I struggle with growing roses for cutting...every year I am sure that it will be the year that my roses look great and are very productive but it seems every year different roses do best so hard to know what to say. I do garden organically and resist the tempation to pile ont he chemicals that I used to get such pretty blooms with. I keep working to get enough fertilizer and water on mine.

I have the best production from my English Roses. I know they do not last as long as hybrid teas but I have customers who want only the English roses for their wonderful fragrance and color, and are willing to pay for that. YOu can buy hybrid teas at any grocery store but you can;t buy English Roses there!

Actually, the ASCFG Research Foundation has issued a grant to a specialty cutflower grower in Idaho to investigate the viability of growing roses as cutflowers in a Northern climate. The focus of the study is on fragrance which has been bred out of the rose cultivars currently sold throughout the cutflower rose trade. The grower has been given 250 plants -- 25 specimens of 10 different rose varieties, and will also be documenting vase life, stem production, and customer receptivity. It is hoped that potential customers will be willing to pay a premium to actually have the scent of the rose.

I checked Kordes website. Beautiful roses. I didn't find Fruitilia. I am, however, very interested. If we could add roses to our dahlias, that would be a very good thing............

Trish

Every year I am so tempted to put a few roses in, but always have an excuse, mainly I run out of money from buying my other things, and then I never have that "special" place ready where the soil, light and spacing is perfect. I have been looking at the brownell series that Veseys offer, they are very winter hardy, some listed as zone 4, but I'm not sure about the stem length, which is very important, of course. If there turns out to be a good cut rose for northern climate, with good vase life, and fragrance, I'll be glad I waited to put roses in.
Cheryl

Trish - if you go to the Kordes site (link is below) and select the 'Outdoor - cutroses' link on the right side of the screen, on the page following you will find a link for 'Fruitilia' under 'hip varieties'. (I like the play on words by the way!)

Here is a link that might be useful: W. Kordes Sohne

Does anyone know of any US sources for the Kordes roses?

I'm not sure of a US source but Pickering Nurseries in Ontario is a reputable company. Bare root roses can be shipped across the border with a phytosanitary certificate.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pickering Nurseries

I have grown many roses over the years but never in a colder climate - so my experience is much different. I have heard people who buy roses for cut flowers say they enjoy the old garden roses, David Austin type or antique roses and wish they could get them as cut flowers. Not only do they like the fragrance but they have remarked they like the antique look of these roses.

Someone gave me this list of old fashioned roses they found to be fragrant and the best for cutting: Abbaye de Cluny, Carding Mill, Comtesse de Provence, Frederic Mistral, Geoff Hamilton, Jean Giona, Juliet, Portia, Oberon, Olivia, Rouge Royal, Traviata, Auguste Renoir, Johann Strauss, Oshun. This list may be suited to warmer climates.

I have heard own root roses do better in colder climates. There is a rose breeder near me that grows own root roses, Ralph Moore. He has bred many miniature roses but also has full size roses. I have posted a link to his nursery below.

When I lived in Arkansas I had an old fashioned rose that I think was Violacea and to this day I regret not getting a cutting from it when I moved. It was growing in partial shade, bloomed only once a year, was almost thornless, and the small double roses grew in sprays with the most delicious fragrance I have ever smelled.

I have lots of outdoor roses which were planted by the previous owner - not sure of the varieties. If one was to sell roses as cut flowers would it be necessary to remove all of the thorns? If so, does anyone know where I can purchase a hand-held thorn remover?

Linda

Here is a link that might be useful: Sequoia Nursery, Ralph Moore Roses

hvander,
I checked out the Pickering Nursery site, and emailed them regarding the Kordes roses, and they wrote back saying they don't carry the cutrose varieties. Do you know of anyone else that might distribute them in Canada?
Cheryl

As of a couple of years ago (which was the last time I got a Kordes catalog), you could order roses from Kordes directly. It was expensive, as you'd expect it to be, coming from Europe. They suggested several people pool their orders to save on shipping. They sent catalogs on request. I'll check the website and see if I can figure out what they're doing now. I never did order roses from them, but as I recall, it was mostly because ALL their roses were grafted, not own-root. I've learned firsthand what can happen to grafted roses in a cold climate. If you're prepared to do a lot of winter protection, grafts are more workable. I don't.

Linda, whether you de-thorn or not is up to you. I used to grow outside roses for cutting. I didn't even TRY to sell the really thorny ones, except maybe in a big, fat mixed bouquet with many other stems to cover up the thorns. It pays to find less-thorny varieties. De-thorning can shorten vase life. It works best with the varieties bred for cutting, which don't have a lot of thorns in the first place, and are also bred for an extra-long vase life. My customers didn't complain about the thorns; I didn't de-thorn, but then I only sold them in mixed bouquets anyway, so the thorns weren't as obvious.

Jeanne

Howdy all,

Springvillagardens,

Have you ever been to Seq. Nursery? It is truely a treat. It is going to close down when Mr. Moore turns 100. I take the family at least once a year.

