Prune off those dead canes and give it a great mix of potting soil and dirt with all the regular amendments. It can still live, also keep it out of hot sun that top growth combined with the small root structure remaining will be a challenge.

Lance

Late March and its still in the bag? If it were me I think I'd cut out a lot of that growth so it would have a chance to survive. Most likely not much root like papa said.

Thanks. I'll do that. I definitely planned to cut off all the dead and black canes. Think I might need to cut down more than that? I'll give it a good going over tomorrow.

Yes late March and the poor thing is still in that bag! In fact the copper binding that wraps the package on was so rusted I thought I was going to have to use wire cutters to get it off. I asked my neighbor why she did that and she said that she kept it watered and it was growing, what's the problem? Made me laugh.

I'll treat it with care and see how it goes.

Kate

SO would epsom salts help develope feeder roots or just enhance the performance of what is already there? Would epsom salts be a good thing to put into the hole at potting up time? Probably too late to ask in this case but for future knowledge...

Here is a link that might be useful: Epsom salts in the FAQ's

I planted it this morning. Of course all the feeder roots were growing into the packaging. I cut a lot off the top, not all of it. Going to wait and see how this poor thing does in the next few days. I gave it a huge drink and stuck it in the shade so we will see. We are having kind of cool weather the past few days so the timing is good.

Kate

Hi Kate ~ Heirloom is a gorgeous rose with a very strong fragrance. One of the mauves I don't have. It likes to get Black Spot very easily. You grow such an amazing

Angel Face if your Heirloom makes it, you will know exactly what to do. I'm sure it will be beautiful. :o)

Adrienne

Thanks Adrienne.

My Angel Face had a pretty rough winter. Bad bout of canker. I'm keeping my fingers crossed at this point. But if AF does perish hopefully I can put this guy in its place.

Thanks for your thoughts. Hoping for some pictures of your garden soon.

Kate

Since this rose bloomed yesterday I thought it would be fun to update this thread. The fragrance is sublime.

Kate

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Looking good! Looks like you really pruned her down from the original photo.

Thanks Mike.

Yep I did just as you suggested. I have to admit at first I did not cut enough off. I began just with the obvious dead stuff and the canes that were lanky. Within three days I could see that wasn't going to be enough so I cut the whole down to like eight inches or so and removed whatever was wilty.

I just can't get over the fragrance. Initially I just thought it would be fun to see if I could make it live or not. Now I'm wondering if I might need to try an Heirloom from a reputable vendor next year and see what it can do.

Kate

Kate, Heirloom is a beauty. I don't have a lot of HT's but this one is a keeper. Your's is obviously a tough little bugger. Give it a chance. Folks sometimes find that the least likely to survive, not only survive but thrive in their garden. Why replace it if it is doing well? It's looking good.
Nancy

Heirloom is just about my favorite HT. It has great color and fragrance and blooms heavily. It gets blackspot, but no more than the rest of my moderns. The best part is the bloom form: very informal and almost OGR-like.

Sometimes, no matter how badly we treat them, a rose just survives. I accidentally tore out a sucker which had no roots left afterward. Just a stick with a few leafs. I trimmed it back to 4 inches and planted it in a pot. Two weeks later it was leafed out and happily growing.

Heirloom

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Harry that is gorgeous. Thanks for the information on its disease resistance also. Very helpful.

Kate

Hey Teka:

No, I don't want to replace it. I like it. After all its been through I think it is quite the tough little cookie.

What I meant was that maybe I need a bed of fragrant roses, the star of which might be my existing Heirloom and a couple more! I don't want to give up on it now if I can help it.

Thanks.

Kate

Wow, Kate, it looks fantastic! Most of my bodybags are strating to look straggly, but i don;t want to prune. I am afraid.

Can you send me a scented email? I love the look of that rose! While you are at it, post some more pic of the rest of your roses. Do they all look so fantastic?

Deb and I agree that Heirloom has a wonderful fragrance. Only thing is....
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it is a chore deadheading the bloom machine :)
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Heirloom has been our bloom champion HT for about 10 years. We quit trying to count them a long time ago.
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Good job saving yours!

I always try to talk Deb into excluding Heirloom from the HT contest because it should be a floribunda. She won't go for it. Deb says get more. I say 'are you going to have time to deadhead blooms on more than one'??
Those pics are in June. Wait and see the ones next month :) It is already taller than the fence. I had to seriously cut back new growth shading Lucille Ball and the vigorous thing is still a monster. Oh, excuse the shack next door, LOL.
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Can you tell we like this rose?

Forgot to ask Harry: What is blackspot???? I'd better scram :)

Dave that is wonderful as usual. I did not know you two grew Heirloom. My gosh yours is just giant! I hope mine resembles yours one day. Maybe it just needs to grow up a little.

Thanks!

Kate

Heirloom got established fast here. Deb brought the thing home in 1996 (it was the 2nd of her mauve thangs). It was outblooming the other HTs by 1998. I have to chop her back hard every year. I can't get my truck in the drive if I let her grow as much as she wants. I tried it in 2000.... never again. Heirloom had 4 feet of live cane this spring. I pruned it back to a foot tall and the thing is already too large. Deb tried to count the buds on the second flush last night. It was funny. She gave up and just said there will be 200+ again.
I rooted a cutting for friend a few years back. It has become a monster too :)

Gosh, Dave, between you and Kate you have just enabled that rose right onto my list for next year!!!

Does it stay clean and healthy without spraying?

Shame!! Are you shamed? lol

Boy Dave, that's a low blow. Of course, I could reply "what's winter die back?" Because I am a gentlemen, I won't.

Your Heirloom is unbelievable. I am considering cutting Heirloom and the rest of my HT's back further each spring. Maybe to 12" as you did.

LOL, I deserved that Harry. Heirloom responds very well to severe pruning. There is usually a couple feet of green cane on her in spring. I always cut her back to a foot tall.

Greenhaven, blackspot is not a problem here on healthy plants. We only see it on new or stressed bushes. Powdery mildew is a problem and Heirloom can get a severe case of it. I haven't used fungicide in 4 years but Heirloom would get some pm even when I used the stuff. I wash the underside of foliage twice a week with a hard, fine water spray. She stays clean for us now. Others will have to help you about blackspot.
Shame? OK, I was vewy, vewy bad. I see now I should only have posted pics showing a bit of Heirloom.
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Is that better?

my body bag heirloom is on its last legs. Did well at first but now the leaves are all yellow and it looks pretty bad. All the rest of the roses around it are doing great. I guess I will replace it with a better version next year.

No, WORSE! lol Gorgeous rose, I think I will consider it for my Spring list. Thanks for the info, I greatly appreciate it. I do love my mauve and purple roses. Which is funny, because normally I am not a purple person...at all.

Now I have Angel Face and love it, then went and bought TWO Lavender Simplicitys, planted a Lavender Lassie and have two Ebb Tides and one Night Owl.

On second thought, maybe I don't want another Mauve! :o/

Taking the chance I'll be ostracized by the many female rose growers here, I m making this observation. While I personally like a Happy Butt, you ladies should learn to squat instead of putting your Happy Butt out there for the world to see.
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Karl, don't ever link a photo of my wife to make the butt of one of your jokes.

Hey, my Happy Butt will be planted for all the world to see, haHA!

I tried to grow a bareroot Heirloom a couple of years ago but it never broke dormancy and eventually dried up and just died.
Seeing these pictures makes me want to try to grow one again however. Those are some very pretty bushes and blooms. I grew it because I had smelled it in anothers garden and the strong fragrance just blew me away as did the profuse amount of blooming it did for them.
John