I am having problems with my roses bushes... PLEASE HELP!

Tina Youngblood
by Tina Youngblood
A friend gave me two rose bushes.. Pink ones.. I have a black thumb, so you know I am not a good gardener.. We just recently moved to a farm. So I am trying to do better... Starting with these roses... We one in one area and the other somewhere else.. Both seemed to be thriving with all these darling pink bulbs.. I was thrilled till they opened up.. They look so puny and sick when they bloom.. There are not layers and layers of petals as most roses have... WHat am I doing wrong??? Also where we planted one bush, there are two more bushes that have come up beside it... THe other bush we planted has one bush beside it... I never knew they reproduced like this... Is this normal for roses???
  25 answers
  • Brian Karth Brian Karth on Jul 08, 2013
    1st the petals that bloom out as a single petal is the variety or cultivar of that particular plant that was specifically bred and or grafted to have that type of petal bloom. 2nd answer, you are getting suckers from the root stock of the plant, these side shoots are not directly crossbred from the graft of the rose so it will not be like the actual rose you purchased. You should prune off the suckers. This could be from planting too deep by planting the graft below the soil line. With roses you should always mulch and water at the base of the plant as to not spread any disease's. And to use a good rose all-purpose fertilizer from your local garden center.
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Jul 09, 2013
    Brian gave you a great answer.
  • Peg Peg on Jul 09, 2013
    The bud and leaves look very healthy. I'm with Brian and Doug, I think it's the variety you have.
  • Tina Youngblood Tina Youngblood on Jul 09, 2013
    Thanks for the replies, this helps me understand better... What time of year do I prune off the suckers... I did use a good fertilizer when I planted these and I put broken up egg shells in the dirt, (because a friend told me too) Not sure what that does. lol.. I have since then got a pesticide for roses and sprayed the leaves due to one of the bushes leaves looked like they were being eaten.. Much better since I sprayed the leaves...
  • Brian Karth Brian Karth on Jul 09, 2013
    Tina, the egg shells provide calcium to feed the plant. Next time try another organic way and use your spent banana peels , the roses love the potassium from the peels! And remember with spraying, I would recommend a soil drench of insecticide than a drench since you described an insect eating some of your leaves, this way the entire plant distributes the insecticide through the plants vascular system and anytime an insect takes a bite, say bye-bye. Another important factor in not spraying is the Bees, if they come in contact with the spray residual on the flower, what is the consequence of the bees? That's why I would just do a soil drench and help save our Bees. Thanks. Also prune the suckers of as you see them.
  • Sandra T Sandra T on Jul 10, 2013
    I think your rose lost the graft. I have heard there are roses that have their own root system. Once the rose loose its graft they go back to an ugly rose.. I have had this happen to me so this is why I no longer buy from JP.
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Jul 10, 2013
    Own-root roses are often a good idea, but in Florida it is advisable to buy grafted plants because they are usually on a rootstock that is not susceptible to nematodes.
  • Beverly Brannan Beverly Brannan on Jul 10, 2013
    Roses also like the acid in coffee grounds. If you don't drink coffee, ask friends or family to save their coffee grounds. Also, you might consider the following. New plants that tend to shoot new limbs or grow flowers immediately need some pruning. It is a good idea to cut the flowers off as soon as they appear. This causes the plant to "bush" more versus a tall, lean, leggy, plant. Once the plant has the desired shape, let those flowers bloom. Flowering is an indication that the plant will no longer grow; the presents of flowers indicates the plant is "done" for the season. I use flowers on any plant as a message of how the plant is responding to my care.
  • Beverly Brannan Beverly Brannan on Jul 10, 2013
    I grew up with some Youngbloods in Oklahoma. They were Cherokee. Any relation?
  • Marian House Marian House on Jul 10, 2013
    My Mother-in-Law taught me to bury banana peelings in the soil around rose bushes and mine have that most beautiful large flowers, seven/eight at a time, and they bloom 2-3 times a summer here in Mn, which in itself is quite a feat, we dont get much summer
  • Darlene Nieman Morris Darlene Nieman Morris on Jul 10, 2013
    What do you use for a soil drench? Something is eating my leaves! I also spotted my first Japanese Beetle for this year! Love the banana peel idea, and I already use coffee grounds!
