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| Rosenut's Advice on Rose Care |
 General Rose Care - A whole page dedicated to general rose care
Blue and Black Roses
Chemical Sprayers
Crown Gall
Foliar Feeding
Manure Tea
Overwintering Roses in Pots
Pests on Indoor Miniature Roses
Planting Roses
Preserving Cut Roses
Pruning
Raised Beds
Rooted Cuttings
Root Stocks and Viruses
Winter Care
Winter Protection for Tree Roses
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Blue and Black Roses
There are no natural
black roses. Florists can make them using a black floral spray so if you
have seen one that's what it was. Many Hybridizers are trying to grow
one but the best they have so far is a very, very dark maroon.
In hot sun the edges will darken to black. Some will even appear black
in the bud stage, but when they open they are that dark maroon.
To sell roses many nurseries will name a rose "Nearly Black"
or "Almost Black". This applies to Blue roses also. There is no True Blue rose. There are
lavenders, and Mauves which are called "Blue Girl" ,
"Blue Boy." No true blues. The blue gene does not naturally
appear in roses.
Attempts are being made to splice a blue gene from other flowers
into roses but so far that attempt has been unsuccessful.
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Chemical Sprayers
Keep in mind these questions:
How many roses do you
spray? What do you spray? Do you mind pumping? |
There are many good sprayers on the market. The spray pattern or
the amount of spray used is not the fault of the sprayer as much
as it is
the spray tip. Make sure you get a sprayer with an adjustable tip
so you can control it. The amount of pressure in the tank also has
a lot
to do with the amount of material used. The more pressure the smaller
the droplets, the finer the spray, the less material used. As the
pressure drops the larger the droplets and the more material used.
I stopped using pump sprayers because my arm got tired trying to keep
the pressure up for a fine spray. I bought an Atomister which has a
one or two gallon tank and has the finest spray on the market. Bad
thing, you have to drag an extension cord behind you but it sure cuts
down on the material you use.
It sits in the garage now because of the electrical cord and having to
fill it 3-4 times each time I sprayed. I bought a 12 gallon, Battery
operated Mantis sprayer. The tip is adjustable and if I use the fine
mist I can spray all 500 roses with one tank full when the roses are
at their fullest. The picture shows a different battery than that
which comes with it. The regular battery is a small 12 volt gel pac
battery. I can purchase 3 of the batteries pictured for the cost of
one from Mantis so I made some adaptations. |
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I prefer a little coarser spray
so I got a tip that gives me a wide fan pattern. I like to spray
my roses so the material drips off onto the ground thus controlling
the fungus in my mulch material. I can also spray all of the roses in
1 1/2 hours with the coarse spray. It take almost 3 hours with
the fine spray. Their are also 3 gallon battery operated backpack
sprayers on the market. I get books with tons of different sprayers
from one gallon to 50 Gallons and up. A battery sprayer with a fine
mist tip would do the best for you with what you want to do unless of
course you have tons of roses. A really good inexpensive 3 gallon battery
operated sprayer is available from Black & Decker for less than
$100. It uses the rechargeable Versa Pac batteries. If this is
what you choose, I recommend you get the Versa Pac gold batteries.
They don't retain a memory and have a longer operating time
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Crown Gall
Crown gall is not harmless. It is caused by a bacteria and can be spread
by chewing insects, pruners, and damage to the canes. It will cause
smaller blooms, stunted growth and eventually death to the bush.
Recommended control is to remove and destroy the plant. The bacteria can
live in the soil for up to two years. Some success has been achieved by
cutting off the gall and applying an antibacterial cream such as used on
humans. Make sure you disinfect the knife. If you remove the bush, it's
suggested that you remove the soil and replace. A complete dip of the
bush in a solution of 1 cup Clorox to 5 gals of water prior to planting
has been suggested to destroy any bacteria which may have arrived on the
plant. I've poured a 5 gal bucket of water mixed with the bleach on the
soil after removing the plant and have had success with that. Maybe I
was just lucky. Don't compost the galls or infected plants, destroy
them.
Stop fertilizing about the middle of August.
