Re: Roses (three in one hole)

Diane Whitehead wrote:

 I seem to recall many years ago I planted several roses in one hole.
 I was intending only to heel them in temporarily but the planned
 replanting didn't happen.

 They didn't make a bigger bush than ones I planted singly.  I think I
  ended up with just one as the others died.

 It's the pruning that makes a plant bushy or not.
I have not myself tried growing roses in groups of three, but it is
actually a technique which David Austin himself recommneds in one of his books for his smaller varieities.

It was just a book I borrowed from the library, so I can't now refer to it but I am sure he did not recommend crowding the plants into one hole, only planting them a good deal nearer together than the usual recommended so that the tops can mingle when in full growth.

As to thickening up bushes by pruning, it can be done with some of the sparser Austins by a careful combination of pruning and (more especially I think) unusually good feeding. I have finally achieved a reasonably thick ond vigorous growth on one spindly bush (the Pilgrim) but only after three or four years of very devoted tending. I think if I plant any more of the smaller Austins I shall certainly adopt the three -together technique.

An alternative would be to plant a bush of Graham Thomas, but then I might have the opposite problem!

Moira

--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES ADDED 4/Feb/2004

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