  • Michelle Eliker Michelle Eliker on Jul 10, 2013
    I have some old and species roses that sucker like crazy. That's why a lot of old roses are called brier roses and if left alone they make a great hedge to keep things in or out. There are lots of other roses besides the best known tea roses and they all have their own special beauty.
  • Tina Youngblood Tina Youngblood on Jul 10, 2013
    Michelle E. I am quiet aware of the tea roses you are speaking of. My mom has some in Mississippi.. I have got a lot of info. from everyone's advise. I am so appreciative of it too. I know now that they are suckers.. The bush is not as tall as I would like it to be, nor are the others so I will cut the roses off, like Beverly B. mentioned in her post.. We are from Mississippi originally but have had Youngblood family all over. Yes we have Cherokee relations in the family but our grandfather a few generations back came over from Germany. So not sure where the Cherokee came in. I am sure someone married Cherokee and started the Indian blood being passed down. My Husband's grandmother had a lot of Cherokee in her too and she married into the Youngblood family, so it could have come down from the females too. Thank You for asking. I did not know that about the banana peeling for the roses.. I did know about the coffee grounds, I have heard about the Epson salt mixture and I have even been taking my left over coffee after it cools down and putting around the base of the bush.. Not sure if that is what I should be doing but I thought, the coffee grounds are going to be about the same thing when they get wet.. Any advice on that? I need to research what a graft is, due to I am not a good gardener and am just learning my way around. Douglas H. I am sorry but everything you mentioned was greek to me. I will have to relate this to my local co op to get them to put it in layman's terms. lol.. Thanks for the info Brian K. I will do that with the pesticide next time I plant one. I never thought about the bees but you are right.. THank you all for helping me with this.. I am going to be getting some livestock soon, that will be a whole new ballgame.. If any of you know anything about them.. that would be great if you will help me with that stuff too. Also, I would love to plant some sun flowers.. Just think they are beautiful but know nothing about them... Also, we have one wild watermelon growing in the field... No one has lived here for 4 years on the farm.. Don't know how it got there but it seems to be thriving.. Thanks again..
  • Kathie Kathie on Jul 10, 2013
    I haven't read all the replies but why not ask the friend who gave them to you about what variety they are?...They look like mine that are called "Nearly Wild" a single rose, with maybe 6 or 8 petals, that look like an Apple blossom or Dogwood...and they re bloom all summer and fall. They have lots of thorns and get 3-4 ft high each summer. The need to be cut back to about 10 " late in the fall when the tops are dead looking. If they are the Nearly Wild variety they are easy to grow and are disease resistant. If your friend says they were supposed to be hybrid tea roses or Floribunda roses...then that's not good news...it means the part that was grafted to them is dead and you have a wild rose...bummer...they are not worth your time ( IMHO)
  • Kay Greer Kay Greer on Jul 10, 2013
    I'm a huge Knock Out rose fan now.i have about 10 of them now!super easy and they bloom almost all year here in Houston.i cut mine back in February and then again in August ...I work dry used coffee grounds into the soil around them and every couple of months I give them a drink of fish emulsion ...a great beginner rose...
  • Jrh197460 Jrh197460 on Jul 10, 2013
    The coffee grounds, banana peels and egg shells are all great ideas and really have improved the look of my roses. I, too, love the Knock Out Roses. I have about seven and last year they were awful. So, I went on the University of Kentucky's Agricultural site and it seems that around 2009, some knock outs developed a disease that doesn't have a cure. I just went out and bought Jerry Baker's book about gardening and mixed up some of his "rose Ambrosia" all summer and sprayed all summer. This year they are much better than last year. It gets really hot in Ky. but that shouldn't hurt them. I think the fish emulsion is the best thing ever for any rose.
  • Jill Jill on Jul 10, 2013
    Besides the coffee grounds, egg shells and banana peels, I also sprinkle my ash from my charcoal BBQ on the ground at my roses and water it in. It does them wonders!