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Foliar Feeding
Leaves
will absorb some nutrients. Foliar feeding gives a bush a quick shot
in the arm. The effect is not long lasting though. Foliar feeding is
good in the fall after you have stopped your regular fertilizing. It
doesn't tend to lead to new growth but stays in the upper parts of the
plant. Half strength Miracle Grow or other water soluable fertilizers
and/or liquid kelp or fish emulsion added to your weekly spray program
will keep the leaves greener and aid the overall vitality and health
of your rosebush. Care must be taken in the heat of the summer. If
done then, very early morning spraying is best. Make sure the roses
have been watered well the night before. A good overhead watering just
prior to the application will help prevent leaf burn. Following these
practices, I have experienced no damage and extremely good results
with foliar feeding. As long as I have to spray a fungicide I reap the
benefits of foliar feeding at the same time. Foliar feeding is
not meant to take the place of a regular fertilizing program. It's
like you taking vitamin pills or a quick sugar fix with a candy bar.
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Manure Tea
Cow tea, Alfalfa Tea
and Fish Emulsion solutions still work the best with roses of all
types, including Miniatures. The mixtures feed the soil, supporting
the organisms that convert nutrients into forms available to plants.
A long chain but a simple one. Food value is built in as well, but
the primary boost comes from activating the soil organisms. If
you don't have access to natural manures to use for a tea you can
make an artificial manure. It can't burn and tiny root hairs love
it. If you haven't brewed up one of the teas, your roses
haven't enjoyed a natural treat.
Equipment Needed:
32 gallon ,
leakproof , plastic garbage can with a TIGHT lid
Alfalfa
mealor pellets [about 12 cups per barrel]
OR a 10 pound onion sack of cow chips or horse apples[sack of manure]
Fermenting Method:
Add the active ingredients to garbage can, fill nearly to the top
with water and stir. Cover tightly. Let steep for 2-3 days, stir
again. Recover. Stir and steep off-and-on for more than a week. the
result will be a green fermentation solution with a foamy
consistency. Its ready to apply. It also smells really bad
Application:
Use an old bucket to bail out a gallon or so per bush. Minis can use
about half as much. Can safely be used every six weeks during the
active growing season. Works great on all sorts of plants in
containers. Leaves green up, new growth appears, bloom take on a
richer hue. When the garbage can is nearly empty , there will be a
rich sediment left. Fill with water, steep a day or two or so and
apply again. One loading of organic will make two batches.
What Happens:
Alfalfa contains a growth hormone Tricontanol and organic base on
which organisms can feed. Alfalfa meal or pellets broadcast or
scratched in the soil do the same thing, but tea works much faster.
Fortified Tea:
To the finished tea, add 8 tablespoons of Sequestrene 330, 1/2 cup
of Epsom Salts, and 1 cup of 20-20-20 soluble fertilizer[ or
20-20-20 mix with trace elements]. Stir well. Apply one gallon per
established plant, but only about a quart for minis. It is the best
treat your roses ever had!!
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Overwintering Roses in Pots
Roses in pots
require special care to overwinter in cold climates where the
temperature falls below zero.
If you have some area
where you could bury them at least 12-18' deep, I guarantee they
will survive the winter. I mean cover them up like you were digging
a grave. Lay them on their side in the hole, pot and all. Line the
hole with shredded leaves or wood shavings. Make sure they go
dormant before you bury them. Dig the hole in early fall
and have it ready in case the real cold weather catches you off
guard.
If you have no
access to a place to bury them, then I suggest you let them go
dormant and store them in an unheated garage. They will be ok as
long as the temp in the garage doesn't drop below 20 degrees. If it
does then wrap an old quilt or something like that around them when
it drops below 20 degrees.
Remove it when the temp goes back up. Make sure you don't let the
soil dry out. You don't want to keep the soil wet but if the soil is
allowed to dry out so will the bushes and they will die. If you have
room in the garage, set the pot in a large tub and surround it with
wood shavings, compost, soil or shredded leaves piling them high
over the bud union.
Keep them away from a fiber glass door or window. Light coming
thru will warm up the plant and cause premature bud swelling which
could get frozen at night and also kill your rose. These methods are
extreme but I feel they offer the best choices considering.
Or you could drive down to my house and let me store them for you
over the winter in my poly house. Human beings are constantly trying
to artificially over winter roses in situations where the odds are
against them. All we can do is everything possible and PRAY.
