Hi Everyone,
I am having some trouble with a Jackson and Perkins yellow ribbons ground cover rose. The leaves are turning brown. I don't know why. Maybe I am watering too much, maybe an animal is peeing on it, maybe I need fertilizer. Any idea? What is a good organic fertilizer I can use? I heard of epsom salt for magnesium, but I cannot find the recipe here for it. Help. Thank u.
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GardenGirl411
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Leaves can turn brown from hot and/or dry air, accumulated salts due to improper soil drainage and/or over fertilizing, certain nutrient deficiencies (like magnesium) and from root rot. If it's none of these issues, then you might need to apply a spray fungicide.GardenGirl411 wrote:Hi Everyone,
I am having some trouble with a Jackson and Perkins yellow ribbons ground cover rose. The leaves are turning brown. I don't know why. Maybe I am watering too much, maybe an animal is peeing on it, maybe I need fertilizer. Any idea? What is a good organic fertilizer I can use? I heard of epsom salt for magnesium, but I cannot find the recipe here for it. Help. Thank u.
What do you mean a recipe for Epsom salt? You can buy it at most supermarkets; it's very cheap. A better solution is to find a good organic supplement with Calcium and Magnesium. These supplements are usually labeled as Cal/Mag.
Last edited by ChefRob on Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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GardenGirl411
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I'm sure you can find the proper ratio on google. It's probably 1 tbsp. per 2 quarts water. You will need to research anyway to see how often to spray the solution on the plants.GardenGirl411 wrote:There was supposed to be a recipe on what amount to mix of the Epsom salt for roses. I don't know what to mix. How would I be able to tell if the soil is not draining properly?
Try forming a ball with the soil in your hand. If it doesn't really stay together and easily crumbles apart, then it drains well. What type of mix or brand are you currently using?
Here it is...
Roses: 1 tablespoon per foot of plant height per plant; apply every two weeks. Also scratch 1/2 cup into soil at base to encourage flowering canes and healthy new basal cane growth. Soak unplanted bushes in 1/2 cup of Epsom Salt per gallon of water to help roots recover. Add a tablespoon of Epsom Salt to each hole at planting time. Spray with Epsom Salt solution weekly to discourage pests.
Roses: 1 tablespoon per foot of plant height per plant; apply every two weeks. Also scratch 1/2 cup into soil at base to encourage flowering canes and healthy new basal cane growth. Soak unplanted bushes in 1/2 cup of Epsom Salt per gallon of water to help roots recover. Add a tablespoon of Epsom Salt to each hole at planting time. Spray with Epsom Salt solution weekly to discourage pests.
Last edited by ChefRob on Wed Sep 02, 2009 11:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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GardenGirl411
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Miracle Gro makes a variety of potting mixes...some decent, most bad, which one do you use? And how many pounds have you used to amend your growing area? What size is your growing area?GardenGirl411 wrote:Hi,
I used miracle grow mixed with my current soil. Is there a way to make the ground drain easier then? One a hot day it will crumble, but if it's not very hot out, it will not. It will stay compacted.
Most of the users on here will tell you to amend your soil with compost, and I agree with them for outdoor use. It's the cheapest and most nutrient rich method. You will need to know your soil type if you are going to amend it otherwise as compacted clay soils have different requirements than light, sandy soils. Research that first to get an idea. You should also pick up a soil tester kit to gauge the amount of nutrients in your soil so you know how to amend it further.
Last edited by ChefRob on Wed Sep 02, 2009 11:11 am, edited 2 times in total.
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GardenGirl411
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I mixed in spagnum peat moss with the miracle gro garden soil for flowers and vegetables. =/ I didn't see the one's for roses. I will probably have to amend the soil. Where I live our ground is really rocky. I hope there isn't a large rock under the plant that I didn't see. I had to change where I wanted to plant the roses initially because of that exact same problem. There was a huge boulder and I could not get it out of the ground. Hope that's not the case with the other. I have another plant that is supposed to have pink petals and they end up turning white when it's really hot outside. The petals on my plants always tend to lighten. I wonder if this is because the soil is bad. Hmmm....
