It's funny that I had a dream last night about your favorite rose being Heritage ... that's the 1st time that I have a dream about Gardenweb member!

I love those blooms!

Joshtx,

You recommended Heritage for me when I was searching for pink a rose. I actually purchased SDLM for my soft pink. It was only 102 here in Las Vegas today. I must admit that while I have always admired the beauty of Heritage, I was unsure of how well this rose would perform during high temperatures. I am now convinced, and must make room for this rose.

Thank you:)

Lynn

Josh you're not that far from me, but my Heritage looks terrible. How much sun does yours get?

Yvette

I'd add my experiences here, and would have every other year, except that we've had an unprecedented period of cooler than normal weather, such as I've never experienced this time of the year. Last year I would have said that SdlM and Le Vesuve were my best roses in the heat, but this year it's been in the low 80's to low 90's so that the roses really aren't stressed. I'm sure this happy state of affairs won't last and in late August and September it will be a different story.

Ingrid

Lynn,

I am glad you chose SdLM first, as I am certain a Bourbon will beat an Austin in any heat tolerance competition. Your climate in Las Vegas is also very dry, and I am unsure how my climate's high humidity plays a role in Heritage's resilience.

Ycavaz,

The bed she is in receives full sun from sunrise to 4pm, at which shade moves over the bed. A gentleman from Chamblee's suggested such a schedule for sun exposure.

Josh

Josh, I wondered that too, but my irrigation is consistent and I wouldn't dare expose an Austin to the sunlight/heat conditions that some of my other roses receive. I am experimenting with somewhat newer varieties and ones that are new to me. I should definitely have a report along with photos in the near future.

Our dry 103 is like 98 degrees, whereas 95 degrees with only 38 % humidity is like 98 degrees , which only becomes worse ( larger gap) as the humidity level increases. I have recently wondered how a well irrigated roses experiences heat and humidity? But all in all I do believe our roses speak to us. They faint, burn, go into shock and do all kinds of things.

Lynn

Lynn,

I have found that whenever my roses are looking droopy due to heat, spraying them down with the 'Shower' setting on my nozzle makes them perk right up. I know it flies in the face of the "Do not wet the leaves of roses lest it encourage fungal disease" wisdom, but I figure that as it mimics the feel of rain it can't be that bad. Turns out they love and appreciate the bath. I would absolutely suggest Heritage, and in the event she ever looks sad just give her a shower. This particular bush only receives a once a week watering, and the occasional shower. She is clearly very happy with her allotment in the garden. She has nearly tripled in size in a month and a half. I have no doubt that if you give her morning to 4pm sun, and water her as she needs it then she will perform for you as she has for me.

Going on day 3, and she is still holding this bloom form as we speak. Great rose!

Josh

Hi Lynn (desertgarden): I do the same as Josh: give them shower, my tap water pH is 8 ... they don't get diseases with that. From the dark-green and healthy look of Josh's roses, my guess is his soil and water are at neutral range, thus more availability of nutrients such as calcium and potassium ... and better heat tolerance.

At my high pH of 7.7, calcium is tied up with phosphorus ... best applied in readily available forms. EarthCo. soil test recommended me to apply gypsum, never mind that I'm next to a limestone quarry. The soluble gypsum works better than the granular one. I was able to extend the vase life of Eglantyne blooms from 1 day to 3 days.
Khalid in English roses forum have higher temp. in Parkistan, 113 degrees, soil pH over 8, he gives his roses gypsum (calcium sulfate) and superphosphate (for best root growth). With less rain, the higher the salt and soil pH. I posted the info. "Calcium and Potassium for salt and heat tolerance in plants.", see link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Calcium and potassium for heat tolerance

This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Sat, Aug 3, 13 at 11:44

Strawberryhill, Prior to planting my Therese Bugnet Rugosa, I will add a lot of soil sulfur to the hole as this rose likes acid. We have so much natural gypsum/calcium carbonate here, but my soil tested ridiculously low for the P and K. I have to pull up the record as one was far all intents and purposes not-existent; the level was really low. As regular protocol, we add two cups of soil sulfur to each mature rose surround 1 to 2 times a year to deal with the high pH. I did not do that this spring and my pH is ridiculously too high for optimal rose growing. I have some work to do in early September and February :)

This post was edited by desertgarden561 on Sat, Aug 3, 13 at 11:39

Hi Lynn: You are right in adding sulfur to the planting hole. Too bad it takes up to a year for maximum effect. I like the soluble gypsum (calcium sulfate) because it works instantly in greening up my roses.

I see zero benefit when I put granular superphosphate as Roses Unlimited recommended. That stuff is expensive, so putting sulfur in the hole is cheaper to bring down the pH to release phosphorus tie-up with calcium.

