David Austin Rose Disaster!!!!

[new gardener 1052]

Hi Everyone,
well after being impresses with my first ever David A Austin rose, i went out today and bought another (Thomas A Bleckett)

so i dug a hole & followed planting instructions. as i removed the rose from the pot the whole rootball just crumbled to pieces, All the feeding roots just fell away & all i was left with was like a bare root rose!!

maybe i watered it too much but it did say water well before planting. (i used about 1Lt)

in my panic i have planted it anyway maybe i should have taken it back.
i just hope it is going to be ok as there not the cheapest rose.

well my weekend hasn't got off to the best start but i hope you guys have a great weekend
& have a better time in the garden than i have

All the best
Steve.

[Scarlet]

How long have you had it? You should be able to return it.

[veggiechicken]

Since 1st March! http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ott_92627.html
Contact DA and explain what's happened. Photo's will help - dig it up again!

[Scarlet]

i wouldn't hesitate! Go and return it.

I bought myself two standard roses a couple of years back. David Austin online. Planted in the Autumn, come spring on both plants the grafted part had died but the rootstock was sending out shoots. I just took photos and sent a complaint online. I had two replacements sent out. They were very helpful.

[Guest]

Another for contact them and explain the situation. They will soon tell you where to take it from there. (Whether you take pics or physically return the plant etc.)

[Thelma Sanders]

The potted ones are only bare root plants in a pot, so they look better for a present. The only way they would actually have a growing rootball is if they have been kept in a pot at the garden centre during the late spring/summer.

The potted DA roses that were bought for me for xmas, were just as you described when I planted them and they are budding now. So personally I wouldn't be worried, but contacting them is the obvious way forward.
As has been said their customer care is good.

[new gardener 1052]

just bought it today

[mothhawk]

TS is right. i bought one last year thinking it was a pot grown rose, but it was actually bare root in a pot with soil, and I was as shocked as you obviously were, but it grew fine all summer. It's a bit of a swizz, I think, because you believe you are paying for a pot grown plant, and are paying for the pot in the price presumably. If it's bare root I would rather it was marketed as such and not disguised.

[new gardener 1052]

i hope im panicking over nothing. i have sent off a E-mail to David Austin. not to complain but ask there advice.

[maverick451]

Dont panic

at this time of year potted plants are just bare root with a bit of soil round them

Happened to me a few times.

You feel a bit cheated by no biggie

[new gardener 1052]

Well a bit of good news back from David Austin, I received a email back and they say my rose should be ok��
They told me the rose will have been newly potted that explains the soil falling away but It should have been left in this container for a few weeks to establish its root ball,
no info (sticker) on the pot as I have seen this before in other garden centres.

On another subject when I have planted roses I leave the bud Union / graft above soil.
But I read you should have it about 3" below soil does this make much difference?

Rained all day here but hope you guys a getting stuff done in the garden.

Steve.

[Thelma Sanders]

When you plant the graft below soil level the 'good' top rose will also make some roots and help to prevent wind rock - all of mine are planted with the graft below soil level because DA told me to do it that way !
How to plant a bare root shrub rose - Advice & Inspiration

[new gardener 1052]

So do you guys think I would be OK to build like a raised bed and mound up soil over the unions?

I don't really want to go and replant all my roses,

[Martin H]

So do you guys think I would be OK to build like a raised bed and mound up soil over the unions?

I don't really want to go and replant all my roses,

I wouldn't bother. It's all pretty marginal; the old-school advice was to have the graft above the soil so you could identify suckers more easily (they grow from below the graft).

Stuff likes to grow, let them get on with it.

[Thelma Sanders]

So do you guys think I would be OK to build like a raised bed and mound up soil over the unions?

I don't really want to go and replant all my roses,

Just giving them a good mulch every year, does the same job