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Pests on Indoor Miniature Roses
Pests on indoor minis are tough to eliminate, because the indoor dryness is where they thrive. However, you can keep them under control this way:
1) Water the plant thoroughly, so that the leaves are nice and hydrated.
2) In a hand sprayer, make a solution of 1 tablespoon Murphy's Oil Soap in 1
cup of tepid water. Shake well. Put the pot in the kitchen sink and spray to
your heart's content, making sure to coat both upper and undersides of the
leaves. If you have flowers, avoid getting the soap on them, as the solution
will ruin the petals. Leave the solution on for 10 minutes.
3) With a gentle spray of tepid water (I use the sink shower attachment) rinse
off the leaves.
4) Run a fan on the minis until they are dry-- leaving them wet invites all
sorts of fungus problems. Do this once every 5 days or so.
5) Make an alcohol solution, one cup of 70% Isopropyl alcohol to a QUART of
water. Use this to spray the undersides of the leaves now and then. The
alcohol will dry up the mites and kill them. Don't do this very often, but
if you have an infestation, use the alcohol spray every couple of days until you get them under control. Stop using it if the leaves show
signs of damage. And remember, whatever you spray, make sure the roses are well-watered first.
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Planting Roses
Planting bare roots
In zone 5 you should be able to receive and plant
bareroot roses by the middle or end of March. They'll be dormant
when you receive them and stay dormant until the soil warms up so
don't worry about planting them too soon.
Soak your roses for 6 to 24 hours before you plant them. You can use
a starting
solution in the soak such as B1 or one of many other products made
for that purpose. If you can't plant soon after they arrive, keep
them moist and wrapped in the original packing and box and in a cool place, like
your unheated garage.
Keep away from windows or a fiberglass door. Both can let heat in
and warm up the bushes. Dig your holes 18 to 24" deep and wide.
Mix organics such as leaves, compost, horse manure, or composted cow
manure about half and half with the soil in the bottom half of the
hole. Form a small hill on top of that to spread the roots over when
you plant the rosebush. I mix a cup of triple super phosphate with
the soil in that little hill. You can also use bonemeal, organic
fertilizer, manure, or a slow release fertilizer such as Osmocote.
Don't use any fast acting fertilizers or you will burn the roots and
kill you bush.
Take a rose out of the soak and prune each cane, removing any thin,
broken, or crossing canes. Keep 3 or four of the strongest. Prune to
a outward facing bud on each remaining cane. Trim back any real long
roots. Cut off any broken
roots and cut the tips of the others to expose fresh tissue. This
promotes better root growth. You may, just before you plant, dip the complete bush
in a bath of water and 1 cup of household bleach. Dip don't soak!
Spread the roots out over the little hill in the hole. Make sure you
have placed the bud union where you want it. Some say 2 inches deep,
some level with the ground, some above the ground. In zone 5 if you don't want
to winter protect, plant the bud union 2 to 6 inches deep. If you
plan on protecting then you can leave the union exposed.
Pull about half the remaining soil around the roots and tamp it down
with your hands carefully. I slowly pour 5 gallons of water on the
partially planted bush to eliminate air pockets and settle the soil.
After it's soaked in pull the rest of the soil in and on top of the
bush. Bring more soil in if you need, to barely cover it. Leave a
slight depression around the bush for water to pool.
When growth appears from the hill of soil, gently remove the soil
with your hands or a stream of water. Keep watered well and
fertilize when the rose starts to set buds. If you have heavy clay soil raise your planting
bed 8 to 12" for better draining. Roses like lots of water but
they don't like wet feet.
Invest in a "How to" book on growing roses such as Ortho's
"All About Roses" or "Roses For Dummies." Both
are good for starters and will give you a better look at pruning.
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Preserving Cut Roses
Understand that when a rose is cut from the bush, It immediately sucks up air into the stem. This air prevents water from being drawn up into the cane. With out water the bloom dries out, wilts and doesn't open.
You can remove this air blockage and often re-vigor a cut rose by cutting the bottom inch of the cut under water. This allows water to enter the cane and when you remove the cane from the water a tiny drop stays on the bottom preventing air from entering the cane again. You then immediately place the rose in a vase of warm water so air cannot enter.
