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What to look for in a rose to suit your garden?
You’ve decided to jazz up your garden with a few roses, so here are some suggestions… Now is the time to see, select and wait. Decide on a site, and the look you want to achieve. Be adventurous and use your imagination in your mix of colour, shape, perfume and beauty. Climbers can be trained along a fence. A standard rose looks great as a feature in a lawn. Plant several to screen a drive. Low-growing bush roses could line a path or the front footpath. Scented roses are great by an entrance or under a window. A pillar rose could be planted by a verandah post. Patio roses and ground covers grow well on a bank. Visit a public rose garden in your area during the spring and summer. Even in small gardens you can see how well various roses grow in your area. Make a note of the size of the plant for that’s what you can expect. Visit a local rose show to find particular blooms. Climbing roses are often used to climb over fences and walls, along wires, between posts, over arches, sheds, garages and trees. They make a huge floral statement if you have the room. Sam McGredy bred a series of climbers and besides Dublin Bay, Casino is the best modern yellow rose. Swan Lake is the best repeat flowering ivory-white climber. There are now some more compact climbing roses such as Patio Charm available for the smaller garden. Floribunda roses were developed from hybrid tea roses and flower in extravagant clusters that make a spectacular picture, continuing to bloom for months on end throughout summer. They have a huge range of flower styles which may be single, double, rosette, very large, very small, waved, fluted, “hand painted’ or striped. Standard roses and miniature standards are ideal for growing in pots and they flower for a long time. Great for a feature rose that can be shifted when not in flower. Ideal for Barbecue areas, patios, as a feature or by a pool. If you are looking at large flowering roses on a standard, be careful in your selection. Some such as Solitaire, Sheer Bliss, Aotearoa or Loving Memory grow naturally tall and vigorous. They can look ridiculously tall and you won't see the blooms on a standard. English or David Austin roses have an old fashioned look and are usually heavily scented. There are gorgeous ones like Sally Holmes or Mary Rose but they need plenty of space. The patio rose is compact and usually free flowering with smaller blooms and can be placed in an open area close to the house or apartment balcony. They make excellent flower borders along the fence or path. If grown in a pot, it is necessary to see they are placed for six hours of sunlight a day. Patio Jewel, Patio Gem, Loving Touch are just a few. Ground Cover roses are the most recent to make their impact. Their attraction is the minimal care they require, and as the name suggests cover areas with a constant mass of colour. The Flower Carpet series in cerise, white, lemon and peach is most popular for this task. You see there are many roses for all different situations to create interest, colour and beauty in your garden.
DOWN TO EARTH WITH ROSE CARE
We have
certainly had a variation of temperatures and weather conditions throughout the
country during July and August. Friends from Western Australia were delighted to
be touring the South Island when the snow arrived and were very impressed with
our fair land. Pruning was a
pleasure this year with a succession of really warm days allowing one to get on
with the job, without constant rain showers.
At the time of writing the bushes are shooting away and I am feeling very
self-satisfied with my clean, tidy rose beds. Cannot wait for the first blooms
to appear. October/November Early October is the time to apply
Sulphate of Potassium (Potash) granules to increase the vigour of your bushes
and bloom colour. Ensure the soil is moist and sprinkle a handful evenly around
each bush. Lightly fork or hoe in and then apply water, (unless rain clouds are
looming). Applying chemical fertilisers to dry soils can burn the feeder roots
and the nutrients from the fertiliser are only available to the bushes when in
solution, hence the watering is vital for the development of good foliage and
blooms. Your bushes should receive 10 litres
per bush each week rather than a light sprinkle with the hose each day. The
latter encourages the feeder roots to the surface where the sun can dry them. At
the same time, watering heavily for prolonged periods may leach the nutrients in
the soil to below the area of the feeder roots. I quote Sam McGredy when I say
"watering is the most aspect of rose culture" (Yours truly has to pump
up water from a creek and drag a monstrous great hose around the property to
hand water each bush. I takes me hours, but I count my blessings when I hear of
members having to use bath and washing water.) Miniature roses will require more
frequent watering as their roots are closer to the soil surface than their
larger cousins. The
new buds on the roses will be appearing and exhibitors will begin the task of
disbudding bushes used for showing. With larger flowered hybrid teas, some
produce two or three buds per stem, so carefully pinch out the surplus, leaving
one strong bud to develop, thus producing a larger bloom. Floribundas are
treated differently, by pinching out the larger bud in the centre to produce an
even head of blooms. Make sure you pinch out the small stem to which the bud is
attached and do not leave a stub sticking up - an eagle eyed judge will
down-point your exhibit. Some members remove all the flower buds
on new bushes when they appear. This sounds drastic, but it does direct the
energy into the formation of new growth instead of the flowers. Thereby building
up a stronger bush. You can allow the next lot of buds to flower and these will
follow in a few weeks. Keep up with your feeding programme as
roses respond well to a balanced diet. I use the 'little and often' approach,
using nitrophoska at 3 weekly intervals (1 level tablespoon per bush)and a
handful or two of sheep pellets each month. Mid October I apply magnesium (epsom
salts), (1 level tablespoon per bush). This helps with chlorophyl as it leaves a
residue, I use Super Shield as my last spray before the show. During October I
apply my 3rd spray of Ridamil to prevent Downy mildew. (This is only available
in commercial quantities.) Bravo or Fungus & Mildew Spray are useful for
this disease also other sprays in my lockable cupboard are Greenguard, Champ
Flowable (copper) and Mavrik. Remember to alternate sprays so that pests and
diseases do not become resistant to them. Super Shield for example should be
used not more that four times a season. On the subject of sprays, a natural
spray from Europe is currently being trialed here with great success on roses
against black spot, downy mildew, powdery mildew, botrytis and rust. I is a
natural bio-stimulant with specific almino acids. The bush takes the spray into
ins system and raises its own defence through high levels of anti-toxins.
