- Author: Bob Niklewicz , MG in the Fuller Park Rose Garden
It has been a great summer, the monster rainfall of this past winter and spring a distant memory, and the yard looks wonderful in May and June. You are pumped up about how well your gardening skills have developed. You are getting a sore shoulder from patting yourself on the back in celebration of the glory of your garden. –You smile to yourself and kickback on your rose care diligence. “Where is my wine?” Then July rolled around. Your “wining” has turned to “whining.” “What happened to my roses? The leaves have turned brown and they look awful.”
Well, you are human, you think when you fix something in the garden, it stays fixed. Well, you are wrong, Buttercup. Mother Nature lives in your yard too. In July she said, “It is time for a little humility for our green-thumbed person. I think I will cook their plants.” What happens when it turns from spring weather to Death Valley weather in your Napa garden? Cooked plants happens. This dose of truth from Mother Nature may hurt, especially when it catches you off guard, even for a day or two. This is the deal, roses do like 6-12 hours a day of normal sunlight–the key word being normal. Roses can take pretty much any amount of sun, but when it gets into the 85-90's things change. It gets even worse if you have some of your roses in containers like I do; you have to be ready for the heat beforehand. You avoid gophers with containers (gopher issues are fodder for another column) but encourage irrigation issues. If you guess wrong, you will find:
#1 Wilting is the first sign of heat stress. It shows up in the older leaves first near the top of the plant. It is a normal protective reflex of the rose to wilt/curl their leaves to preserve moisture. If you have a drip system on a timer, but you have not adjusted for the hotter days, you will get wilting and dropping of leaves sooner as the root ball is probably too dry and water will not penetrate to the drying roots. When the roses start to wilt, they also become susceptible to diseases too. Black spot, rust, and other fungal infestations can attack the leaves. Even spider mites or scale can take advantage of the problem. Deal with these threats quickly or you can lose all the leaves which will take weeks to regrow.
#2 Browning of edges as the picture above shows, the edges / tips turn brown. It is a different brown than fungal infestation; it is clearly a leaf that is baked. You have to remove these as they will not come back. Soak the root ball and make sure that it does not dry out again. Spray the leaves as needed. Use a meter if necessary. If the rose is in a container, you may have to soak the whole container into a tub filled with water, to fully rehydrate the ball–don't drown the ball, just get it thoroughly wet. If it is too big to lift of move, run a hose at a low rate into the container until it is saturated. If the ball is in the ground, using a shovel or trowel to loosen the soil will help get the water down deeper.
#3 Cover if possible when it gets over 95 degrees, placing a cover, shade cloth or umbrella over the plant. This is needed as the bush will no longer be able to go through photosynthesis and it no longer can efficiently respire. Blooms stop or become smaller, the leaves weaken and evaporation through transpiration speeds up and recovering from wilting becomes less likely.
#4 Mulch: If the damage is done or if you are ahead of the problem of heat stress, you should consider mulching. A layer of mulch about 2-3” thick around the plant will protect the bush. This will protect the root ball from the drying effects on the soil and prolong the retention of what water is available. The mulch will hold water between watering cycles and it will reduce the amount of weeds below the plant. Using a moderate spray of water in the mornings will get the bush ready for a hot day, but it will also remove dust as well as pests from the plants. In normal weather situation, it is not recommended to spray the leaves of roses due to fungal disease issues. However, in the scorching hot days, keeping the leaves cool is the lesser of two evils. 
Remember to toss plant debris into your city compost bin and not your own compost pile. The Napa City compost center produces higher temperatures to destroy the spores while your backyard pile will not do so. When it comes to add mulch, consider getting it from the Napa recycling center.
If you have questions about the Fuller Park Rose Garden and the Master Gardeners (MGs) who maintain that Rose Garden, the MGs are usually in the garden the first Sunday and third Thursday of each month between 10:00 and noon, weather permitting.
Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143. Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.
Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.
Photos by Bob Niklewicz
- Author: Bob Niklewicz, MG at the Fuller Park Rose Garden
August in the Master Gardener's Rose Cycle chart (https://napamg.ucanr.edu/files/254549.pdf) indicates we have a lot of deadheading to do on our 50 bushes. In addition, ideally we should add some fresh mulch around the trunk out to the drip line of the bush. The drip line being the widest area below where the branches can reach. A well decomposed mulch, spread lightly over that area, will nourish the bush for several months. Mulch will cool the soil, retain moisture, reduce weed growth,and will fully decompose.
Deadheading encourages the rose to continue producing buds and color for the next couple of months. Keeping the center of the bushes open to air circulation is a must. Dying canes or crossing stems should be cleared out, as well. Check the irritation systems for the proper amount of water provided and to make sure there are no leaks or breaks in the system.
You will see more pests in the rose bushes this time of year. Aphids are a very common soft bodied problem. In low populations, aphids can be dealt with easily and effectively by washing aphids off your plants with a blast of plain water from the hose or just ignored. A dense infestation of aphids can treated with an insecticidal soap spray. The soap covers and smothers the soft body pest. Or for a quick kill you can rub them between your fingers (FYI: always wear gloves in the rose garden). You could also just be patient and let natural predators control them. Local natural enemies include lacewings, soldier beetles, lady beetles, earwigs and small parasitic wasps. Source: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/natural-enemies/
ROSE of the MONTH: The “LIVIN' EASY”
The “Livin' Easy” is one of the most productive roses in the garden. It is also known as “Harwelcome” in some circles. It was developed in England in 1992. It is a floribunda with a moderate fruit/sweet smell. It is a pale orange or dark apricot color, the backs are slightly paler and the center is more yellow. It has copious blooms most of the year. It is notable in our garden in that is one of the largest bushes that also has massive thorns. Sniff, but not too close is a wise approach to this bush. It is located near the water fountain in the SE corner of the garden.
Remember when pruning to toss that plant debris into your city compost bin and NOT your own compost pile. The Napa City compost center produces higher temperatures to destroy the spores while your backyard pile will not do so. When it comes to add mulch, consider getting it from the Napa recycling center.
If you have questions about the Fuller Park Rose Garden and the Master Gardeners (M.G.s) who maintain that Rose Garden, the M.G.'s are usually in the Garden the first Sunday and third Thursday of each month between 10:00 and 12:00, weather permitting.
Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143. Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions. You can also go to our Master Gardner website: napamg.ucanr.edu for more details.
Photo Credits: Bob Niklewicz
- Author: Bob Niklewicz PT DHSc MG
Riddle Time:
What goes out more than teenagers? My back.
What do Rice Krispies ™ and my knees have in common? They go “Snap, Crackle and Pop” when used.
Do you give friends, at a moment of excitement, “Medium 5s ” because your shoulders don't like your arms in the high position?
If you can relate to any of these, you might be a gardener – a gardener that could also have mobility issues and degenerative changes to your body. One of the joys of being a gardener is the peace and tranquility of working the soil and watching things grow. You also know that you bend, move soil, reach, pull and twist to different and often awkward levels to do a task. What should make us happy and contented, can also cause us pain. The truth and reality of living a long and productive life is that many of your body parts wear thin or completely out, on top of being painful. As many of my peers say, “Growing old is not for sissies.” I am also very well aware that even children can be challenged by this and many other mobility ailments. Many of the things I will feature below can be applied to them as well. For simplicity, I will be using generic terms that can be applied to many physical challenges.
As a sage old physical therapist and long-time gardener, I ask myself, “What can be done to modify those tasks that are the most physically troublesome to make things less painful and fun again?” I do not like to be in pain, so some of these issues are personal. I'd like to share “seeds” of wisdom with you that I've gathered.
