Hi pkguy.Thank you for your input.
That is nice.I am happy for you.
You must be a better gardener than me.
Congratulation and take my best.
Hala.

Hi Wayne, it has been a long time since we "chatted". You are right. Most R.O.S. are late bloomers. Mine seemed to start earlier this year than most....probably because I was contemplating yanking it out for something earlier. Mother Nature has strange ways. It has been decided that the R.O.S.will stay.

Hi John, yes it has been quite awhile my friend. I was given my R.O.S. by my daughters friends mother. It was in a four in. pot an maybe a foot tall, just a baby. However now it is approx. six feet tall and last summer it bloomed beautifully. My only concern is I may have planted it in a location that may not be suited in the next few years. What are your thoughts on moving it in the fall?

I'm in 5a (Montreal), and mine is leafing out. If one in zone 6 is still not showing signs of buds then it was probably killed off by the winter.

BP

Thanks bonniepunch for you input.
Most probably they are killed by frost.I agree.
With appreciation-
Hala.

I think fall would be okay to move it, Wayne. It will be after the bloom, and once it starts to feel the autumn chill then it should be okay to move.

Where do you have it now, Wayne? Where are you thinking it would be best? I can imagine your beautiful garden now. What colour is it? Mine is a single purple ( not my favourite). I lost my tricolour double one to the rabbits, so planted this one closer to the patio where it gets ample sun.
It sure is hot out today in our neck of the woods.

Hi Hala,

Just wanted to let you know that I've been having the same problem with mine here in Massachusetts. I purchased 15 a couple of years ago and they flourished! This year, only three have leaves and it's almost the second week of June. It seems that the ones that get all day sun have done the best; the others are completely bare.

Hope that you've seen signs of growth by now. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Thank you robinfromboston.
This is very interesting,3 plants out of 15 have leaves. What happened to the rest? A puzzle!
I hope you will be more lucky than i am.I dag them out and this way i got rid of them. because i noticed that steams at the ground level are very soft and the barks almost rotten and peel off.(Roots look heathy). And What i did?-went to my garden centre and purchesed a new one: 6' tall Blue Satin tree-form for replacement of my Blue Bird. For replacement of two others i planted hardy Hibiscus Moscheutos. they are more reliable.If my Blue Satin did not do very well i will never grow Hibiscus- Syriacus.They are hardy to zone 6 if you are lucky.I am interested why they are so expensive?
I think your plants will do well,only they are late this year.I wish you to be a very happy 'Rose of Sharon' grower.
Thanks for your dedication.
Hala.

Ahhh...good to hear, Wildie. I'm the eternal optimist. I've had a plant that I got from a friend the year she passed away that's been nothing more than a stick for 3 years but I don't have the heart to pull it out because, well, I feel you just never know. (Oops. I think that was a run-on sentence!)

Hala,

Good for you for trying it again. I just love people who refuse to give up! Take care and happy gardening.

Robin

Well, although I posted that I wasn't worried a few weeks ago, I was starting to worry. But alas, there is some green on it today!!

Hi nico6196:
Some green makes a good prediction!
Thank you for your update.I hope you will not loose your plant.I would greatly appreciate more of your updates,if you are only feel like doing this.
Hala.

I live in Toronto and had bought 2 ROS last year. So far this year one is full of leaves and the other has nothing on it. I called up Sheridan Nurseries from whom I bot these and they said that sometimes ROS does not bloom till middle of June. I saw a few days ago that the bare one has some new leaves growing right at the base. So i still have hope!

Just thought I'd tell you that I bought two ROS last year. They are not leaving out as yet. My receipt expires tomorrow. I called the nursery where I purchased them and she told me to wait a little bit yet since they were just planted last year. She will still honor my receipt. She also told me that the longer the ROS are in the ground the sooner they leaf out. First year ones are always the longest for their first leaves. I scratch green, so I'm still hoping that she's right!

Hi ritug;
Thank you very much for your reply.
I also hope that your one of Hibiscuses will make it.It grows!
All the best for you.
Hala

Hi kkproulx;
Thanks for your reply,i find it very informatine as i did not know,that the plnt which is longer in a ground grows leaves sooner.
I hope your Hibiscuses will grow well this year.
God bless and my regards,
Hala.

What an incredable number of comments. So I will add mine to the rest. I have several of the Rose and Sharon and a few have yet to leaf out but are still very alive others where actually early. Just a strange year I guess. For most part my garden is about three weeks ahead of where it should be and we are in a drought here in Dunnville.

