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natalieb2270

Anyone Have a Souvenir de la Malmaison Rose?

natalieb2270
14 years ago

I would love to purchase this rose, but it has a history of balling up in wet weather. Does anyone in the Nashville/Columbia TN area have any experiences with this rose? I am wanting the bush, not the climber, but I believe they both have the balling problem, so any experience with either would be a great help to me! Thanks for the help,

Natalie

Here is a link that might be useful: Help Me Find for SdlM

Comments (6)

  • laccanvas
    14 years ago

    I have a "Miracle Grow", Guide to Roses, reference book. On page 78, "Choosing Roses for the South", Empress Josephine's rose is listed as one of the top roses for the South. Also, I have a climbing Bourbon rose, Zephirine and a Portland, Arthur de Sansal. I live in Knoxville now, use to live in Columbia. My roses are doing less than ok ( I just stuck them in the ground). Cut back 3/4 of the leaves/plant due to fungus just yesterday. They still have Blackspot fungus really bad. This spring is scheduled for heavy clean-up and spray regimen. Point: if you get Josephine's rose, you will have to stay on a spray schedule as soon as you put it in the ground. MY ADVICE: keep an OIL on it as soon as you can blink the next blink. And stay on it with plenty of breathing room and pruning/cleanup. If you see blackspot on a leaf, pull it and burn it. Then spray the entire plant with a fungicide recommended by the ARS. Whether you like toxic or green fungicides, I would use both. Maybe spray the heavy toxic spray first, then spray the Potassium bicarbonate earth friendly stuff afterwards. Just to give the plant some "serious" medicine initially, if it ever gets a fungus. Same with insecticides. Use an all-in-one insecticide/fungicide, then maybe alternate with a homemade hot pepper/garlic spray. Also, fertilize your rose ONLY when it gets sick/a fungus. Compost is always ok. Hope this helps!!!

  • laccanvas
    14 years ago

    Also.. that rose needs warm weather to open properly. So, plant it in a place where it is not going to cook or chill.

    :))))

  • laccanvas
    14 years ago

    also.....Balling is triggered by cool, damp conditions, often in a partially shady site, where water-saturated outer petals fail to dry out before being scorched by the sun. The mushy plant tissue dries to form a stiff straightjacket around the petals, preventing the flower from opening. An invisible soft, slimy layer of mycelium then fuses the petals together. The problem is most acute on roses with a multitude of thin petals.

  • natalieb2270
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thank you very much for the plethora of info! I have a no spray garden right now and have only planted roses that are noted to be "very disease resistant" so thankfully have not had a large issue with blackspot. SDLM is one of those roses that is good for a no spray garden, and I am very encouraged to get some local advice about any balling problems it may have. Thanks again for the great information :)

    Natalie

  • anntn6b
    14 years ago

    I'm near Knoxville and have grown SdlM for about a decade. It lives and it can be grown no spray. BUT it grows much better in a warmer climate (north Texas or souther California because our winters set it back.

    A very similar rose is Mystic Beauty which was found as a sport by the people at Roses Unlimited over in South Carolina. It is a much stronger grower in my gardens and I think it's a great improvement for our gardens over SdlM.

  • april_h_o April Moore
    14 years ago

    I also grow Souvenir de la Malmaison in Madison (metro Nashville). It does tend to ball when it's wet, but the first bloom is usually fine and makes it worthwhile. Then it comes back and repeats intermittently even during the hotter weather. Plus, those spikey thorns make my burglar alarm pretty much redundant. :-)

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