How to prune...?

[EwanWilson]

I have two tallish bushes of Rose Ball but they are somewhat spindly and bothered by blackspot.
What is the best way of pruning them and protecting them from leaf fall owing to blackspot?

[admin]

Hi Ewan,

Roseball is a shrub with climbing tendencies, it is a healthy rose but to protect it from blackspot you could spray with a spray like Rose Clear (once you have used some of this alternate with other similar sprays to avoid the BS getting tolerant). Always pull of effected leaves and burn them to help stop it spreading.

The nature of Roseball is that it will tend to climb upwards and it can be used as a small climber. To try to stop this prune it back hard and if you are growing it as a climber train the branches horizontally to encourage growth lower down the plant.

Regards

Pete
IT Manager

[EwanWilson]

Thanks for the advice, Pete!
I really like my Rose Ball plants, the globular flower formation and colouring is charming and nicely summed up in its name, I think!
I hadn't appreciated its tendency to climb. Would it thrive on one of your metal arches that we have?

[admin]

Hi Ewan,

At the end of the day Roseball is a shrub so you could pin it to trellis work or a wall and get the "climbing effect" but it is not a climber so wouldn't go up through an arch unfortunately (it would bush around the base 3ft or 4ft). For a similar pink arch you could try New Dawn, Awakening or Home Sweet Home.

To make the Rose Ball more bushy you need to prune hard and when you deadhead don't be scared to take a little more than normal off.


Pete
IT Manager

[EwanWilson]

Thanks, Pete.
I am sure we had a bush of Awakening in the garden of our former home. That'd be maybe a decade ago if my memory serves me right about this. I think it was a sort of 'quartered' flower and a lovely pinkish hue? Sadly our neighbour's new-build house was put up right where it was and cast a shadow over the area and it never quite flourished after that, poor thing.
The other side our arch has Eden Rose ( NOT the old H.T. one) growing up it. The flowers are very tightly scrolled and crean flecked deep pink round the edges. Everyone comments on it, though it lacks scent ( so far as my nose is concerned, at any rate!) The other climber I have is Clarence House which is rampant and gorgeously scented, a very fitting choice for the old Queen Mum!

[KiwiRose]

Hi Ewan,

Welcome to the forum. Awakening would be lovely with Clarence House and Eden Rose (88?). Roseball was new to me, but I see that it is new indeed! It looks very nice indeed (well done, Amanda :D). In my experience 'New Dawn' the parent of sport 'Awakening' has a gentle but definite scent so Awakening is probably similar. It sounds from your posts that, like many of us, fragrance is important to you in a rose :)

Rachel

[EwanWilson]

Hi, KiwiRose!
New Zealand...I've never been there but I'm sure it's the nearest thing to pure bliss on the planet...after Cornwall, of course!
RoseBall I'd recommend unreservedly, the perfume is usually delicious from it of an evening or dewy early summer's morning!
And as you so rightly observe- scent on a rose is such an important feature, though I can forgive some of the poor, scentless ones if they are stunning enough visually!