Something to ponder on. Basal shoots with now be coming away
and if you have a windy site you can pinch the ends out at 50 or 60cms. Remember
they are brittle so do stake them, as they are the future formation of your
bushes. In the past I allowed my bushes to grow to full height but with the
development in our area land contours have been changed and large trees chopped
out. With the greater wind intensity I lost many shoots, so now pinch them and
stake with bamboo canes. As soon as blooms begin to fade, cut
the stem back to a group of five leaves, preferably facing outwards. I look at
the size of the stem before I cut as some can be rather thin at the first group
of leaves and by cutting here results in flowers with floppy stems. Go easy on
new bushes and do not cut with long stems until the bushes are well developed. December/January Keep the roses well watered, but keep
the water off the foliage to prevent fungus diseases. Healthy leaves equate to a
healthy bush and both regular soaking of the beds and spraying will provide
this. The first flush finishes at different
times in various areas of the country. This is the time to give the bushes a
good dressing of fertiliser if you propose to have continuous blooming through
to autumn. At this time I apply Nitrophoska and a generous amount of sheep
pellets and when I see the new buds appearing, potassium (same amount as the
first dressing). Top up your mulch if necessary. Just remember to keep your hobby reasonably simple. Provide the necessary requirements enjoy their beauty and share them. Everyone loves a bunch of roses. Reprinted
from the October 1999 N. Z. Rosarian
The
spring blooms are a joy and an inspiration after the often-dreary
winter. Time spent now will
pay big dividends for the new season. The
focus for these months is on the four P's preparation, purchasing, planting
and pruning. PREPARATION: Any
new beds should be prepared in April/May. Where
drainage is not the best it is important to raise the beds - up to a foot if
necessary. Raised beds are in
fashion anyway and there are some nice surrounds available too. Put a dressing
of slow acting fertiliser on existing your beds. It helps to develop nice fat buds for the new season. Rake up
all fallen leaves and burn them as they can harbour spores that spread disease
later on. Lightly aerate the soil
to correct compaction of the soil from the winter rains. Attend to weeding. In
preparation for the spring, it is highly recommended that clean up sprays be
applied in June. Note that you must not use lime sulphur and copper based
sprays within 2 weeks of each other. Make
sure of this when you plan your spray programme.
Lime Sulphur at winter strength is 1 part to 15 parts of water.
If you are troubled with white scale - then paint the lime sulphur
mixture on to the canes with an old paintbrush.
Do check your pruning gear. I have found a fine keyhole saw to be
invaluable in completely removing canes at the base of the bush. My other handy tool is the wire brush, which gets rid of
scaly, knarled bark around the base of the bush and also on the top of the stem
on standard roses.
It is a good idea to get your secateurs and loppers professionally
sharpened from time to time. Ensure you have immunity to tetanus as the microbe
that causes this condition typically lives in the soil and enters the body
through cuts and wounds. PURCHASING: Perhaps you have ordered your bushes from a nursery or garden centre and you will be eagerly awaiting their arrival. in June. The modem trend is for them to be growing in their black you get them planted. Choose your bushes carefully and try to get Note the bushes have
not been pruned but have been trimmed for ease health bushes so that you avoid problems with virused bushes. Look out for specials on sprays and fertilisers and shop around. Some good
savings can be made. Nitrophoska Blue is a very good slow acting fertiliser in pelletised form. Be careful about buying
$3.99 roses from supermarkets and the like – you may get what you paid for and have to wait several years
before the bush is mature. PLANTING: Many
bushes are sold with planting instructions and diagrams supplied by the
propagator. This is one of the few
chances you get to put nutrients underneath the bush, such as some nice compost
and slow release fertiliser such as Nitrophoska Blue or Osmocote.