After the roses perk up, placing them in a refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight will condition them . this also ads to their longevity. Change the water daily cutting the ends of the canes under water each time to remove any blockage caused by bacteria, etc. You can add a little Listerine, 7-UP or bleach to the water to help also, or pick up some of those little packets of floral preserver and add to the water. The key though is to cut the stems
underwater. If caught when the roses first start to wilt or droop you can often reverse the process and save them. If they have been sitting for a couple of days in this condition , nothing will help.
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Pruning
Why do we prune?
The purpose of
pruning is to produce new wood. The energy that would have gone
into keeping the declining old wood alive goes instead into
producing new wood and flowers. Nature prunes during the winter
with ice storms and animals which eat the older wood and bark to
survive. In the process they trim the bush back. A cane will also
die back and if the dieback is not removed new wood will grow from
the first good bud below the dieback.
Unpruned roses in warmer climates will continue to grow and
eventually become tangled, thorny, overgrown mixtures of old, dead
and new growth.
They will become unsightly. We assist nature by cutting out the
old or dead canes so that new ones can be produced. Even Old
Garden Roses, a lot of which flower only on 2nd year or older wood, requires pruning to
remove older unproductive canes. To revive OGRs Rosarians advise
removing all canes 3 years or older the first year. After that
remove 1/3rd of the canes every year, always removing the older
ones. This way you will have new wood plus two years of flower
producing wood. OGRs which bloom on 2nd year wood are pruned after
they bloom in the early summer.
Bushes which bloom on new wood (These are most of the modern
roses) should be pruned and shaped yearly in spring before the
first bloom to promote more and larger flowers. It's done in the
spring because nature dictates it with the spring rains,
increasingly warmer and longer days, and the position of the sun.
Visit an old
overgrown cemetery and look at the oldrose bushes. They have
flowers but not many and the bushes will be filled with large
unproductive and dead canes. When you strip off the leaves
you don't actually produce dormancy. You cause the bush to refocus
itself on producing all new canes and leaves. It renews itself and
in the process does what nature intends it to do, propagate, make
flowers which turn into seeds (hips). By dead heading or cutting
the old bloom we force the bush to keep trying harder and harder
to make more blooms. That's why we stop removing flowers in the
fall. This signals the rosebush to start a resting period prior to
the next growing season so it can do it all over again.
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Raised Beds
A raised bed of 8 to
12 inches high is plenty. unless you need the height due to a
handicap and need to garden from a wheelchair. The thick heavy
roots on roses are anchor roots, The fine hair-like feeder roots
stay within the top 2 to 5 inches of soil. We are often cautioned
about not scratching the soil around the roses too deep for this
reason. Lots of organics mixed with some of the soil you have will
make a good mix. Compost, shredded leaves, aged horse manure,
alfalfa meal, spagnum peat moss, any of these work well mixed in
with your present soil. If you don't have enough soil to mix with
the organics get a load of topsoil. A good additive for drainage and
to keep the soil from compacting is perlite. You can mix it in up to
a sixth of the volume if you wish. Although it does not add any
nutritional value to the soil it does aid in water retention. Don't
add any actual fertilizer until after the roses are planted and have
started to set buds. The other things will suffice. If you have the
patience to keep it together, a raised island of soil will work. You
don't need any timbers as sides. Just raise the island 8 to 10
inches above the surrounding ground level. This requires some
maintenance but it's not that hard to keep up. You can always add
timbers if it gets out of hand.
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Rooted Cuttings
I use expanded Jiffy 7 extra depth compressed peat pellets to start my rose
cuttings in. After they have expanded I poke a hole in the center with the
eraser end of a pencil. Set aside.
Cut a long cane with a flower. Cut the flower off down to the first 5
leaflet leaf. Go down 4 leaves and cut about an inch below the 4th leaf.
Pull the bottom two leaves off. Score or gently cut barely into the outer
layer of bark on the bottom inch of the cane. Wet the bottom of the cane and
dip it in "Dip and Grow" or a powder rooting hormone.
Place the dipped end of the cane into the hole in the expanded peat pellet.
Make sure you gently press the peat so that it is in contact with the
cutting.