Soluble phosphorus works better. The MiracleGro Bloom Booster NPK 10-52-10 with trace elements work very well both in greening up my roses and more blooms.

Excellenz von Shubert is yellow now, even when I put sulfur and pine bark (pH 4.5) three months in advance. New growth was vigorous when I gave it soluble gypsum. Even when I bring down the pH to near neutral, if the trace elements are lacking (iron, manganese, boron, copper, and zinc) ... the rose is still yellowish.

I haven't put horse manure on E.V. S., but once I do, it will green up like my other roses with the trace elements in the horse manure. Below is Lawrence of Arabia Floribunda, bought from Roses Unlimited end of June sale, it was yellowish with dull leaves. I gave it soluble gypsum, plus mulched with cocoa mulch, pH 5.6, NPK 3-1-4, with trace elements. It's short since I planted the root ball 4 to 5 inches below ground level for zone 5a winter survival.

This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Sat, Aug 3, 13 at 12:01

Strawberryhill, I have two EVS band on my patio; one is going in a raised planter and the other in a small bed that my gardener will prep for me in a couple of weeks; with my supervision of course. I plan to plant both in the ground in Mid September. Do you use soluble gypsum because of your clay soil?

Lynn

Hi Lynn: More than a year ago I successfully DOUBLED the vase-life of Radio Times and Mary Magdalene by putting calcium citrate in the vase. Soluble gypsum (calcium sulfate) does the same with extending the blooming both on the bush, and in the vase. Calcium maximizes water-uptake, and firm up plant tissue.

Some sites said gypsum is acidic, some sites said it doesn't change pH. So I tested it myself:

The dark-green ones that like alkaline soil: Golden Celebration, French Romanticas & Meilland DIDN'T LIKE the excess gypsum: leaves became thinner, and droopy. It's very much like the time I put too much sulfur on Sweet Promise ... leaves wilted in the heat.

Roses with musk or multiflora parentage that prefer acidic soil, LIKE gypsum. Excellenz von Schubert, a hybrid musk, does well with added gypsum, so does Annie L. McDowell. Mary Magdalene likes gypsum, its bloom lasts 4 days in the vase, compared to 2 days in the vase from last year. In my pH of 7.7 clay, most Austins bloom better with added acid, except for Golden Celebration, Pat Austin, Evelyn, Wise Portia are healthier in alkaline soil.

University of California Extension chart in the below link listed 1 ton of gypsum as equivalent to 5.38 ton of sulfur. It also listed 1.09 ton of Ferric Sulfate as equivalent to 5.85 ton of sulfur. I already tested Ferric Sulfate on my azaleas and rhododendrons in my soil pH of 7.7. It's a DISASTER, leaves get brown burnt from the acid.

Both gypsum (calcium sulfate) and potassium (sulfate of potash) best applied AFTER the flush is done, to encourage root growth for the next flush. I applied granular sulfate of potash during blooming, and it browned roses' petals, very ugly. I applied granular gypsum during blooming, and the colors became faded, plus it took away the scent.

That's why I prefer soluble gypsum because I can control WHEN I apply for best effects. I also prefer soluble potassium via banana peels and molasses in water.

Regardless of what type of soils, calcium is a vital nutrient for plant growth. Even my limestone (calcium carbonate) clay is tested barely adequate in calcium, due to tied-up with phosphorus. Along with potassium, calcium helps with droopy necks. The more petals, and the thicker the petals, like Sonia Rykiel, the more demand for calcium and potassium.

The below table of University of CA is also useful if you have acidic soil, it lists what type of liming materials used, and how much to raise to neutral pH.

Here is a link that might be useful: University of CA on liming and gypsum

This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Sat, Aug 3, 13 at 13:00

Strawberryhill, UC Davis has one of the best horticultural departments in the country.

Being a Uni. of CA undergrad alum; not that it is likely to help in anyway ( but who knows), I am going to search their site and maybe contact them directly to see if they have any info. regarding alkaline soil ( which a lot of CA soil is as well), to determine if their findings are consistent with the following:

http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/nr/2009/fs0915.pdf

Lynn

Let us know how your EvS does. I have had no luck with these kinds of roses in my soil I had to pot them up or watch them die off of chlorosis. Roses that had this problem for me were Ballerina, EvS, Mary Rose, Sweet Chariot. It is the multiflora genetics that hate alkaline soils? I thought that was what Kim had said. All of these did great in a 1/2 barrel with peat moss mixed in the soil.

Josh I love Heritage as well. The more water you give it, the better it blooms. Our local arboretum used to have the most impressive one I ever saw growing through a white picket fence. It was just like a low climber. I really like this rose for morning sun where the petals last longer. There are better copies of this rose and not so good copies of it out there. I had to keep buying it until I got a good one. It's worth the effort to find a better version.