ROSE CARE
this summer You can’t afford to sit back and admire your roses over the next few months - they will need some regular attention
Roses are the nation’s favourite flowers but no-one said they are an easy ride. If you just sit back and admire your roses during the summer then the chances are you won’t get the best out of them. They do need regular care to be at their very best and that means a proper watering regime, deadheading, mulching and mid-summer pruning.
Deadheading and pruning Most modern roses, even some heirloom varieties, will bloom all summer if properly groomed. ‘Deadheading’ refers to the process of removing old or spend flowers from the bush. Whether you’ve been cutting the flowers for indoors or have left them on the bush, proper trimming ensures strong re-blooming. By deadheading roses instead of allowing them to form seed hips, you’re signalling the plant to produce more flowers. Rose leaves develop in sets of three, five, even seven or nine leaflets. Look out for the five leaflet leaves; these are where you’ll want to prune. Cut a quarter of an inch above a five-leaflet leaf, leaving at least two sets of leaflets on the stem from which you’re cutting. Pick a leaf that faces outward to cut above and make the cut at an angle sloping downward toward the centre of the bush.
Roses need more water than you probably think New roses need far more water than an established garden rose. Water well and often. If a containerised rose dries out, the water will not be taken to the roots but will flow around the outside of the plant. If this happens, place the container in water and let the rose soak up the water. This will ensure the water reaches the centre of the rose.
Don’t plant in the same soil Roses are very greedy feeders, which is why the advice is not to plant new roses in soil where old roses had been, due to a condition called ‘Soil Sickness’ that arises when an old rose has taken all the nutrients and minerals out of the ground. To counter this, you need to dig up the old soil and replace it with good quality compost mixed in with well-rotted farmyard manure.
Summer mulching A layer of mulch ensures that the soil is kept moist in a hot spell, weeds are kept to a minimum, and diseases such as black spot and rust are suppressed. Many materials can be used for mulching depending on what is available to you. Well-rotted farmyard or horse manure is excellent, but make sure that it is three to four years old.
WHY ROSES FAIL TO SURVIVE • 90per-cent of rose problems can be avoided if the rose is well watered. Roses need watering regularly through the late spring and summer, regardless of rainfall. Newly planted roses need a good bucketful every day. • Poor planting. If the plant moves easily in the soil the roots will not settle in so tread carefully around the bush. • Drought: and especially if the quality of the soil is poor which will cause the yellowing of leaves. • Too much water around the roots cause by poor drainage. • Ripe manure will burn the roots. • Too severe pruning repetitively every year on bush roses will gradually reduce the life of the plant. • Attacks from below: Chafer grubs and ants. • Deadly long term diseases: Rust, canker and honey fungus. 10
Tackling common rose problems Most rose problems can be avoided. Black spot, mildew and rust are the most common diseases, but once again, prevention is always better than cure. You can start spraying your roses with an organic spray early in the season once the new young leaves have appeared. If you have had a bad case of black spot, remove all the infected leaves and spray once a week. Cleanliness in the rose garden is all important.
Four tasks which are essential 1. DEADHEAD ROSES ON MOST DAYS
Snip off fading and dead flowers to encourage more blooms. When it is peak flowering season this is almost an every day job. Don’t deadhead if you want hips for autumn interest.
2. PRUNE OUT ANY DEAD WOOD Most roses are best pruned when dormant but it is a good idea to cut out any dead stems you find in summer as they can pass on disease to healthy wood.
3. TIE IN CLIMBERS REGULARLY Climbing and rambling roses can be very vibrant and fast growing so you will need to ties them in regularly. Soft twine tied loosely around stems is ideal.
4. TEAR OFF SUCKERS The majority of rose cultivars are grafted onto a rootstock shots from below the graft are rootstock so are not true to type. Cut these off at the bases. Country Gardener