Container rose leaching brown water
Smulvihill28
Posts: 1
Hello,
I planted two remembrance patio rose bushes (Arthur Bell) in 2021. Both used the same compost, and are in the same type of container. Both were given a sprinkling of granular rose food at the time of planting so I could ensure this was mixed throughout the compost without having to interfere with the plants after, allowing them to have some settling time. Both sit on the same patio about a meter apart from each other (opposite sides of a step) and face the same direction. Both had three largish stones placed on top of the compost to give them some protection from any digging wildlife, again while they got settled and established. These stones have been in the garden for years (previously used on a gravelled seating area) so are not new. As winter was mild, both pots remained outside.
But over winter I noticed one container was getting a brown residue ring around its base, and as time went on I noticed there was a "dirty" water line on the patio coming from the same container. I assumed this was just general winter grim so didn't think much of it, but did wonder why it was only one container that was affected. I did wonder why as they are so close to each other then if grim was accumulating on one container how come the other was not having the same issue.
Over the past few weeks, the clean container has started to get new season growth and is now a ball of leaves. But the dirty container only has the few leaves that remain from last year (three very small leaves in one little cluster), with no new growth coming through yet. And in the last week or so the twig branches have gone from being green to a brown colour.
At the weekend I watered them both using a rose, so nice a gentle so as not to flood them.
But when the water came through the bottom of each container, the water that came out of the dirty container was really brown and left a trail across the patio. Both containers were watered using the same can of water, and the clean container didn't have brown water coming out of it.
I am now thinking the accumulation of grime on the container I saw over the winter wasn't a result of grime catching the pot, but has been coming from the pot itself. But what would cause such a large quantity of brown on a small bush, that is not happening to the other one that has had the exact same treatment?
And most importantly, can I do anything about this without having to disrupt the plant to much?
I include pictures to show the dirty container as it was after the watering at the weekend. And I also include a picture of the clean container for comparison purposes.
I planted two remembrance patio rose bushes (Arthur Bell) in 2021. Both used the same compost, and are in the same type of container. Both were given a sprinkling of granular rose food at the time of planting so I could ensure this was mixed throughout the compost without having to interfere with the plants after, allowing them to have some settling time. Both sit on the same patio about a meter apart from each other (opposite sides of a step) and face the same direction. Both had three largish stones placed on top of the compost to give them some protection from any digging wildlife, again while they got settled and established. These stones have been in the garden for years (previously used on a gravelled seating area) so are not new. As winter was mild, both pots remained outside.
But over winter I noticed one container was getting a brown residue ring around its base, and as time went on I noticed there was a "dirty" water line on the patio coming from the same container. I assumed this was just general winter grim so didn't think much of it, but did wonder why it was only one container that was affected. I did wonder why as they are so close to each other then if grim was accumulating on one container how come the other was not having the same issue.
Over the past few weeks, the clean container has started to get new season growth and is now a ball of leaves. But the dirty container only has the few leaves that remain from last year (three very small leaves in one little cluster), with no new growth coming through yet. And in the last week or so the twig branches have gone from being green to a brown colour.
At the weekend I watered them both using a rose, so nice a gentle so as not to flood them.
But when the water came through the bottom of each container, the water that came out of the dirty container was really brown and left a trail across the patio. Both containers were watered using the same can of water, and the clean container didn't have brown water coming out of it.
I am now thinking the accumulation of grime on the container I saw over the winter wasn't a result of grime catching the pot, but has been coming from the pot itself. But what would cause such a large quantity of brown on a small bush, that is not happening to the other one that has had the exact same treatment?
And most importantly, can I do anything about this without having to disrupt the plant to much?
I include pictures to show the dirty container as it was after the watering at the weekend. And I also include a picture of the clean container for comparison purposes.
0
Posts
It will stop after a period of time.
The pots should be on pot feet really to help with drainage.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Compost may be leaching out because there are no roots to hold it.
Those stones should be removed, they are not doing anything useful and might prevent basal shoots.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Building a garden is very personal. It's not quite the same as installing a boiler.
James Alexander Sinclair
If roses (or any plant) in a pot get saturated and sit there in water you see more compost/nutrients leaching out, it’s looks more like liquid compost tea to me rather than actual compost falling out the bottom. Could the poorly/leaching rose have got much wetter than the other one somehow and/or it’s drainage hole has been partly blocked? Drowning roots could be the reason its very poorly and as there is nowhere else for the water to go, it’s seeping out the bottom.
Whereabouts are you and what zone? I ask as in the US and some other countries roses are sold either own root or grafted (budded) whereas in Europe they are almost always grafted. Sometimes the graft of a grafted rose just fails and the rose dies - it happened to one of mine.
If you are in a very cold zone and would normally being your potted roses inside for winter, could it have been colder than you think at night and you have suffered some dieback as a result?
You do still have two green, healthy canes so there is life there yet. Maybe cut off the brown dead bits and give it a month to see if it recovers? If not, then carefully dig out the plant and see what the roots look like.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Building a garden is very personal. It's not quite the same as installing a boiler.
James Alexander Sinclair