My rose bush... HELP! (grow, leaves, pruning, growth)

[Triplewillow]

I have this old rose bush. It's about 18 years old now. It was started from a cut from a bush from my mom who got her cut from a bush from her mom around 30 years ago. My mom's 88 years old... so this bush goes way back.

It suddenly started blooming only in the bottom section. It will grow up and vine to the top of our arbor but no blooms above the first 24 inches!

Why? what do I need to do? Please don't tell me this is the end of the generational rose bush!

[mamh]

Hi
I know one lady who could really help you with but she belongs to the National Home Gardening, or gardeningclub.com and you have to belong to post on the threads..I'm always asking her questions and she has lots of special old roses..
Do you have a rose club, check with your local master gardeners and see if they can point you to someone who knows treasures like you have...
Good luck

[southward bound]

Originally Posted by mamh

Hi
I know one lady who could really help you with but she belongs to the National Home Gardening, or gardeningclub.com and you have to belong to post on the threads..I'm always asking her questions and she has lots of special old roses..
Do you have a rose club, check with your local master gardeners and see if they can point you to someone who knows treasures like you have...
Good luck

Gardeningclub.com doesn't look like there's a fee for registering. Even if there is, if I had an heirloom rose like this, I'd consider it worth joining just for that alone. The site appears to be very good for all sorts of other gardening intrests and projects. As with all these types of sites, it's for the posters (like here) that we join so that we can all benefit from each other's mistakes and successes. Go for it, mamh, and let us know what you find out! Good luck!

[mamh]

On the rose question its something I can't answer, you need to go find Arties Mom in roses section of gardening club.com and ask her...I would first check locally for a rose group, i'm sure someone at your master gardeners info desk can help you..Our master gardener desk has a list of local groups for all types of gardening
Good luck..

[Triplewillow]

Thank you! I will check it out! I sure don't want to lose this wonderful bush..... it's lived everywhere I have!

[nitram]

Have you tried pruning it back. Roses bloom best on new growth.

[rdlr]

Maybe a potassium deficiency..... We eat a lot of bananas in our family, and I have a plastic container with a lid on it in my laundry room, just for banana skins. About once/week, take 1-2 banana skins, turn them upside down so the skin is facing up, and push them down in the soil around the root of the rose bush. I repeat this process from February to October, and have been doing this for years. The rose bush leaves are glossy, there are tons of buds, and the bushes look very healthy. I believe they keep away aphids, also. Won't hurt to try it!