Trim any damaged roots with sharp secateurs and water your plant in well
to remove any air pockets. Give the
bushes 1 metre of space away from other plants.
Don’t forget to stamp the soil down firmly and come back again several
days later to further firm the soil. In
costal areas with a very acid soil you may need to add lime or dolomite to your
beds. PRUNING: There has been considerable discussion on methods of pruning, including the hedge clipper method, which is quick and doesn't involve a lot of fuss. Many rosarians recommend pruning each bush as an individual, regardless of what you did to the two either side. Note that white and yellow roses often resent hard pruning. It is important to realise that climbers are pruned quite differently to bush roses. Whatever the plant, try to recognise old canes, new canes, basal shoots and suckers. Basal shoots are the lifeblood of the plant and are to be protected at all costs while suckers are loathed and need to be eliminated at the earliest opportunity. Suckers are coming from the under stock of a budded plant and take goodness away from the bush itself. Most people prune in July and even August. Remember
the text of the pruner should be "Let there be light" by clearing out
the centre of the bush and any overcrowded growth.
Most people remove any wood slimmer than a pencil.
Large pruning cuts – bigger than a 20-cent piece – can be sealed with a thin layer of petroleum jelly. Don’t forget a post prune spray of copper and oil to complete the job.
Peter
Elliott Extract
from NZ Rosarian, June 1996 Article From the NZ ROSARIAN, OCTOBER 1997 – By Peter Elliott A
- Aphids.
That little green fellow that sucks all the goodness out of lush, fresh
growth. Look for them on the under
surface of the leaves as well as stems and buds.
Eradicated mainly with insecticide spray. B - Basal shoots. Also called water shoots. Must be saved to promote the youthfulness of the bush. The top can be "pinched out" when the shoot is about 18" high. Stake them to prevent them being broken off by strong winds. The scrub with a wire brush around the base of a bush in the dormant season can help promote basal shoots in the spring. C
-
Cultural handbook. Written the
National Rose Society's most experienced Rosarians.
Every member gets a free copy when they join. Full of useful information on how to grow better roses. D
-
Disbudding. Carried out by ardent
exhibitors to make the flower head of small stems and large stems more
attractive. Note that side buds are
not permitted in classes calling for "blooms", such as exhibition,
decorative and full open. Disbud
early to avoid leaving scars or stubs on the stem. E
- Exhibitors. What every
Society needs to make their shows a success.
Don't be put off by the quality that "top dogs" bring in.
Let's face it some of their rejects make you drool.
Senior exhibitors have had years of experience but they all had to start
off in the novice section. Do go
and see your local show even if you haven't entered. F
- Fertiliser.
"A little and often” is the golden rule. Apply it to moist soil and water it in. I recommend
"rose tea" which is a liquid manure to the strength that looks like
weak tea. I use garden galore soaked in water. I also recommend the pelletised
product called Nitrophoska Blue with a handful every 6 weeks around the bushes. G
-
Growth. What we want all Go-ur
bushes to display. They should
"grow' if they are pruned correctly and get adequate sunshine, water and food. Don't expect too much
of a brand new climber though, as it takes a couple of seasons to get the
message to shoot out its long canes.
H
-
Heeling in". An interim measure to cover the bare roots until a newly
purchased, or shifted rose can be planted in its proper place. Dig a trench -
put the bush in it so the roots will be covered over with soil and fill in.
Keep well watered. I
-
Insulation blanket. Formed by a layer of mulch. Helps to conserve moisture and
suppresses weeds. Water and fertilise the beds before you apply the mulch. I
like organic matter such as nice compost, leaf mould, farmyard droppings and
thinly applied lawn clippings. Mulches are usually applied about three times a
year spring, summer and autumn. J
- JOY.
At seeing all the lovely buds just waiting to burst forth in
the spring. It makes you feel that all the TLC you gave in winter with
pruning, spraying and cleaning up of the beds has been worthwhile. K
- Kleensak.
What I use to cut up my small sized prunings into and then empty it at the dump.
If you are lucky enough to have one of the motorised mulching machines, then you
can recycle all your prunings and garden rubbish back onto the rose beds. L
- Lime Sulphur. One of the important "clean up" sprays to apply
in winter. It is not compatible with copper sprays and can also stain paintwork.
When mixed with All Seasons oil and water it is good to smother "white
scale" which can afflict older canes. You can paint this mixture on with an
old paintbrush to areas affected by scale. M
- Mildew.
A fungal disease that you need to watch out for. Two main kinds: powdery mildew
and downy mildew. Sprays applied in September will help give you protection. You
may have read reports that Baking Soda used as a spray can eradicate powdery
mildew, certainly cheap and non-toxic. N
- Nitrophoska
Blue. One of the slow release palletised fertilisers that I mentioned before.