I start out with looking at my garden and/or task to determine what is the most difficult task I do that hurts and start there. The main one is going to ground level and back up. Let's think about this from the ground up. Heavy lifting, carrying, tossing and/or reaching from the ground may be physically unsafe. You could hire a helper for those big, heavy tasks in your garden or think of ways to move bulky items into smaller containers. You will make more trips with a lighter and more manageable load rather than going for a big grunt effort. Buying smaller bags of products instead of big bags will make the task slower, but easier and less stressful.
Getting down and then back up from ground level soil work and planting, is difficult for some, especially the coming up part. Give credit to gravity for the going down assistance. There are stools and other adaptive devices that can make that task easier. If you don't have to go down as far or reach as far, that is a step in the right direction. Also, while in that low posture, you are probably reaching and digging with small tools. Getting tools that have longer handles that do the job while you are sitting will also help reduce the strain from sitting or kneeling and then standing back up. They could be used while standing or sitting depending on the task and length of the tool.
Okay, if that is still too hard to do from a sitting or standing posture? Answer: If you can't bend down, raise the soil. Think about raised planters at waist level and 24” or 48” wide. Purchase or make wooden boxes with wire mesh bottoms to keep out gophers and moles Have them waist high so you don't bend far and the width such that you can reach across the box. In a 24” wide box, you should be able to reach to the other side of the box. With the 48” box, you should be able reach to the middle with your tools from either side. 
You can even consider getting a galvanized raised garden bed (aka stock tank). Here is one that can be found on most search engines. It's a 6'x24”x 24” galvanized tub.
Raised planters will also give you a handhold to stand back up. The layers of soil, drains and insulation for the sides of the trough is another discussion. Or this raised garden bed with legs, wooden planter box for those with limited bending or if they are in a wheelchair. It is raised up on posts so your legs can fit under the planter.
As far as the surface around the planter, that has to be considered as well. If you are capable of walking without assistive devices, (Cane, walker, wheelchair) the soil in the yard should be okay. Adding and packing down hard gravel should be considered for cane or walker users. If still unsteady or wheelchair users, a cement path wider than the walker or wheelchair would be needed.
If you have the option, place the containers closer to the house to reduce the distance you need to walk to tend them. If you have stairs, consider getting a long ramp with 1' length for every 1” of height of the stairs. For example, if the height of the stairs is 24” the ramp should be 24' long. If you wish, a firm path could be used instead of a ramp. Railings and non-skid surface are a must in either case.
Though the focus of this article was to promote the idea of raised planter boxes, the same concepts would work for other containers or vessels. Flower pots, large jugs, birdbaths, bathtubs, bicycle baskets, or old blue jeans can be used and admired from a standing or seated position. Have fun and work safely. I can you dig it, can you?
Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143. Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.
Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.
- Author: Bob Niklewicz
In the Master Gardener's Rose Cycle, July is when we fertilize lightly with organic products if needed. Deadheading continues and pruning of crossing branches or dying canes are a must. We also monitor our irrigation systems for the proper amount of water provided. Not checking the system can waste a lot of water and allow diseased leaves to stay under the bushes, meaning more work for you later.
This time of year is great for seeing which rose bushes are stars in your garden, which ones are doing great and look happy and which ones are not. Shape the bushes into a vase like form that opens up the inside of the plant. You can look down into the center of the bush and see the ground below. The canes and stems should be growing outwards. If you look into the center from the top, it resembles a vase or large bowl formed by the canes, leaves and blossoms.
One of the other types of roses in the garden are standard, or tree roses. They have a single tall stem, topped with the leaves and blossoms. It typically grows from 6' up to 8'. When it is shaped correctly it looks like what is commonly called a “lollipop” shape. This rose starts out as a bush and the rosarian will pick the strongest cane and let it grow tall. When it gets to a standard height, 3'- 4', the top will be cut off. It will then be grafted with 4-5 canes from the rose bush the rosarian has chosen to display.