Hvander,

Here's my two cents on roses. First off I have about 500 plus roses. I grow em because I like em. I use the roses dried in crafts. I get 2 flushs out of them a year. I don't use them as a cut. I could use the out garden fragrent type which I grow but I don't have enough.

Now that been said I wouldn't grow them for cut market. Here in the LA area roses are a dime a dozen. Big fat hy. teas are all over the place so I don't compete agaisn't that market, plus they come from S. America, cheap. If you do want to grow them for the cut market you are have to make sure you have a market. I sell my flowers to florists, wholesalers ( I try to stay away from them as much as I can they don't want to give you a cent for your product) and of course the public.

The best thing I can tell you is just don't listen to the nursery where your buying your plants. All they want to do is sell you the plants. Look for what grows good around you. If you can't find a grower them reseach, reseach and more research.

To give you an idea I've been though 5 lavender nurseries till I found one I can trust.

Take care,

and of course good luck,
Tim

Tim, I am also growing lavender - I have about 800 plants and about 10 different varieties - most were planted from plugs which I purchased from a flower broker. Would you mind sharing your favorite lavender nursery? I have been to Sequoia Nursery a couple of times - you can tell it has been there a long time - a real treat to see all those roses and I love the dawn redwoods. What will they do with all their roses when Mr. Moore turns 100? Someone should carry on his work. I wonder if the property is being zoned out - they are building so much around Visalia and taking out so much farm land - it is a shame. I haven't been to the rose garden the city of Visalia dedicated in Ralph Moore's name yet, have you?

Tim, it is true the wholesalers won't give you a cent for your product - they offered me next to nothing for my lavender - but a few florists offered me more. I am sure small growers would find it difficult to compete using the traditional type of cut roses the South American market grows - they sell them quite inexpensively everywhere. What type of crafts do you make with your roses and what type of fertilizer do you use on them? Since the roses I have now were planted by the previous owner, I thought I might as well include them in some bouquets and floral arrangements. I dried some rose petals last year since they smelled so good and I hated to see the petals go to waste on the ground. I was also going to try my hand at potpourri - perhaps mixing some roses and lavender to see what I come up with.

Jeanne, I inherited the 50 or so rose bushes I have - so I am trying to make use of them and some of them are thorny. I did think I might add some old fashioned roses in the future so I will research which ones have less thorns. I was looking on the internet and did find a dethorning implement for $10. I included the link. I find when making arrangements and even pulling the roses out of the conditioning buckets I seem to get stabbed too often - so I was trying to protect myself as well as the customers. I thought I might include one or two in mixed bouquets when they are in bloom since roses are so popular and a lot of mine are fragrant. I have a Pink Peace that gives off a scent when you walk by and many years ago had a wonderfully fragrant Apricot Nectar which I intend to plant here too. I didn't even think about the potential loss of moisture by the rose - that sure is something to consider before removing the thorns. I will have to experiment to see how much difference it makes to the length of vase life. Thanks for the tips.

Linda

Here is a link that might be useful: Rose Thorn Stripper from Wildflower Seed

Hi Linda,

Champion Acres for lavender. www.championacres.com I've tried a bunch in North cal., Washington etc. Nathana is a straigh shooter. He may take alittle time to get back to you but he's good. Tell em Tim from So. Cal sent you. I don't buy or use plugs. Too easy to die and rabbits love em. I buy alittle bigger plant always, sooner to flower in my book.

Mr Moore will sell/donate all the roses to UC Davis sell the property and creation a postion at the university.

Wholesaler are just that wholesalers they buy something and turn around and sell it. They create nothing they make nothing. They don't give a darn about ur sweat and blood, time etc. Now some are good but most I can do with out. Florist are good over all but you have to found your market with them.

Now I can go into this really long but I'll make it short. Set your price and STICK to it. You have a locally grown product that is fresh and will last a long time etc. I also don't spray etc so I add that into it. I can really go into all this more and help you out if you want, I've been where ur at. e mail decoyote@dslextreme.com A must newsletter to read is Growing for market. www.growingformarket.com Also Linda I have a u pick cherry orchard where I sell my flowers too.

I use straight horse manure. Aged if I can get it. I mostly dry my roses to use in lavender wreaths. I only use fresh in the house. I try to only grow things that are hard to get and love the hot hot so. Cal weather.

Hello Tim,

I checked out Champion Acres and they have an impressive list of lavender varieties.

I think setting your price is good advice, because people will always try to get you to sell for less. Lavender is one of those flowers that if you don't sell fresh you can always dry and then sell. The florists I did show my fresh lavender to - were very impressed with the freshness, color, and fragrance. Thank you for all your advice. I will contact you offline.

Linda

I sure hope nobody was paying attention when I mentioned that Kordes will send a catalog on request. They will, but it's in German! I'm fluent in German, so I didn't remember that as being a problem, but it certainly IS a problem for almost everybody. I discovered it when I logged onto their website after posting above. Also, German catalog notwithstanding, ALL of their roses are grafted, so I wouldn't order from them anyway.

Sorry -

Jeanne