Hi All,
I planted a dozen new DA roses in February. All have done really well and bloomed profusely. Fighting Temeraire however, has just grown a very nice bush but has not bloomed. Does anyone else grow DA's in the Gulf South? Any ideas what is going in with this one?
Really enjoying this site by the way!
S

Hi Sandy. Welcome to NGA ! I've grown some Austin's & have found over the years, particularly with "own root' roses, they tend to usually take some time, to get roots growing well & established enough, to start taking off. Maybe, even when grafted, that can be the very same case..
Although, I'm not in the Gulf States, I'm somewhat familiar with the panhandle of FLA. too & the climate here, can be nearly equivalent, although I'm at about 37 North latitude. Yep, they'd even sent them to me, before, at the exact same of time year, too ! Are you feeding & watering adequately, even with rainfall ?
In some cases, others are just a bit slower growing & not quite as vigorous a grower, as some other Austin cultivars. That's been my observation, anyway. It is quite noticeable, with 'Eglantyne', though seems a thin branch, which had inadvertently broken off, has been sitting in water & producing new growth, though I doubt it even has any roots, yet !

Perhaps, you may have noticed, that particular one, may just have thinner stems, & if so, may be a slightly less vigorous one & just take awhile longer, than the others......

Thanks for your input. It is probably one of the most vigorous and healthy DA's I have, so that's not the issue. There have just been no blooms. I called DA and they said sometimes they get what they call a "blind" rose that doesn't bloom. They have asked me to wait till next year and if it still hasn't bloomed they will replace it. By the way, they have been wonderful to work with at DA.

Hi Sandy. I'd never even heard of a blind rose, before.If it is just as vigorous as the others, or even more so, I really just can't begin to wrap my mind around that one ! Though I suppose they must know more about it, than I do.

Yes, their customer service is excellent. Since their stock, is "sold out" until next spring, I can well understand, why they'd have to make you wait, until next February ! Just be patient & in the meanwhile, maybe you can try pruning, somewhat, just several weeks prior to when your weather starts to change, maybe mid to late August & see if that doesn't give you any blooms, for autumn, on new growth !

If some can flower, into fall, here, I'm sure they can do the same for you, there & then maybe you'll know, if in fact, what they say, is true, about your rose being blind...Possibly if a newer one, the buds stock & all has been "pushed" a bit, in an attempt to have adequate supply, to meet demands... But , they've "sold out" until next spring... & who knows, maybe if you prune yours back & use a fertilizer with a higher middle number, you'll tend to promote blooms by autumn & then will know, if in fact, it truly is as they say, a "blind rose"..
I'm not sure of I will buy, older popular varieties next, or newer one's next year !

Sandy, I may be mistaken, but perhaps your particular bush, being a new plant is taking time to bloom. Last year I received from my nursey a 'Double Musk' bush.
https://www.helpmefind.com/ros...
It grew healthily all spring AND summer long. Blooms....well nothing....nada. It sent out vigorous canes and still nothing... Then when I had given out all hope, in well advanced fall what do I see?: that it was covered in buds... It bloomed twice then! I checked and it is clearly a late flowering rose. Very fragrant. I checked FT in HMF and it doesn't provide any info about its parentage. My DM clearly needed the full growing season before having stored enough energy for blooming! FT pictures in HMF appear mainly during the early spring flush, but some do appear quite late. So not only do I agree with Shawn about the need of being patient, but also not all bushes respond the same when first getting settled in your yard. That said about DA's as well, since the parentage is drawn from so many different sources. I understand their reluctance of providing parentage information, as a way of protection towards undue competition. However, that kind of secrecy imho eventually hampers the advancement of rose cultivation in general and thus reduces the overall econonic growth of the activity....short term view vs. long tern view...
Arturo

Thanks Arturo!
Sandy