A very good product. Clean,
nonsmelly, easy to apply, looks like grains of rice.
It has appropriate NPK ratings for roses. O
-
Organic matter. Good to apply to
rose beds. Have you tried "Zoo
Poo" - see under "Z". I also know many rosarians who use a
mixture of untreated sawdust and horse manure.
Garden galore is also a popular organic product.
P - Pruning. We all know about it the winter, but have you tried "summer" trimming". In late January do a light prune all over (yes it does mean cutting off all buds and flowers) but you'll be rewarded by a big autumn display of roses in March/ April. Be sure to keep the beds well watered and fed after the trimming. A lot of exhibitors do it in readiness for Autumn Rose Shows. Q
-
" Queen" of the flowers. Aren't
roses just that!! Once you’ve
grown them, you'll never be without some in your garden.
If they are heavily fragrant - what a bonus. R
-
RUST. A disease that can be
damaging to the rose and is mainly seen like spots of mustard powder on the
under surface of the leaves. It is important to spray on the under surface too.
Pick off and burn any infected leaves.
Try to avoid infected leaves dropping onto your beds as disease spreads
easily by this route. S
- Suckers. Strange
looking growth that arises from the Rosa multiflora understock of
"budded" bushes. The
leaves are usually a lighter shade of green, there may be 7 leaflets per leaf
and if left to flower this growth will have small white flowers.
Suckers should be cut away from the understock as they take goodness away
from the rose canes. You need to
carefully scrape away the soil until you can see the origin of the sucker and
then cut it off with a sharp knife. They
can recur - so watch out for them. Try to learn the difference between a basal shoot and a sucker as basal
shoots are very desirable whereas suckers are despised. T
-
Tying material. For standard roses
and climbers etc. Do not use wire.
Old stocking is popular and there are some good plastic ties available
now. Don't tie too tightly as the
cane may get damaged, but firmly enough to prevent movement.
Put several ties on the stem of a standard rose at different heights and
have a stout stake. U
-
Unusual roses. Floral artists like
them. Remember what a hit the brown roses were when they first came out.
Of course, the world is waiting for the "blue" rose.
Some may have seen the rose "Harry Wheatcroft" which was one of
the first striped large flowered roses. How
about "Stars & Stripes" and "Oranges & Lemons" At
the Trial Grounds in Palmerston North, one of the categories for judging is
"novelty" and this is where something unusual would score more
points. V - Verticilium Wilt.
A soil borne fungus that can affect roses and may mean digging out
your bush and burning it. It is one
of the reasons why we recommend that roses are not grown in soil where
dahlias, tomatoes or potatoes have been growing as the soil may be
contaminated. Also, be careful
where you might buy topsoil from, as this also could be infected. W
-
Water. Everywhere and not a drop to
drink! A decent deep watering every
10 days, or so, is beneficial to the roses and much preferred to a
sprinkle with the hose every other day. Roses
like lots of water but they also like soil that has good drainage.
Many rosarians raise the height of their rose beds above the ground level
to improve the drainage. Roses in
pots need lots of water too, as they dry out quickly.
In drought conditions when there are severe water restrictions you may
have to "bucket out" the bath or wash water to your roses. X
-
X factor. What is looked for by the
breeders when their seedlings flower as to whether the rose might be
commercially released. They may be
considering shape, colour, freedom of flowering, disease resistance, novelty,
petal texture, fragrance etc. Y-Yield
of flowers. Can be increased by
picking your flowers and cutting down to the first five leaflet.
This is where the next strong growth is going to come from.
Also, if you pick the central bud out of a large flower head, all the
other buds will tend to open at the same time and give a big display.
Exhibitors like to do this with the "large stems" where four,
or more, flowers are required to be open. Z
-
Zoo Poo. As mentioned before, this
is collected up at the Zoo and might contain droppings of camel, elephant,
tiger, rhino etc. all nicely decayed. I believe the Adelaide Zoo was one of the
first to try this and they sold 33,000 bags.
Good luck with your roses. QUICK
TIPS FOR BUSY GARDENERS
This Summer: - 1.
Ask a friend to water your plants while you are away. 2.
Water roses in containers daily from the base of the pot. 3.
Use water crystals and wetting agents to increase the use of the water
supplied. 4.
If you buy a rose, and can't plant immediately, don’t spread out the roots.
Keep the root ball intact and water daily for 2 weeks. 5.
A light trim in January will produce another flush in March. 6.
Deadheading and picking for indoors encourages flowering into and
through the autumn. Recent Trials in Britain shows that the best method is to
just snap the heads off! 7.
Pick off diseased leaves and clear away those that have dropped to
prevent the spread of disease.
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