s that nasty. (On a cold dreary weekend, look up Crown gall in the literature for a good scare.)
2. Check the health of the soil under the bush
check for healthy worm & bug activity
look for air gaps from critter tunnels (moles)
look for scraped, cut, snapped roots
check for white root rot on any of the roots
make sure the soil mix is loamy and not all clay
look for white fungus on the secondary roots & trim 50% off
double check that water isn’t flooding the rootball
look for hand-size rocks, wood, or concrete
check for plastics or gravel interfering with roots
If these core problems aren’t obvious, then dig out the bush temporarily on a cool day, cover the roots with soil, and exchange out the old soil for new.
Usually, a hole about the same diameter as the drip line of the bush & dug double deep, will work well.
I like amended soil for these bush re-plantings. Their built-in extra goodies like fertilizers, perlite, & dark rich humus are a good idea here. Wait about 3 weeks before adding any fertilizers so the bush has stabilized from your dirt work.
Micronutrient health is a common issue that is not visible to the naked eye, but occurs everywhere in rose gardens. In community gardens, I’ll addressed this 3-4 times per season with organic liquid fertilizers for healthy microbial activity.
3. Try a good tonic: Fish fertilizer
5-1-1 fish fertilizer
The organic rich liquid fish fertilizer is fast acting and shouldn’t burn the bush if mixed correctly to 3 tbspn / gal of water and spread on the soil to the diameter of the drip line every 2 weeks. Doesn’t sound like much, but it’s strong and it works well.
4. Alternate by adding alfalfa meal to the soil
Alfalfa meal is a great mid-season fertilizer every year, but adding it to the new or revitalized soil of a sickly bush will give a ton of micro-nutrients that are necessary for good health.
The blend is 5-1-2, providing a good source of nitrogen, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamins (A, D, B1, B6, E, K and U) and triaconatol, which is a fatty acid growth stimulant.
Because of these many beneficial components, alfalfa can provide roses with many of the substances that they need to grow as well as stimulating growth.
5-1-2 alfalfa meal booster
My rose arranging friends and mentors use this in powder form religiously during the blooming season with great yearly results. One of my distant friends, TV plant guru, Ciscoe Morris in Seattle has sworn by it for years – again with great results.
ARS has a good article about it here.
5. Later in the season, boost rose blooms with foliar fertilizing
Foliar feeding is a lost art in the rose community. We are trained to water onto the roots, not the leaves, from day one, but there are times when some extra chemistry through the leaf system will bypass any trouble with the canes and trunks, plus boost the overall health of the bush.
Michigan State University in the 1950s proved conclusively that foliar feeding is effective. Radioactive phosphorus and potassium were applied to foliage and then a Geiger counter was used to observe absorption, movement, and nutrient utilization. The nutrients were transported at a rate of about one foot per hour to all parts of their plants.
I’ve used it ever since I read this study. It was 1 of 10 reasons I chose to work for Scotts Miracle-Gro in the big box world.
Later in the season when the rose leaves are beyond their purple stage I use Miracle-Gro liquid all-purpose fertilizer every 2 weeks as my foliar fertilizer. I spray it directly onto the leaf & bud areas of the plant, in the morning while the bush is cool, with a dedicated sprayer that never mixes with any other chemical.
To spray when the plant or the water is hot will shock the leaves, the buds, and the blooms – and you’re right back to an unhealthy bush.
The ratios are safe for all plants, so the young blooms and buds aren’t at risk. During show season, this is common with exhibitors and arrangers to boost the weaker blooms for a winning entry.
Anyone can grow roses – just keep it simple and keep learning . .
Plant in a sunny location with good drainage.
Fertilize them regularly for impressive flowers.
Base water them evenly to keep the soil moist.
Prune established rose bushes in early spring.
Deadhead weekly after blooming starts.
Watch for diseases: powdery mildew & black spot.
If you’ve been afraid to start a rose garden: DON’T BE. The truth is, roses are no more difficult to care for than other full-sun flowering shrubs. And there are talented Rosarians wherever you go. If you can grow nice tomatoes, hydrangeas, or blooming rhododendrons, you’ve already got a solid start.
I hope this helps get you started with your rose patch – and with fewer reservations.
Sources: ARS, Tacoma Rose Society, Scotts-MiracleGro, Amazon.com, Home Depot,
