This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: Cut roses wilting quickly...





Valerie Lowery@ZEON
05/28/98 11:32 AM

A co-worker explained the symptoms you are describing about your roses to
me earlier.  She thought it was because of the combination of heavy rains
and warm temps that have caused the stems to grow rapidly.  Consequently,
they aren't strong enough to support the heavy blooms.  My co-worker, a
chemist, thinks it has something to do with the lack of starch in the cells
of the stems.  I don't know.  Anyway, this lady has been growing roses for
some 15+ years and said it was not unusual to see this when the spring is
unusually wet, winter mild, and hot weather hits us earlier than usual.
Sounds like El Nino again.  She thinks that once the weather corrects
itself and settles into a pattern, the roses' stems will begin to stiffen.

This phenomena was causing my iris stems to break off before the buds
opened and I had never experienced it before.  Others in my office remarked
similarly (we have a LOT of gardeners here).  In fact, a lot of the
June-flowering perennials are in full flush due to the rapid growth and my
fall perennials are budding (so much for pinching the mums back...).

Other theories?  I would love to share what others think with my co-worker!

Val in KY
zone 6a
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index