D.A. roses in pots

3 years ago

How do D.A.'s do in pots? Specifically, Royal Jubilee? Too big for a pot?

I have two Royal Jubilee, and I adore the blooms -- the perfect shade of pink and that fragrance! But after 4-5 years in the ground they are just not showing their stuff. I can't decide whether to pot them up or toss them. I'm trying to get away from having to overwinter potted stuff but dang it's hard to ditch these, I really love those flowers. And I have no idea where I'd put the pots anyway. I have a potted Desdemona that is still sitting next to the barn, I didn't know where to put her so I just left her there after I received her in May and potted her up. She sure does look healthy, though -- so maybe there's something to be said for putting the roses in a pot and forgetting about them LOL!

IDK what to do -- help me decide, pros and cons of potted D.A.s, please. (I can overwinter potted stuff in an unheated barn, so that's not an issue)

Featured Answer

rosaprimula UK (Cambridge) Z8/9

3 years ago

'they are just not showing their stuff'.

Why not, do you think? Not enough sun? Too much competition? Is there a space anywhere else you could transplant them to? I love the colour and bloom shape of RJ and can see why you would be sorry to be without them. However, growing roses in pots is a whole different ball-game (at which I am a miserable failure). I sorta know why though.

My M-i-L grows a lot of roses in pots, including a number of Austins. They can be a challenge because they are robust roses, by and large, and really want to put out huge amounts of vigorous canes, to carry the heavy blooms. The answer is careful pruning, I think, as well as being consistent with both water and fertilise.

The choice of many commercial nurseries is a slow release Osmacote granule and I have to agree, potted roses seem to do very well on this. Pruning is key as well. Normally, I am a bit slack with deadheading but I think potted roses need pruning after every flush and going in quite hard too. My M-i-L seems to keep her roses quite compact and accept fewer, but better flowers

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Comments (7)

Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
3 years ago
I potted "The Squire" ,who was an own root plant doing nothing in the ground, and it really improved in a 5 gal pot.

I would pot yours and give it a try before tossing the plant.
porkchop_z5b_MI thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
erasmus_gw
3 years ago
I had a Wm Morris in the ground that died. I think of lack of water. Then I planted a new one in the ground that has very slowly grown. I planted another one in a big pot and it is by far the biggest and has bloomed almost nonstop. I have a Lordly Oberon that is doing better in a big pot than in the ground. You do have to keep them watered. Have a very good Emanuel in a pot. Sometimes if a rose is not thriving in the ground I too will dig it up and pot it up, and it often recovers or does better. I am wondering if roses have more fine feeder roots when potted. I don't know. I don't know specifically about Royal Jubilee. Since you like it so much you don't have much to lose by giving it a chance at life in a pot.
porkchop_z5b_MI thanked erasmus_gw
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susan9santabarbara
3 years ago
I currently grow ~20 Austins in large pots, and they're very happy there. If you add in the ones I used to grow (and gave away for one reason or another), you can add another ~15-20. I only avoid the ultra large ones. But I'm in a much different zone than you are, so I don't need to winter protect. Alas, none of the ones I grow (or have grown) are the ones listed above. But Austins do as fine in pots as any other rose.
porkchop_z5b_MI thanked susan9santabarbara
porkchop_z5b_MI
Original Author
2 years ago
Update: I kept one and ditched one. I really don't have anywhere to put the potted roses but couldn't bear to get rid of both of them, so one and one it was.
judijunebugarizonazn8
2 years ago
Sure wish I lived closer and I could have snagged the one you pitched. I was hoping to get Jubilee Celebration from DA this year. I got the notice it was back in stock and went on their website as soon as I saw the notice. It was already marked Out of Stock again. It must have sold out immediately.
porkchop_z5b_MI
Original Author
2 years ago
Update 11 months later: I ended up ditching the last Royal Jubilee. I was sorry to see her go, the blooms are exquisite and beautifully perfumed, but the bush was just a mess, even potted. She just didn't seem to be a strong grower at all; neither one of the Jubilees did. I had her next to a Desdemona, and Des is clothed in healthy foliage all the way to the base with lots of new growth. Jubilee had barely any leaves from a lot of insect damage and not really putting on much new growth. Did I mention they were right next to each other? Oh well. Des is very lush-looking, but honestly I don't love the blooms -- they're kind of a buff beige, the color just isn't that attractive. I'll keep her for now because it's such nice greenery in the pot, but she's way out by the barn where the bloom color won't bug me and won't interfere with the clean whites I've got in the beds.