This is really good advice, Austin. I also have heard Houston is a challenging climate to garden in.

Austin, specifically, what problems are you experiencing with your roses? What are the symptoms? Might you be able to include photos of the issues you're finding to better enable others to help diagnose what the problems may be? With the heat and sun extremes much of the country has been experiencing recently, and the likelihood your area experiences Chilli Thrips, what you're seeing may well not have anything to do with your planting methods.

Thanks roseseek,
…very aware of the chili trips and other potential problems. Dallas where I came from had both. This a new garden so more susceptible so that is possible.
The fact that the roses and other plants have not taken off as fast here as they did in previous gardens made me examine what I had done differently. I gardened in Houston many years before moving to Dallas. The last items were planted using the original method after I had ordered some plant success and opened the bag of compost. they are thriving. are soon going to soon pass the ones planted in March April. They already bloom more—-These were planted in Texas heat long after we know is safe for success with most plant planting.
I find a lot of Garden is hit or miss so this is my effort at hitting; we shall see. Being verbose I will probably post again concerning my success or failure.
Thank you very much for taking the time to respond.
BR

Austin, thank you for sharing the experience. I will do what you advised next time when I plan a new rose or other plants.

I hope it works. I can guarantee you. It won’t hurt them. Don’t forget the plant success. That’s a big part of my formula.

It’s so easy to apply like sprinkling salt on a steak. It comes in a shaker can

I’m not going to post pictures of my gardens in Dallas. I think I’ve already done that too much…but they were lush and the roses were big with a lot of blooms or that is how I remember them.🌹

Hi Austin, may I ask what's Plant Success? Could you share the full name of the product?

It is a Mycorrhizae. There are others and several products claim to have a mycorrhizae included in their formula. I have used others but Plant Success is the ONLY one that has give me such notable results. I tried to included a link above to Plant Success but it may not translate.
H… you can probably get from Amazon. I think it might have an expiration date but I am not sure. I am not on commission here I am just amazed by its results. . Its so easy to apply another plus for me. I do not have experience with the soluble that you can use on previously planted plants but I am getting ready to try it and will let you know.

https://www.arbico-organics.com/product/plant-success-organics-granular-mycorrhizae-inoculant/microbial-inoculants-cannabis-hemp-crops?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=280689003&gbraid=0AAAAAD_bwzcGAF_KrNYABM0S0o33xTpj3&gclid=CjwKCAjw1ozEBhAdEiwAn9qbzeRyD8ZDwJaiiEzeEgks8yvnmV5k8qPJFCliEVpPyO_TGdAe7Ff9oBoCv78QAvD_BwE#gad_source_1

FYI: Plant Success is the full name

Thank you, Austin.

It's challenging when you're old and have a bad back or hip problems...I have all that. I'm tempted to give up. 78 here. No help.

Hi Austin, do let us know how the Plant Success work on the previously planted roses. Most of my roses are 2-3 years old. They tend to grow and bloom less each year. My three year old Leonardo Da Vinci die this year.

Austin, I've been using the water-soluble Plant Success mycorrhizae on my potted roses about once a year, and I like it very much. I'm not sure if reapplications are necessary, but one inexpensive little packet takes care of my small collection of roses, so I figure it can't hurt. It's hard for me to measure its direct impact, as things like fertilizer are also at play, but my roses did look particularly good this spring after I'd used the mycorrhizae in March.

Thank you for this info. I'm going to be planting quite a few things on new property, and tho it's supposed to be better soil than what we started on, the native vegetation ('Broom sedge') says otherwise. At least it hadn't been bulldozed off for loggers to drive their machinery on. ANYTHING to help roots deal with our heavy acidic clay would be good. The first round of high calcium lime was applied this spring, I hope the wild legumes appreciate it. The fact there are so many implies that the land was neglected but not mistreated.

This may help some of you, but I pull around a rolling trash can fill with water and fertilizer and just use a bucket or watering can to dunk in. If I'm not too far from a water source, a hose can be used for refil without having to go back to the spigot.

I learned this trick from the plant caretakers at work and whild that was on a flat surface, it's worked quite well for me. My roses are on two many different levels to try to do otherwise.

Austin, thank you for the story of what has worked for you in Houston and Dallas.

Plant Success website is https://plantsuccessorganics.com/

Several types are sold on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Plant+Success+Organics&ref=bl_dp_s_web_0

I love this thread! You are an inspiration to be 80 years old, gardening in Houston, which my guess would be a lot hotter than my New England garden, and still trying to have the most successful garden you can. And you're going back to the basics and thoughtful enough to want to share what worked for you!! I am very impressed. I'm still looking at 80 up ahead of me and it's daunting to keep yourself doing well enough to be able to keep up with everything, especially the garden. So you must be doing something right for yourself and not just the garden.

I haven't read the whole thread yet, but I think there's lots of good advice and tips here. I will come back and read it slowly. My garden this year wasn't as good as some other seasons and I'm just starting to try to figure out what the reason is. I finally figured out why I keep getting random yellowing leaves on my Hydrangea Little Lime. I thought I was not watering enough, so I keep being careful to give it a good amount. And this spring I tried to mulch it more heavily. Today I got a brainstorm, that I think it needs Hollytone. I could be wrong, but we'll see.

This year for the first time, my usual routine with my roses, was not perfect. I had too much quick growth on my Julia Child after using Alfalfa Meal, and then it was so dense and going in every direction and when it rained all the branches collapsed on itself. So, I'm going to try something else next year. So this is timely advice. Thanks for sharing!

BR -

I had the time today to read over this thread. I do dig a large hole when I plant, but there seemed to be a debate here whether it was good to just plant in the native soil or add amendments and I decided to just plant in the native soil. I use compost, I just top dress with it rather than adding it to the hole. I have clay soil.

I’ve never tried using Mycorrhizae, but I’ve never heard anything but good about it, so I’ll give it a try.

I did go looking on Amazon for the Plant Success and it’s not available.

Is this the product?

There is another product available.... is this the same thing, different brand?

I did see your post further along with the link to the Brand name Plant Success website. I'll check that out. Thanks.

Vaporvac - Thanks for that tip about the rolling trash can. I’ve used a sprayer for liquid Seaweed/Fish Emulsion. That is good for just applying to the foliage but to add it to the base of each plant, you still have to use a watering can. I also find it daunting to do much fertilizing with a watering can. Sometimes I take the shortcut and just do the foliage. I may try your technique.

Just went yo order more Plant Success. Amazon has it for same price, no shipping , next day delivery. works for me 😎