Outside, dig a hole and place the prepared cutting into the hole with the
top of the pellet level with the top of the ground. Place the soil around
the pellet and cover it with a two litter pop bottle that you have cut the
bottom out of. (Acts like a little greenhouse.)
Keep moist and within 2 to 4
weeks you should notice new growth coming from the base of the top two
remaining leaves. You can then gently lift the peat pellet from the soil and
there should be tiny rootlets coming thru the pellet. Transfer into a 5 inch
pot with good soil.
Keep the bottle over it but remove the lid occasionally so the cutting
starts to harden off a little.
Wait a month or two longer and remove the pot to see if roots have formed on
the outside of the dirt ball. If so put in a larger pot. Check again in a
couple of month's and if it's rooted good stick it in the ground.
If you are starting it inside during the winter, place the cutting in the
peat pellet into a 5 or 6" pot of soil and cover it with the bottle. Keep
moist. Have a light over it or place in a window. If you have a way to keep
the soil warm, it will help it root. Not hot, warm. A tray of sand about 4
inches deep to hold the peat pellets will work also. There are other ways
but this works for me. I get a 90% success rate. Good luck
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box from the Jiffy peat
Jiffy pellets, expanded, with a cutting
rooted cutting at 6 weeks
rooted cuttying in Jiffy peat
rooted cutting (close-up) |
Root Stocks and Viruses
I'd like to share some
advice on viruses.
All roses that are Hybridized originally start out virus free
because the transmission of viruses does not transfer through seeds. Even if you cross two roses that each have mosiac
virus, the seed you get from the hips will be virus free. Lets say I
take a Gold Medal (mother) and cross it with another rose say Peace
(father). The bush forms hips, and I harvest the seed in fall and
plant them. Every single seed that germinates will be virus free,
even if both mother and father have virus. Lets now say I believe
this is a great new rose, and I want to have some Rose company sell
it for me. This is where the virus enters in. The company I give the
bush or cuttings to will then propagate this rose by grafting to an
understock. If the understock is infected with a virus, every plant
propagated will then be infected unless the company uses either
indexed understock, or understock grown from seed. Rooted cuttings
taken from the ORIGINAL MOTHER BUSH will be virus free as well as any grafted
plants that have used clean understock and budwood from the ORIGINAL
MOTHER BUSH.
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Winter Care
Winter care varies with the different climates so local gardeners
advice is invaluable. However there are some general guidelines
to follow. Rose bushes die or die back over the winter from
cold drying winds, changes in freezing and thawing and from
cold temperatures to the bud union. To protect the bud union
mound up soil or a mulch to about one foot high after the first
hard frost. Do not cut canes in the fall or give nitrogen fertilizers
as both stimulate soft new growth which will be killed. Long
canes on bushes or climbers can be tied to prevent wind rock.
Container plants can be moved inside to an unheated space when
their leaves fall off and a little water should be given monthly
to prevent drying out.
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Winter Protection for Tree Roses
Full size
standard tree roses
The recommended method to winterize in my zone 5 area where
it gets to -20 degrees is to dig a trench on one side of
it big enough to
lay the tree roses over and bury it. After you get the trench
dug, you dig in on the side opposite the trench and cut
the roots so you
can lay the tree over. That way half of the roots are still in
the ground. Don't cut the roots too short.
It will look like a little grave when you are thru. Bury the
tree rose at least 12 inches deep. AFTER the ground freezes cover
the
whole thing with 6-8 inches of shredded leaves. In th spring
when the Forsythia bloom dig it up, prune the top back, removing
all
the dead wood. Try to leave about 12" of cane after you prune
but remember, the shorter you prune, the bushier your tree rose
will
be. If you leave the canes too long the bush will be kind of gangly.
The weakest part on a tree rose is the bud union. Unlike a regular
rose, that bud union is exposed and if frozen too severely the
differing tissues will separate, killing it. You can prune some
this fall to
make it easier to bury it but don't cut off any more than necessary.
Remember, this spring you can cut off more but you can't put it
back on. I advocate spring pruning only.
Another method that may work but requires you to watch it closely
is to move it into an unheated garage, if it's planted in a pot.
If not, then that rules that out.
A local rose society or Consulting Rosarian near you can tell
you better how much winter care you need to use.
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