Rose of the Month: Sun Sprite
It is a mid-yellow color with a darker yellow on the backs of the petals, and holds its color well. It has dark green, glossy leaves that are resistant to disease. It grows well in hot and cool weather with a tolerance for rain. It is a great rose for a bedding arrangement. To me it is a happy rose.
The Sun Sprite is blooming now in the Fuller Park Rose Garden as a standard bush. Come and see this happy and bright rose in bloom.
Remember to toss rose plant debris into your city compost bin and not your own compost pile. The Napa city compost center produces higher temperatures that destroys pathogens while your backyard pile will not. When it comes to adding mulch, consider getting it from the Napa recycling center.
If you have questions about the Fuller Park Rose Garden and the Master Gardeners who maintain that Rose Garden, MGs are usually in the garden the first Sunday and third Thursday of each month between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., weather permitting.
You can also go to our Master Gardener website: napamg.ucanr.edu for more details.
Iinformation about the Sun Sprite rose sourced from The American Rose Society Encyclopedia of Roses, 2003.
Photo credits: Bob Niklewicz
Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143. Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.
- Author: Bob Niklewicz, MG at the Fuller Park Rose Garden
In the Master Gardener's Rose Cycle, May is when we fertilize with organic products, start deadheading and check our irritation systems. Last year we had a section of irrigation tubing that was chewed through by rodents in the garden. Perhaps they were seeking water or they simply liked the taste of the tubing. They ate about a foot long section of tubing that looked like half a loaf of french bread cut long ways with the center eaten out. That is an odd graphic but close enough for your imagination. Not checking the system can waste a lot of water.
We also do some thinning out of the centers of new growth in our bushes to make sure that the air circulation is adequate. Circulation is needed to reduce the incidence of black spot and rust on the plants. Thinning out refers to the removal or new sprouting stems that are pointed into the center of the bush or are crossing other branches. In addition, we watch for the extra, unwanted growth in the crux of two or more stems. This seems to be a nest for fungal growth and the harboring of pests in this dense new growth that will not be productive for bloom growth later.
Pruning now is simply to snap off or thumb prune those small, densely packed clusters of new leaves. That will improve circulation and send more energy to the growth you want to encourage, rather than wasting it on non-productive leaves.
Rose of the Month: Double Delight
The Double Delight rose (Rosa ‘Double Delight') bred by Swim & Ellis came to us in 1977. It is a hybrid tea rose cultivar from ‘Granada' and ‘Garden Party' parentage. It has a very sweet, fruity scent and it blooms constantly. It was awarded the title of “World Favorite Rose” in 1985.
It is one of the best selling and well known roses in the world. It is a perfect hybrid shape that can last a long time when cut and displayed. There is no definitive reason for the name other than perhaps it has both a wonderful color and scent, or just because it has a wonderful blend of two colors. It is easy to grow but they are not immune to the mildew and black spot. The flower is large and borne singly, though they can be in two or three buds on a long stem. The ‘Double Delight' is blooming now in the Fuller Park Rose Garden as both a tree rose and a standard bush. Come to the garden and see it in bloom for a real double delight before your eyes and nose. (Information is from The American Rose Society Encyclopedia of Roses, 2003)
Remember to toss that plant debris into your city compost bin and NOT your own compost pile. The Napa City compost center produces higher temperatures to destroy the spores while your backyard pile will not do so.
If you have questions about the Fuller Park Rose Garden and the Master Gardeners (M.G.s) who maintain that Rose Garden, the MGs are usually in the Garden the first Sunday and third Thursday of each month between 10:00 a.m. and noon, weather permitting.
Watch for information about a Summer Rose Pruning course coming May 4th at our Master Gardener classroom with a hands-on portion on May 9th at the Fuller Park Rose Garden. Visit our Master Gardner website: napamg.ucanr.edu for more details. Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143. Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.
Photo credits: Bob Niklewicz