Hi will 2006;
Every comment has a big value so has yours.Thank you.
Isn't amazing year? It is strange.It is a puzzle.
I hope someone will solve it.
I wish your plants will make it and you will have a lot of beautiful blooms.
My regards'
Hala.

Strange indeed. Here we are June 17 and one ROS is looking great and fully leafed out. The other (five feet away to the north) is sad with one branch very well leafed and the others with no leaves but green under the bark and otherwise looking exactly the same is its sibling. Any suggestions, hints, condolences?

Hi Adam_gardener;
Thank you so much for taking the time to add your comment and for sharing what you are experiencing with your Rose of Sharon.

One branch leafed? very interesting!
Let us hope that others will follow the first one.The confusion would decrease it's intensity.
With appreciation-
Hala.

I was just out checking on my ROS that I bought last year and there aren't any leaves yet. I am not sure if I have it planted in the right spot, it gets sun and partial shade. Should I replant it in full sun or wait awhile longer and see what happens?
Thanks
Val

Hi Val:
Nice to read about yours ROS.I think you planted it in right spot as ROS grows in full sun or partial shade.If the plant looks healthy,has green under the bark i would not replant it now.Anyone would? If so, why?
I wish your shrub/tree will do well.Is it 'Blue Bird'?-may i ask? I lost Blue Bird,White Chiffon and Hamabo.
I appreciate your input.
Hala.

Mine is covered with little buds now. It promises a good show.

Welcome back jroot.
I am not surprise that much,as they started growing leaves early.I am very happy for you,Thanks for your update.
It really promises an excellent performance.
Good luck and congratulations!
Hala.

Hi everybody;
Imagine,my ROS Blue Satin appeared to be not Blue Satin cultivar.
The flowers are faded pink,very small and double.Looks really ugly.I surfed the internet and could not find anything similar I am terribly upset and disappointed by that and My Garden Centre put me down.Therefore i dare ask you people,if you know any reliable Garden Centre in Toronto.Sure I can bring the tree(over6' tall now)to the store back and get my money. There is no problem with this.But what will i gain then? Anyone knows where can i purchase Hibiscus-Syriacus Blue Satin tree? Any reply will be greatly appreciated.
Hala

Hi All,
I am making contact because my ROS this year has grown in tremendously large, with too, too many flowers, which of course are attracting far too many bees. I did not fertilize it, so I don't know what is causing this sudden burst of extreme growth. There are so many bees around this ROS tree (no longer a bush) that I am thinking about cutting it down. Didn't I read somewhere that there were fewer bees? Not so around my ROS "tree." What's going on with my ROS bush-turned-tree? Can anyone clue me in on this?
Joyce In Connecticut/USA

Hi Joyce.
It looks to me that your ROS is forced to climb to light.Is there anything new happened lately like a tall fence is put near by ,or a neighbouring tree grew tall covering much of a light?
How about watering? Increased amount of water can improved root system.
This is what i guess.
Hala.

Hello everyone again!
It has been 1 year since we chatted about Hibiscus Syriacus 'Rose of Sharon'I have good luck this year with my ROS.All of them are leafing already and this I would like to share with you and ask how are yours performing now? Wishing you a very happy gardening in 2008-
Hala.
p.s.Please excuse my English.

Hello Hala, Glad to hear that your ROS have made it and are doing well. I was not a poster on your original thread about your ROS, but as I do have several of them, I thought that I would add my experience with them.
I find that each year they can perform differently. Usually they are rather late in leafing out, but not always. Each shrub seems to have its' own schedule. This year, I was surprised to see that most of them were showing leaves very early. A surprise since we are having such an unusually cold, rainy spring! There are some that are lagging behind, but I am not worried as I know that they will be fine....if not, then I do have several little ones that have self seeded and although they are only a few inches tall, they are leafed out already.
I don't think that in all the years that I have grown them, that I have lost any. I am usually digging out the 'volunteers' and begging people to take them. :)
gg
p.s. did you ever get the blue satin? I got two of them last year from a trade and hope that they will flower this year. I would be happy to send you seeds if they do. They grow so fast from seed, that you could have them flowering very soon.

Joyce can trim her ROS. I do every year, as I have one of them placed near a walkway. I encourage it to grow tall and slim.

They are all beginning to leaf out now, although the cold weather this spring seems to be holding them back a little.

