A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Sick Rose

I bought a pretty, white rose called, "Floribunda Iceberg".
I planted her in a pale green ceramic pot, large enough but not huge.
That was two weeks ago but the rose is still dropping leaves like crazy.
I removed all flowers and buds which was painful for both of us, but it's still dropping leaves.
Why is this and what will help?
I Googled this rose, and it sounds quite hardy.

Deborah, does the ceramic pot have drain holes? If not, your rose may be getting root rot from being too wet. Just a guess as I've never tried to grow roses in a container.

Yes, a big drainage hole.
I never buy pots that don't have drainage.
This is the prettiest rose I have ever seen (in my opinion) and with the exact fragrance I've been looking for.

Hmmmmm...do the dropped leaves look burned and crispy or are they yellow? Dry looking would point toward not enough water, yellow toward too much. Pruning the flowers and buds might make you unhappy but it will help the rose be bushier and more compact.

The plant could also just be experiencing a temporary "transplant" shock and will recover on its own. Until it gets back on its roots , I would be sure it isn't getting too much hot sunshine.

I really have to wonder if your rose would be better off planted out in the garden soil instead of in a container? The only ones I have potted up are lovely mini-roses and they do well. I think your particular rose is a climber so you might consider planting with a trellis for support.

Thanks, Rosie.
I have to keep all of my plants in containers, I'm a patio gardener.
This is a condo and we can't plant in the ground here.
The rose has BOTH issues-dry crunchy leaves as well as yellowing leaves.
I gave it some Epsom salts and iron chelate.
Only three branches look good, but it's encouraging.
No new growth but I check every day for even the tiniest bit.
When I see that, I'll feel alot happier.
I think maybe it's just a whopping case of transplant shock. And maybe this particular rose is going to be one of those fussy plants.
OR, it may be that she wasn't treated well at the store?
I got it at Target in the clearance area, not from a nursery.

Deborah, I bet she just needs to get settled in and then you can sit back and enjoy the show because that particular rose is an almost non-stop bloomer.

Rosie !!!!!!!
There is a tiny snip of new growth AND some new little leaves I didn't see during my inspections !!!!!!!!!!
I just saw it awhile ago !!!!
You should see the poor little rag-all brown leaves and naked little stems, but showing signs of recovering today !
It's funny how I feel protective toward this liitle plant-like she's a stray puppy or something.

I know the feeling well, Deborah. I think I'm probably a better mama to my dog and plants than I ever was to my kids. I'm so glad you're seeing new growth on the rose. Just be gentle with it...lol!

Rosie,
I'm practicaly tucking the rose in at night with snuggly jammies and cocoa !
So you know the feeling too !
I'm going to keep an eagle eye on the rose, nursing along the new growth.
One thing I won't do for awhile is bloom food.
No way ! I want it to focus on growing and being healthy first.
Do you think I should cut off all of the ugly leaves? Some of them have red patches but it's not rust.

Do the red leaves look like new growth? I have one Tea rose that has occasional reddish foliage when its sending up a sucker.

I think yours will do just fine with all that TLC. And I agree you should hold off on any bloom booster or fertilizer for awhile. Since you already applied Epsom Salt, that should be all it needs right now. You might keep it out of direct sun for a few days so it can get plenty of rest in its new pajamas.

Hey Deborah!
I too own an iceburg rose.I have no problems with mine here on the coast of oregon.
we get lots of rain and most of the time we have a "marine layer"...overcast or fog to be exact. just like rosie says, they are very vigorous bloomers and I am never without at least buds coming in.

maybe yours is getting too much sun?mine gets morning sun and afternoon shade on my deck.

just a tip...my roses like beer now and then,the little boozers LOL!!I water it down a bit,though.


good luck with your new baby it sounds like recovery is not far away.
enjoy.the scent is fabulous and you'll always have lots of beautiful blooms!

Thanks, Mrs. Bradley.
Interesting point about the sun. I thought that too, but since we're always told that roses need sun I have it in full sun all day.
I kept it in the shade until I thought the transplant shock was over.
Rosie, I went ahead and cut off ALL of the damaged leaves. GULP !! But I thought it might help in recovery.
Mrs. Bradley, I think I'll put the rose on my patio, where it will get a filtered sun.
Do either of you know how long it would take a completely naked rose to get some leaves? It's all stems now, except for the tiny new leaves.

Deborah, it shouldn't take very long since it is already putting out new leaves. I don't think you can go wrong moving it to a more shaded area for now. Shoot, go buy a six pack and tip a few with the Iceberg...it may be just the jolt it needs. I had heard that before, MrsB. Do you recommend a particular brand?

yeah, my huband drinks BUDweiser,ironically
but probably any one would do.

These posts cracked me up ! BUDweiser !

Couldn't find one with a white rose.

Hilarious !

Rosie, I bought another Iceberg today, a very healthy one.
The one I had and was nursing along, I gave up on it and had to trash it. Even the new growth died quickly. I think it was probably neglected in the store, and never recovered-especially after being potted at home.
The new one is a beauty ! I was so amazed to see it-I thought the season had passed. It's about 2 feet tall and bushy.
I'm going to pot it CAREFULLY, and give it only shade for 2 days.
I'm thrilled !

That's really good news, Deborah. I'm sure this one will perform for you as long as you give it lots of TLC. After a week or so, she'll be needing some rose Food...being in a container will probably require more frequent fertilizing.

How big is your Iceberg? How old is it?

Deb, it was Mrs. Bradley that said she had an Iceberg rose. Hopefully, she'll check back into this thread and give you some answers.

Oh, I thought it was you ! LOL.