Help With Rose Bush

6 years ago

I wrote about the "Magician" rose bush before. I had two of them at my mother's place and it bloomed beautifully there. It's marketed as continual bloom.

I bought two for my garden from the same company, also own root, one didn't make it despite it's supposed to be cold hardy.

The second one is on it's 5th year with the same issue. I get a decent first flush, then scarce to no blooms thereafter. It's in the same vicinity as Julia Child and Colorific which are flourishing.

The only thing different I can think of doing is that I did not fertilize the Magicians I bought for my mother. But I fertilize mine. However, this year I opted for no fish emulsion for the Magician and I put fertilizer down that has less NPK, a 3-9-4 ratio, compared to previous years of using a higher NPK.

I know it's early but the rose seems to be doing the same thing as it has in previous years. It's at a standstill where all my other roses are rebudding and showing new growth.

I had hope when I saw some new growth but I just learned they're called "blind shoots" which I've gotten in previous years with this rose bush. My next thought was to add fertilizer with high potassium and no nitrogen but I don't know if I should.

I love this rose, it was my favorite in my mother's garden. But I'm going to give it another year after this and then move on. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

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Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
roses are full sun plants ... this one is next to a wall ... what direction does the wall face ..

if south.. maybe its being baked there.. and somehow its affecting vigor.. or bloom ...

if any other direction ... then it might be less than full sun .. how many hours a day of direct sun does it get ... i note it seems to be leaning/growing toward the right.. why???

and a long shot might be if anything is leaching into the soil from the cement foundation ...

if you decide to move it.....now is probably not the time ...

ken
Marigold33 NY-Z7
Original Author
6 years ago
Ken-I think it gets enough sun because 5 feet away against the same wall is Colorific and 3 feet from Colorific is Julia Child and they're doing extremely well. I also just planted Veteran's Honor on left of the wall 5 weeks ago and it grew and it's already blooming.

But moving it will do the trick for this particular rose, maybe it's not getting enough sun. At my mother's location the 2 Magicians were in full sun, that I do know. I forgot to mention it's a shrub rose that can be used as a short climber which is why it may be leaning.
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seil zone 6b MI
6 years ago
You really can't use the other roses around it for comparison. Every roses is different and has different wants and needs. Comparing them is unfair.

It looks pretty healthy in that picture. However, lack of sufficient sun will cause less bloom. You say it gets enough sun but you don't say how much that is. Roses need at least 6 hours, and preferably 8 hours of full, direct sunlight to preform their best.
Marigold33 NY-Z7
Original Author
6 years ago
Good point Seil, thanks for the insight.
Marigold33 NY-Z7
Original Author
6 years ago
I checked the area it gets 6 hours of full sun.