Hi everyone. Alas my ROS looks like a dead stick. I'm scared to scratch it and see if it's green - it might break! In the meantime, last fall I collected some seeds from a friends ROS and now have 9 'babies' growing. I also w/s some and hope they come up. Marg

Mine is still in 'dead stick' mode too, but if I scratch it I get green, and if I pop it out of its pot I see healthy roots. It usually leafs out in the first week of June. It's hard not to worry when everything else is up and growing like mad, but this is a really late starter!

BP

Hi,Graylady-gardener.
Thanks for your response.I appreciate that greatly.When it comes to seeds you are offering me I must say that I already have 'Blue Satin'ROS,so thank you very much for your kindness.
My regards.
Hala.

Hi,marg.
I will keep my fingers crossed and I believe it will help your ROS to wake up and start growing.It is still early.I understand what you are going through,Last year I went through the hell.I lost a lot,I hope,You will not loose your plant.
My regards.
Hala

Thank you Bonnie for your response.
I understand how hard is not to be worried,but try to remember that Rose of Sharon is late.I hope,everything will be ok and you will have a nice,big show of blooms.
My regards.
Hala.

Hala - I'm not worried, I know it's always the last plant to wake up :-) I'm really hoping to see some blooms too! It's such a pretty flower and so worth the wait.

I hope you are doing well - I remember you had to have some surgery :-(

BP

Hi Bonniepunch, Do you bring the ROS in for winter or do they stay outside?

esmee - I leave my ROS outside. It is hardy in my area, but only just. It gets a heavy layer of mulch for winter protection.

BP

Bonnie,I sent you e-mail.
Hala.

I leave mine out also. Actually, they are both in a windy area, and I don't mulch them at all. However, there are ususally great piles of snow banks there.

hala - sorry, but I didn't get your email! I just got a new computer late last week and I think several incoming and outcoming messages got lost in the changeover.

BP

Hi Bonnie.I am sorry you did not receive my email.There was nothing important.nothing to regret.
You asked me how i feel-I am recovering.Thank you.
My regards.
Hala.

Here is my rose of Sharon Diana surrounded by Hibiscus and sunflower. Picture taken June 17 2008

{{gwi:528944}}

BonniePunch....check the canna forum, I posted pics of the cannas

Thanks for your response Glaswegian.Thank you for nice and interesting picture. Plants are growing nicely,They are so big! Is your 'Diana'budding? Mine are not yet,but my neighbours'Red Heart'is budding already.
Regards.
Hala.

Oh my goodness, I'm so relieved to see I'm not the only one with a Rose of Sharon not leafing out yet! I have 2 of them that were planted about 3 or 4 years ago and they've done beautifully ever since. This year, the one on the south side of the yard in part shade is fully leafed out. The one on the north side of the yard in full sun is completely bare! I thought maybe I'd somehow done something to it. But it too is green inside on light scratching. It must just be the way it is this year. PHEW! What a relief.

Laura

So a bit of a derail.....
I knew ROS were slow to break dormancy, but tales of mid-June leafing out with a large stick-like bush for half the year sounds very.... unappealing.

Anyone have some recommendations for good companion plants for ROS for the 6 months of ugly at the beginning of the year?

We all have few nerves left after this brutal winter. We are still counting the casualties in the tree department in southern Ontario. A gardener in Toronto uses topiary conifers next to his ROS. It makes some green until his ROS can start greening.

All the people I know in Toronto with rhodos in the garden have toasted shrubs. The repeated arctic blasts drilled through protection and even in the ground. I could hear nails popping in the walls during the brutal cold snaps. Who here got a frost quake? I did not feel one but my driveway took a beating.

Oh I see a few names on this subject, that have been on Garden Web for years.
I don't post so often myself but yet trying to grow Brugmansia.

As for Rose of Sharon I have a 60 foot hedge of it that is now maybe six years old.
Had some die back this year which I have cut away. Different coloured flowers on the plants Is a real eye catcher when in bloom The hedge is against a wooden fence and can be seen from the road. Always if I am out in the front people stop by to say how lovely it is and that they look forward to the blooms.l don't do a thing with it other than trim it to keep it from growing to high or to wide

August 11 and my Rose of Sharon which was transplanted last fall hasn’t leaves out but scratch test on branches shows green... isn’t this awfully late??

Hi everyone, not sure you still see posts on here as it's been so long. I've enjoyed this thread as currently June 16, I have 2 3-year old ROS plants that I planted early spring. One of them in the more shady/ wet spot has leafed out well so far. The other one which is in a sunnier spot is still bare, but when I scratched the bark it is green.

The only thing giving me hope is I see another ROS plant on my street which looks about the same age that is also bare!