AusBonsai

I pulled this rose out of the garden a couple of years ago after noticing the nice trunk. It didn't give me much joy firstly with the die back after cutting. This spoiled where I would have liked to start a new leader on the trunk. I had been waiting for a new leader to become more obvious but have not enjoyed great growth. I started to agree with people that they are not worth the trouble for bonsai. It had it's best season last year with all the fungicide I was spraying. Also after recently reading that Rose do not swell to create taper at the base Which this one has considerably. I thought I better take the time to see if I could learn Rose care.
I think it is more of a vine rose(if there is such a thing?) and has no thorns. It is mostly evergreen but after the cold this year got rid of most of it's leaves maybe it is semi deciduous?
I used the last of what is called Chinese Akadama a couple of years ago as a filler on the less important mixes as I never liked it. That and the Scorio filler in this orchid pot makes me think this was a pretty slack mix from a few years ago, but other trees have done fine in such mixes.
Again there has been more die back on the cut roots than I would expect from normal collected bonsai material. Enough fine roots but but same as the top nothing is dominating yet!
The plan is to get as much growth as possible so I put it in a good old black nursery pot with a fairly gritty mix left over from doing the Willow. After a layer of 10mm Scorio to take up a little space, I used Diatomite akadama zeolite peat moss mix.
I will experiment with some low toxicity fungus sprays over the growing season to keep the mildew away and fertilise well to see how much growth I can get before I start experimenting with how these are affected by pruning.

OMG left the computer for a minute and and 1 year old daughter posted what I had written At least she didn't delete it

Better get the pictures up before I lose the post

looks like there is a nice tree in there brett, its always fun having a few experimental trees around.

I've often wondered about the suitability of roses for bonsai... I've never actually spoken to anyone about it though. That one has a great trunk and Base
Definitely keen to see how it responds and where it may go

Looks like it has a lot of interesting characters there Bretts. There is no reason why it wouldn't make a nice bonsai. I stumbled across a rose bonsai on the net sometime ago and it looks nice too.

Hey Brett,

It is most likely either the banksia rose which is a climber or the climbing form of Cecille Brunner. Has it had any flowers on it? Banksia rose have either yellow or white blooms on last seasons wood in spring , CB is a repeat bloomer with soft pink flowers. Both bear small flowers, banksia about 2cm or under & CB approx 2-3cm. Both are also thornless.

I have seen a few miniature roses grown as bonsai but they have never looked quite the part due to the pruning required for the mini's. I am working with a CB cutting in the hopes of it becoming bonsai worthy in a few mores years. Be ruthless in pruning tho any cuts into old wood is always fraught with the risk of dieback, as you have discovered.

With regards the fungus issue, is it black spot or powdery mildew (looks like grey dust) black spot is best prevented rather than treated, water only the soil & only in the morning so any splashes can dry, avoid water on the foliage & grow it somewhere with really good air flow. Powdery mildew is best treated with a 1:100 milk/water solution sprayed regularly at first signs of it.

Keep working it and you will get there, it has a great size trunk to play around with. The other thing of note is that rose wood rots as easily as anything else I know so either work with it or treat it early. They are also gross feeders & in pots I have found they love lots of water, in the ground they prefer to get a bit drier. You cannot over feed... seriously... even growing in pure manure is fine with most roses.

Matt

PS I am a bit of a rose tragic Gallica's, mosses, perfume/oil varieties & species are the best in my books.

jarryd wrote:looks like there is a nice tree in there brett, its always fun having a few experimental trees around.

Yep Jarryd it was easy to see the piotential but sorry to say that's where the fun ended so far

NathanM wrote:I've often wondered about the suitability of roses for bonsai... I've never actually spoken to anyone about it though. That one has a great trunk and Base
Definitely keen to see how it responds and where it may go

Last conversation I had about Rose was with Grant and another Volenteer at the NBPCA Shaking thier heads at the thought of using them. It came up as the reason I bought some white oil LOL.

kvan64 wrote:Looks like it has a lot of interesting characters there Bretts. There is no reason why it wouldn't make a nice bonsai. I stumbled across a rose bonsai on the net sometime ago and it looks nice too.

Thats Nice Kvan. It looks similar to a guy that was using Rose as bonsai. His technique was to keep revealing the root base to overcome the lack of thicening in the trunk!

MattA wrote:Hey Brett,

It is most likely either the banksia rose which is a climber or the climbing form of Cecille Brunner. Has it had any flowers on it? Banksia rose have either yellow or white blooms on last seasons wood in spring , CB is a repeat bloomer with soft pink flowers. Both bear small flowers, banksia about 2cm or under & CB approx 2-3cm. Both are also thornless.

I have seen a few miniature roses grown as bonsai but they have never looked quite the part due to the pruning required for the mini's. I am working with a CB cutting in the hopes of it becoming bonsai worthy in a few mores years. Be ruthless in pruning tho any cuts into old wood is always fraught with the risk of dieback, as you have discovered.

With regards the fungus issue, is it black spot or powdery mildew (looks like grey dust) black spot is best prevented rather than treated, water only the soil & only in the morning so any splashes can dry, avoid water on the foliage & grow it somewhere with really good air flow. Powdery mildew is best treated with a 1:100 milk/water solution sprayed regularly at first signs of it.

Keep working it and you will get there, it has a great size trunk to play around with. The other thing of note is that rose wood rots as easily as anything else I know so either work with it or treat it early. They are also gross feeders & in pots I have found they love lots of water, in the ground they prefer to get a bit drier. You cannot over feed... seriously... even growing in pure manure is fine with most roses.

Matt

PS I am a bit of a rose tragic Gallica's, mosses, perfume/oil varieties & species are the best in my books.

Thanks Matt just the sought of Info I was after. Sounds like tyou are spot on. It has a small white flower. I will google search it.
It will have all the food and water it wants this year

Here's one of mine, I would have tossed it years ago but my wife likes her roses. (don't mean to hijack the thread)

About time, a Rose Bonsai that is

How's this one coming along Brett?

I have gained great control over my addiction and I threw it in the bin

Bretts wrote:I have gained great control over my addiction and I threw it in the bin

Thats as funny as i have heard for a long time.

So....was the rose a analogy for your addiction?