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GardenGirl411
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It sounds like you have a lot of mineral and lime in your soil. This soil type is good for many Mediterranean herbs and other plants that don't require very fertile grounds. For roses, you will want to amend it to make it richer and lighter with compost. If you're going the store-bought potting mix route, one bag of mix is not sufficient for a 5 x 15 ft. growing area. Your lightened flower problems are probably due to having too much nitrogen and not enough phosphorous in your soil.GardenGirl411 wrote:Sorry, I forgot to answer your questions. I did not mix the entire bag with my soil. I just mixed the soil in with the area I was planting. The hole I dug. I am new to gardening. I probably didn't do it right. =/ My gardening area is 5 feet by about 15 feet long.
Last edited by ChefRob on Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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GardenGirl411
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Should I replant them then? Do I just mix the entire bag with the soil? What kind of compost is best to use? I have a very large bag right now. It's a bonus bag. Not the usual small ones. I also have a very large bag left of peat moss. Would that help? Would I need to transplant all my plants? =/
When I planted them, I just mixed in the potting soil with the native soil. I just did it in the hole I was planting and not all the soil itself.
When I planted them, I just mixed in the potting soil with the native soil. I just did it in the hole I was planting and not all the soil itself.
No, if their blooming then you don't need to transplant; but you might need to amend to make future flowers more plentiful and colorful. How many pounds per bag are we talking here? My friend is an exterior landscaper and he had to amend the soil next to his house with a yard and a half of topsoil. I don't know how much that equates to in tons, but it was a truckloads worth; trust me, I helped him shovel it! He said that amount of topsoil was needed for a fertile 3 x 20 ft. growing area. He now has 6 rose bushes in that spot and they are doing well. But if he doesn't maintain that soil by amending it, it will compact and turn into the same dirt that he previously he had in the spot.GardenGirl411 wrote:Should I replant them then? Do I just mix the entire bag with the soil? What kind of compost is best to use? I have a very large bag. It's a bonus bag. Not the usual small ones. I also have a very large bag left of peat moss. Would that help? Would I need to transplant all my plants? =/
Now, I'm not saying you have to do that, but I want to put things in perspective for you. He did that because he needed more soil, not necessarily for fertile soil. You would learn a lot if you read some of the threads in the compost section of this forum. They teach you how to make your own compost in order to amend outdoor soil... or you can buy it, your decision.
Also, too much peat is not beneficial for plants. Since you're using Miracle Gro, take a look at this instructional that discusses peat usage.... https://userwebs.batnet.com/rwc-seed/Pepper.growing.tips.html -- disregard that it's for hot peppers and pay attention to the soil types, recommendations and success rates.
Last edited by ChefRob on Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I just got in and skimmed this thread. I read (I think...) all the suggestions, but missed this possibility:
What if the rose leaves are just plain old dried out???
If your soil is the native soil, "improved" with Miracle Gro's stuff (even their so-called organic stuff isn't; I'll dig up the thread in a minute), it's possible that water is not penetrating to the root zone due to insufficient pore spaces.
ETA: the "organic" Miracle Gro is more a marketing ploy than anything, but better than much of their stuff: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15357
Take a "weed stick" (aka asparagus knife or dandelion weeder) and drive it down into the earth maybe a foot or so away from the rose. We're looking for the "drip line," sometimes also called the "feeder-root zone." This is where the little tiny root hairs are, the ones that actually absorb water and nutrients for the plant's growth.
If the soil is dry, you'll know why the leaves are brown. If the soil is soggy wet, same story but other direction: roots are water-logged and plant is jettisoning leaves to survive.
I wouldn't throw any mineral supplements at a plant until I ascertained its water status. Checking will take just a minute.
I'm partial to yellow roses myself (my fave rose color!) and hope this plant not only survives, but SUCCEEDS!
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
What if the rose leaves are just plain old dried out???
If your soil is the native soil, "improved" with Miracle Gro's stuff (even their so-called organic stuff isn't; I'll dig up the thread in a minute), it's possible that water is not penetrating to the root zone due to insufficient pore spaces.
ETA: the "organic" Miracle Gro is more a marketing ploy than anything, but better than much of their stuff: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15357
Take a "weed stick" (aka asparagus knife or dandelion weeder) and drive it down into the earth maybe a foot or so away from the rose. We're looking for the "drip line," sometimes also called the "feeder-root zone." This is where the little tiny root hairs are, the ones that actually absorb water and nutrients for the plant's growth.
