Carefree Rose Varieties: Disease-Resistant Selections from Texas A&M Trials

My favorite cereal "improved" again—now "Try It Hot!" Mother tried hot fifty years ago—tasted same cold or warm. Boiling water warmed chilly kitchen—that's what we kids got daily.

Would that oatmeal kept roses as healthy as Reeves kids! Interesting report from Texas A&M horticulturists. Endowed professorship for rose breeding emphasizing disease-resistance.

Team tested 100+ roses five years under harshest conditions: poorly aerated, highly alkaline clay, no amendments. No fertilizer, pruning, deadheading, pesticide sprays. Only care: drip irrigation and 3-inch wood chip mulch. Top performers further tested across state.

Results after five years: 96 cultivars "looked terrible," 11 "promising," 10 "magnificent." Top ten: ground-cover 'Sea Foam'; dwarf shrub 'Marie Daly'; small shrubs 'Caldwell Pink', 'Knock Out', 'Perle d'Or'; medium shrubs 'Belinda's Dream', 'Else Poulsen', 'Katy Road Pink', 'Mutabilis Butterfly'; climber 'Climbing Pinkie'.

Most bloomed all season (7 months in N. Texas) despite humidity, heat to 108°F, acid/alkaline soils. Pest damage negligible.

If planting rose this spring, start with trouble-free variety. Researchers noted modern roses good first year, fail by third. Many antique cultivars mediocre at first, spectacular in third+ years. I planted 'Knock Out' two years ago—bloomed wonderfully two seasons, no leaf damage. Dr. Jean Williams-Woodward saw some powdery mildew on 'Knock Out' but not much else.

RULES FOR ROSE SUCCESS

Atlanta rose experts grow all varieties but know three basic rules: minimum 8 hours sun daily, good air circulation, no sprinkler irrigation after late afternoon. Amend soil liberally with compost/soil conditioner, apply organic mulch, feed three times: early and late spring, lightly midsummer.

FOR ROSE ZEALOTS

Three classes: lackadaisical (dig small hole, hope survives), committed (follow rules), fanatic (develop special rose soil).

Pat Henry (Roses Unlimited) digs 18-inch deep/wide hole. Fills halfway with special mix, packs more around roots.

Pat Henry's Special Rose Soil

In wheelbarrow, mix equal parts: compost, peat moss, good topsoil, red clay. Add and mix thoroughly: 1 cup 0-46-0 (superphosphate), 1 cup dolomitic lime, 2 cups alfalfa meal (or pellets), 1 cup gypsum.

Despite mother's praise for warm oatmeal, I disregard "Try It Hot!" Stick with cereal, cold milk, and proven disease-resistant roses for healthy self and garden.