Ah, welcome to summer in Fresno! Have you seen the extreme heat advisories going on? How does all of this affect our roses? Let’s talk about water and sun.
According to the California Drought Monitor, currently, Fresno ranks a D1 or moderate drought. The map is updated weekly. I am bringing this up because not wasting water is important. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average American family uses 320 gallons of water per day. About 30% of that is devoted to outdoor use. Between 40%-60% of that outdoor water is used to water lawns, according to the UCANR Center for Landscape & Urban Horticulture.
So, what can we do to help conserve water? Several things! Landscaping is important for our enjoyment of a beautiful green environment. Studies show that gardening reduces stress and enhances wellbeing. I have heard all sorts of things like, “roses are water hogs,” etc. This is not true. Once established, roses don’t require any more water than any other shrub in the landscape. Many people end up overwatering their plants/roses. You don’t have to.
I conserve water in my landscape by planting California native plants (they are beautiful and bring in the pollinators) and having my garden on a drip irrigation system. I converted my sprinkler system to drip. It was easy and often the Master Gardeners have free classes that teach you how to do this. I heavily mulch my roses as well. Mulching reduces weeds and helps to keep water in the soil. I water (on the days I can water) early in the morning to make sure the water gets to the roots of my plants and is not evaporated by our hot, dry air.
Last year, I moved several of my roses to get morning sun only. As our climate gets hotter, I recommend morning sun and afternoon shade for all our roses. Roses only need about four to six hours of direct sun a day to thrive. I placed arbors over the roses in the garden that were in the full sun. I covered the arbor with sunshade cloth. Some people have covered their roses with umbrellas. The roses in the areas that had the covering did not get the brunt of the summer sun last year (and it was a hot one!). They did great and bloomed throughout the summer. You can read about it in Rosie's Corner August 2024.
So, try to stay cool (as much as one can) and enjoy your landscape. So many benefits to getting out there and enjoying your garden (early or late in the day to avoid the heat and drink water!).
Summer rose care
Hopefully, you fed your roses in May. If not, you can feed again at the beginning of this month and try to use a fertilizer that has more phosphate (the middle number in the NPK fertilizer system). The phosphate will help to establish a good root system, which will allow your rose to better cope with the water demands during summer. Here's a good rule for remembering what "NPK" on fertilizer containers means: the N (nitrogen) is the up, the P (phosphate, which is phosphorus and oxygen) is down, the K (Potassium) is for all around. So, when you look at the fertilizer label, think up (N), down (P), and (K) all around for your fertilizing needs. Is this bringing back memories of the periodic table from high school chemistry?
Continue to check for pests such as spider mites and aphids. You might even start to see some lacey cutouts of the leaves on your roses. That would be our native Leafcutting bees. These bees (non-stinging) do no harm to your roses and make beautiful lacy patterns on the leaves. They use leaf cutouts for their nesting materials. I adore them and they are welcome to any of my leaves, anytime. I wish I could draw and cut a circle with such precision and beauty as they do!
Chelsea Flower Show
Did you watch the Chelsea Flower Show? There were many new rose introductions! David Austin premiered their first striped rose (you know I love my striped roses!). It took over 12 years to develop. It is called the King’s Rose. It is a shrub rose with few thorns, and it is scented. Not sure when it will be available in the U.S. Roses from abroad usually take a couple of years before they can be introduced in the U.S. In Great Britain, part of the proceeds will go to the King’s Foundation which works toward building sustainable communities.
Elton John’ AIDS Foundation rose was also introduced. This one is beautiful. It is fragrant too! In England, part of the proceeds for each rose sold will go to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Then there was Catherine’s Rose. It also has a strong scent. It was launched by the Royal Horticultural Society to honor Catherine, Princess of Wales. In England, part of the proceeds for each rose sold will go to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
Until Next Time…”Friends are the roses in the garden of life.” Unknown
Read more:
Gardening reduces stress and other benefits, Psychology Today
Roses don't need to be water hogs, Visalia Times-Delta
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Written by UC Master Gardener Debbie D.