If the soil is dry, you'll know why the leaves are brown. If the soil is soggy wet, same story but other direction: roots are water-logged and plant is jettisoning leaves to survive.
I wouldn't throw any mineral supplements at a plant until I ascertained its water status. Checking will take just a minute.
I'm partial to yellow roses myself (my fave rose color!) and hope this plant not only survives, but SUCCEEDS!
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
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top_dollar_bread
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cynthia is right,
IMO you shouldnt take any action to correct any thing till you sure what the problem is. Adding too much nutrients even organic can cause soil unbalances that will increase problems. thought I see no wrong in top dressing with compost!
rose leaves do dry out naturally when ther old, so be sure its not just old leafs.
Also check for presents of pest, spider mites also tend to cause foliage discoloration and they usually go undetected unless you observe the bottom of leafs. Maybe aphids could be causing damage aswell, so check for pest. Google the insects names and I'm sure you will get a nice image of what they look like!
also black spot, black spot is a fungus that attacks rose foliage & can cause leafs to brown and die, you can usually tell if this fungus is attacking by looking for small black spots on leafs.
watering during the heat of the day is also another common mistake people do, witch can also cause leafs to brown and wither. Over head watering during a hot day will almost grantee this is your problem.
when(time of day) and how much do you water??
Salt build up or over fertilization can cause this as well. I say this only because I saw the name miracle grow, IMO these products do more bad then good.
lack of potassium could also be the problem but like I said before; its best to be sure of the problem before trying to fix it.
if you don't see any pest or black spot I mentioned then that is obviously not your problem. if your soil isnt dry like cynthia mentioned then moister shouldnt be a problem either.
If your soil has good drainage you will tell when you water and how it drains.or dig a small hole and fill it up with water. If the water takes a long time to drain, well then you need to help build better soil. Compost top dressing will help, no need to dip out the soil.
if you think its salt build up, then flush your soil. (Meaning water deeply for some time) This will wash out all the salt and many other nutrients. don't do this unless your sure your problem is salt build up or over fertilization that is causing your problem.
potassium is easy, work some banana peels into the top of the soil or mix it up with compost or top soil.
Again observe your roses and do some easy soil testing that others mentioned, this will help determine your problem and allow to fix it instead of causing more problems.If you need more help on solving the problem I'm sure many will here will jump to help.
Hope this helped
IMO you shouldnt take any action to correct any thing till you sure what the problem is. Adding too much nutrients even organic can cause soil unbalances that will increase problems. thought I see no wrong in top dressing with compost!
rose leaves do dry out naturally when ther old, so be sure its not just old leafs.
Also check for presents of pest, spider mites also tend to cause foliage discoloration and they usually go undetected unless you observe the bottom of leafs. Maybe aphids could be causing damage aswell, so check for pest. Google the insects names and I'm sure you will get a nice image of what they look like!
also black spot, black spot is a fungus that attacks rose foliage & can cause leafs to brown and die, you can usually tell if this fungus is attacking by looking for small black spots on leafs.
watering during the heat of the day is also another common mistake people do, witch can also cause leafs to brown and wither. Over head watering during a hot day will almost grantee this is your problem.
when(time of day) and how much do you water??
Salt build up or over fertilization can cause this as well. I say this only because I saw the name miracle grow, IMO these products do more bad then good.
lack of potassium could also be the problem but like I said before; its best to be sure of the problem before trying to fix it.
if you don't see any pest or black spot I mentioned then that is obviously not your problem. if your soil isnt dry like cynthia mentioned then moister shouldnt be a problem either.
If your soil has good drainage you will tell when you water and how it drains.or dig a small hole and fill it up with water. If the water takes a long time to drain, well then you need to help build better soil. Compost top dressing will help, no need to dip out the soil.
if you think its salt build up, then flush your soil. (Meaning water deeply for some time) This will wash out all the salt and many other nutrients. don't do this unless your sure your problem is salt build up or over fertilization that is causing your problem.
potassium is easy, work some banana peels into the top of the soil or mix it up with compost or top soil.
Again observe your roses and do some easy soil testing that others mentioned, this will help determine your problem and allow to fix it instead of causing more problems.If you need more help on solving the problem I'm sure many will here will jump to help.
Hope this helped