  • April E April E on Jul 10, 2013
    brian has given you great advice the only issue I have is the soil drench saving the bees soil drench insecticides for roses are neonicotinoids and as such are 1 of the largest contributor to the death of bees as ALL parts of the plant are "contaminated" by the chemical this means that the pollen that the bees pick up is also. nicotine which is the base of the chemical is a deadly substance for bugs it is a great insect kill it just does not discriminate at all any incest who feeds in any way on these plants die good for pests not so good for beneficial insects a few years ago we quit using any of the neonicotinoids in our garden operations and only use it for florist plants and only those grown in a greenhouse under controlled circumstances due to the deprivations on honey bees the pesticide companies never mention this little nasty side effect they just talk about what great pest control you are getting
  • Tina Youngblood Tina Youngblood on Jul 12, 2013
    April, thanks for all that info on the pesticides... Jill, I am gonna try the Charcoal on the ground around the roses too. Gotta put that charcoal some where after a BBQ...,Kathie, I took your advice and asked my friend... They are indeed knock out roses... She is an avid gardener and has gorgeous plants and gardens... She told me that the reason that the roses look like they do with just one layer of petals when they open is because they are young and they just took off growing maybe too fast. But they will strengthen in time and look healthier.. She said she was going to come out and look at them to be sure... However I cant thank you all enough for all of your advice... I am going to hit you all up on the Grape harbor we have inherited next.. I will take a picture and share it with you... I have done nothing to it, due to I am stumped on what exactly to do... Some folks say I need to cut it back in the winter... Well, I am in florida.. It might get a little cold but we have not really had a winter like I call winter in the whole 15 years I have lived in Florida... REmember we are new to farm life... We just got a farm with all this stuff on it and it is all greek to us... We have one wild watermelon growing in the middle of our field.. LOL... We did not plant it. No one has lived here for 4 years... How is that possible? Please don't say a bird dropped it or pooped it.. Well I hope that is not the issue but We will be reaping the rewards as soon as it grows big enough to eat... I have got to learn what to do about the grapes for sure... And what to do with them.. So any advice for that is most welcome... Right now it is taken over with leaves and my friend showed me signs of little tiny grape babies that are growing... Cant wait... Looks like I am gonna learn how to make some jelly too... YAY!
  • Frances Frances on Jul 13, 2013
    Regarding trimming the roses, I live up north and have always trimmed the dead parts off in the Spring. I had never heard of putting coffee grounds around them, but what ever works. My white rosebush was here when I bought the house. I have been here 17 years and every year it gets more beautiful. I just give it rose food occasionally and not too much. I hope you have good luck with yours. The color is beautiful. If you have azaleas use some coffee grounds or tea from tea bags or even leftover coffee or tea around them. They thrive on them.
  • LaVerlle McKee LaVerlle McKee on Jul 13, 2013
    ...Just had to add some very sincere compliments to the "posters" on this site...We have had our own challenges with developing our "green" thumbs...About the roses...As a result of the tornadoes in our area this April, our bushes suffered damages...I have been afraid to prune them, fearing that I would kill them...I do not know what species they are...I would like to cut them all down to about 12-16 inches tall, and get the garden under control once again...The growth that is left seems healthy...but very damaged and uneven...Will that severe pruning kill them? Thanks for any input from our Rosarian Friends....LaVerlle McKee
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Jul 13, 2013
    LaVerlie, roses are very tolerant of pruning, but at this time of year, I would try to not cut back your plants by more than one-third. You can do a "rejuvenation pruning," cutting them back basically as much as you want, next spring.
  • Frances Frances on Jul 17, 2013
    I agree with Douglas Hunt on pruning the roses. You will probably get some blooms at least once after pruning. You probably will need to feed them, too. Good luck.
  • Tina Youngblood Tina Youngblood on Jul 18, 2013
    LaVerlle, I can surely say, I don't have the answers to your questions personally but I sure hope your roses and garden do well. I feel for all you have been through with the tornados... We are in the panhandle of Florida , not far from Alabama.. About 20 miles to be exact, and we have had sooo much rain in the last couple weeks... I think what flowers I have planted have drowned.. If that is even possible.. They all look puny. But I can sure do that to a plant... I have only being able to keep animals and children alive.. but our flowers always look sick or puny... I am learning a lot from this site and from all the fine folks that comment on it... Thanks to all of you, once again..
  • Wanda sinnema Wanda sinnema on Oct 27, 2015
    your flower and bush looks healthy,, it may be a variety that does NOT have a huge amount of petals on each bloom. Something else,, you might look for.. the base of the plant.. the stems that come up BELOW the main plant base can be "wild" and not the same as the graft on the root stalk.. I also use coffee grounds on my roses, hydrangea, rody's, and camellia.. any acid loving plant.. Banana peels also have potassium, they love that too.