Rose Supersititon or Fact?

[kevinschoppe]

If I have to replace any of these roses which have died, Can I plant another rose there? I have heard that you can't plant another rose where another one died... Is this supersition or fact?


Thanks-

[grandpasrose]

Hi Kevin! This is not superstition! When a rose has died, it has usually been for a reason - disease, etc. Roses are also very heavy feeders, so any soil left behind can be very depleted of any nutrient value. Therefore the soil left behind when the rose is removed is then considered damaged as well. You will hear this referred to as "rose sick" soil.
However, this does not mean that you cannot plant in the same place. If this were the case, I would be moving my rose garden all over the yard all the time!
What you need to do when you have removed an old dead rose, is then also remove much of the old soil surrounding it. Once you have done this, replace the soil with some good healthy soil, compost, bonemeal, alfalfa, epsom salts, kelp, manure, dried fish remains, (you get the idea). Mix all of this together, and then plant your new rose. You should not have any problem with your rose in this new soil.
Continue to replenish the nutrients to the soil around your rose, as you would with all your roses!
Happy digging!
VAL

[kevinschoppe]

Well, I have tried this. I have even removed the soil down to the hard clay, and I can not get anything to grow where the old Mary Magldine rose was. I had cleared out all the soil in the surrounding area, and replaced it with compost, manure, topsoil and mulch + alfpha soup, and planted an sterling silver, and to no avail the sterling silver upped and died.

I guess I will just put a bird bath there or something.

[grandpasrose]

Kevin, I am just wondering, since you seem to be having trouble with a few of your roses, have had your soil PH tested? Roses prefer PH levels between 5.8 to 6.5, and this may be your problem. You will need to test your soil in several different spots, because it will be different everywhere. You can get a PH tester at your garden centre. You can either get the little kit that you add water to some soil in a test tube, etc. or there is a meter with a probe that you insert into the soil that seems to work well.
Just a thought, as you seem to be running into the same sort of problems over and over again.
Also, I seem to recall that we never established that Mary Magdaline died of any type of disease, and that she was a very new rose, so I would be very doubtful that your soil in that spot has rose sickness. This usually occurs when a rose has been in that spot for a very long time, or has died of a disease of some sort. I don't think that is your problem here.
Val

[The Helpful Gardener]

We grew 'Sterling Silver' here at the nursery for a year and decided it was a dog. Don't base your judgement on that rose...

HG

[Deenagh Foster]

I have frequently planted a new rose where an old one once was and have often wondered why it took several years to gro properly. I never thought of this.

[grandpasrose]

There you go! You can still plant it there, otherwise our whole yards would be taken up with finding new placed to plant roses! When you plant it, just dig out the old soil and replace it with new.
Welcome to the forum Deenagh! Feel free to drop back in anytime, if you have questions, comments, or just want to chat. There are lots of people here with a lot of wonderful knowledge!

Val

[kevinschoppe]

Hello, Here's an update on how that rose went. I did not test the PH of the soill, but I did replace the entire area of soil, and planted a Chryslier Imperail there a few inches to the right of the orignal base, and it has done well.

Thanks for the help guys.