|
|
-
-
|
A Mutabilis, china rose was supposedly planted in my garden in September of 2006. It bloomed once in the spring. I was under the impression that the rose was a frequent bloomer. The other shrub roses in my garden are blooming year round. We are feeding the Mutabilis a general plant food fertilizer. My nursery told me to try a 0, 10, 10 plant food to get it to bloom. Any suggestions?
|
REPLY
|
Reply
#1 of 10 posted
9 OCT 07 by
 Cass
|
Hi,
Mutabilis does bloom a lot, but it also needs to grow to some considerable size to really be at it's best. Is it in full sun? It's too soon to know how this rose will perform. It can be very large in California, and that doesn't necessarily happen overnight, especially with the drought we've had in the past year.
How large is your plant and are you sure that you got the right thing? Labels sometimes are switched.
|
REPLY
|
|
The shrub is in California, on a drip system. It looks very green and healthy. There is growth at the base by about 3-4 feet, yet the most amount of growth appears to be on these long shoots that are about 5-6 feet long and there are about 15-20 of them. No buds at all. It has grown considerably since planting. Thanks for the reply.
|
REPLY
|
Reply
#3 of 10 posted
9 OCT 07 by
Cass
|
Own root or budded? If it's own root, it's just doing what it should be doing. You need a tiny bit of patience to let a large rose grow into itself. Sounds like it is a very happy plant. That's what you want!
If it's budded onto a rootstock, you need to check that the quality, shape and color of the 15 or 20 shoots are all the same as the flowering top growth that has produced Mutabilis flowers. Just make sure the rootstock isn't suckering.
|
REPLY
|
|
Own root or budded. That is a good question. I looked at the stem coming out of the ground. It looks like a bulbous mass with stems coming out equally in all directions. All the stems are of the same quality and the plant is balanced. I am having difficulty identifing if the plant is suckering because it all looks the same.
|
REPLY
|
Reply
#5 of 10 posted
10 OCT 07 by
Cass
|
I'd bet your plant is own root. Do you know which nursery it came from? It's very unlikely that a rootstock would sucker that much, uniformly, everywhere.
If all the shoots, new and old, look the same, then your plant is growing in a vigorous manner, all is well, and you can look forward to a large and floriferous plant. Just be a little patient. Mutabilis needs to grow up a bit. Also, I assume you're fertilizing it fairly heavily. That isn't really necessary. A moderate 10-10-10 type fertilizer is more than adequate. You will love this rose.
|
REPLY
|
|
I guess I am impatient because I know just how beautiful it will be. It came from POW nursery in Wilton, CA. What our library books say is it will bloom in mid to late spring and repeat until hard frost. Hopefully next year it will be big enough to bloom! Thanks for the tip on the fertilizer. I have looked in the stores for 0 10 10 yet all I see is things like 12 24 20, I was told not to put on nitrogren in the winter as it will drop off the buds. Any ideas on where to buy 10 10 10?
|
REPLY
|
Reply
#7 of 10 posted
11 OCT 07 by
Cass
|
I found a relatively low nitrogen fertilizer at one of the big box stores. I think it was considered an azalea-rhododendron fertilizer. Keep the N (nitrogen) component no higher than about 12. Your rose will start to bloom in the spring, so fertilize in March for the spring flush.
Try not to over-fertilize with high nitrogen fertilizer. High nitrogen fertilizer promotes lush growth at the expense of bloom. In the Valley, you probably have good, rich, clay soils that don't need a lot of fertilizer. I fertilize once a year in the Sonoma County wine country. I could do more, but I have other things to do with my time.
I would skip 0-10-10. This isn't the time of year to fertilize, and it's getting too late for bloom in the valley in any event.
About Mutabilis blooming from spring to frost. That is true, but it's true for a mature plant. Do you know how large this rose can be? Think 6 x 6 to 8 x 8 (or much larger). It takes a while to get there. Once it's full grown, that's when you will see the constant bloom.
|
REPLY
|
|
Thanks for all your good advice! I feel much better about my Mutabilis and how to care for it.
|
REPLY
|
Reply
#9 of 10 posted
21 JUN 08 by
Unregistered Guest
|
It is now 8 months after I started to inquire about my rose, Mutabulis, bush. It had a zillion burgandy blooms in the spring. It was absolutely beautiful. The bush is now, oh my gosh, BIG. It is sending 7-8 shoots out in the range of 8-10 ft. high. I don't think it will bloom again this year, but your right about it needing time to mature. I have a feeling the bush is going to be 10X10.
|
REPLY
|
|
Sounds like your plant is not Mutabilis. If it has only flowered once this year and is the size you describe, it could be you have Dr. Huey growing instead. The doctor is often used as rootstock and could have taken over your scion Mutabilis.
|
REPLY
|
|
