Bliss Parfuma balls up for me, does yours?

Moses, Pitt PA, cold W & hot-humid S, z6

last year

last modified: last year

I like Bliss P. All in all, it is a good rose. Bliss's strongest asset is its rock solid black spot resistance, or should I say IMPERVIOUSNESS. My oldest Bliss is about 5 yrs. old, and my younger two are about 3 yrs. old. They have never, ever had a spot of black spot on them, all of them, never ever...so far.

Black spot pressure is very heavy here in Pittsburgh, zone 6b, where hot, humid summers cause black spot to thrive, even hitting ADR winners, but not destroying them, just making sure it proves its virulence. Earth Angel, Dee-Lish, Grand Amore all get a relatively insignificant amount of late season black spot here, not effecting any backward growth whatsoever, but they are not black spot proof as Bliss has been.

I can live with Bliss's erratic growth habit. Canes and subsequent laterals refuse to grow in a neat, ascending habit, but grow erratically. 60° from the vertical is not unusal, 45° regularly, and more acute than 45°, rarely. Maybe in time more vertical growth will come forth, hopefully soon.

What annoys me is Bliss's frequent balling up of blooms. I would say about 1/3 do it. Wet weather, dry weather, it doesn't matter. How often I have to try to ease the blooms' petals apart....sometimes it works and other times not so well.

I have no intention of giving my Bliss bushes the boot, but I just wanted to know if any of you have found your Bliss to exhibit the same trait. For its black spot proofness alone, it is to be highly praised, and its flower beauty, when finally open is lovely.

Moses

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Comments (9)

Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
last year
We get a lot of rain , but I have not noticed Much if any balling on mine.
dianela7analabama
last year
last modified: last year
Mine are young plants Moses but no issues so far, I will keep an eye during the spring. We get 50ish inches a year. I agree the health is top notch regarding blackspot
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Moses, Pitt PA, cold W & hot-humid S, z6
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
We get upper 30s inches a year here in Pittsburgh, Dianela, but your additional rainfall is needed because of your hotter and longer season there in Alabama.
User
last year
That is so weird, but roses can be so weird. It's one thing when you consider a rose like E Veyrat Hermanos, infamous for it's balling. But this one-why should it ball im Moses' garden and not in that of daniela and Vaporvac? I hope others respond; I admit I'm curious!
dianela7analabama
last year
last modified: last year
bart bart you are Correct roses act so unusually some times. I wonder if in this case it is going to be related not just to rain but humidity and temperature combination. I expect Moses night temps and early morning temps stay lower longer than mine do and that may have something to do with it. Nothing I have ever balls here except in very early spring when we get too much rain and temps are in the 50s. Sunny in Ms has Clotilde Superb which I have avoided because it is supposed to ball and hers is doing fantastic. I wonder if our earlier higher temps just dries everything fast enough that the petals don’t stick ?
titian1 10b Sydney
last year
Another country, but I haven't noticed Bliss balling for me either. I have 3 bushes. I do get balling on some roses. Mrs Dudley Cross hardly had a bloom that didn't ball this Spring and Munstead had a couple of blooms that never opened
oursteelers 8B PNW
last year
Bliss doesn’t have a balling problem for me here in the damp Seattle area
User
last year
daniela,I think you must be right that it has to do with something more complex and subtle than simple humidity.
nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
last year
I'm in agreement that Bliss doesn't ball for me. Most of the Austins with dense petals also bloom fine but Belinda's Dream can get fussy sometimes. Clothilde Soupert was so reliable at balling I simply had to consider her as having round blooms. It was astonishing if they actually opened. Same for Uncle Joe - you knew it was a drought year if he opened his blooms.

Cynthia