Rosie's Corner

What to do in the rose garden for November. 

This is a time of transition for the weather and daylight.  Remember that the new watering schedule started November 1^st.  Your yard can only be watered once a week.  Make sure to water your roses (and yard) in cycles (anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes at a time, depending on the plantings, soil, etc., in your yard).  That way, water can be absorbed easier and stay in the ground where it belongs (not running down the street). 

You can fertilize on the 1st and again on the 15^th of November.  That is it for fertilizing your roses until early spring of next year.  So, sit back and enjoy your fall bloom.  There should be beautiful blooms for Thanksgiving and up until Christmas or the first of the year, depending on the weather.  Check for any unwanted bugs or fungal diseases and treat accordingly.  Rose Pests

As I mentioned last month, the new rose catalogs are out as well as the new roses.  Now is the time to order what you want to put in your garden next year.  I have had a sneak peek at what is coming out not only in 2024, but a few years beyond that.  There are some fantastic new roses that will soon be available.  One of the webinars I attended (yes, I have to have continuing education to keep my American Rose Society Consulting Rosarian status), was a wonderful webinar on Star roses.  Star roses grow many of their varieties here in the central valley.  It was interesting to see how they grow and package them for market.  If you are interested, you can also watch this video on the American Rose Society’s website.  ARS webinars.  The latest trend in roses is fragrance (yes, it is finally back!).  Colors are trending towards creams, neutrals, apricots and oranges.  High petal-count and being able to cut your garden rose flowers and have a long vase life indoors, is also something the breeders are working on. 

There will be a new market variety of roses called Scentables.  These have been bred for cut flowers for the home (not a florist shop).  They are highly scented and have great disease resistance.  The blooms and buds are large and are reblooming.  The Sunbelt varieties of these roses have been bred to withstand full sun and heat.  They should do well in Fresno. 

I am including a picture of one of my favorite roses, Munstead Wood.  It is very difficult for my phone camera to capture the beautiful dark red color of this rose.  He is gorgeous! 

It looks like the high temps we had in August might be done for a bit.  I don’t want to say that out loud and jinx it!  Weather forecast shows “normal” temperatures in the low 90’s and cooling off at night to the high 60’s.  Good news for us and for our roses. 

If your roses are on drip, run your system in the early morning or evening (on the days we can water) to give your roses a chance to thoroughly hydrate.  Check your irrigation system to see that it is operating correctly and none of the emitters are clogged.  If an emitter is delivering more or less water than the others on the line, change it out for a new one.  That one emitter can affect the whole system.  Replace it when there is a problem. 

If you grow roses in pots, make sure that they are getting enough water.  If the soil has pulled away from the pot, water can run through the pot but not hydrate your plant.  Make sure your potting soil allows water to get to the plant.  You should re-pot your roses every couple of years.  The longer the soil is in a pot, the less porous it becomes in the root zone.  New soil would be in order.  Don’t do this now.  Wait and put this on your spring chore list when your rose is dormant. 

I would still wait until the middle of September to do your mid-season pruning.  This is a light pruning, not the one you do in the spring.  Prune each cane back to an outward facing bud at the base of the first five leaflets.  Make sure you sanitize your pruners after lightly pruning each bush, so you don’t spread diseases.  I use an alcohol wipe on my blades.  A bleach wipe will eventually corrode your blades, so don’t use them.  Make sure your blades are also sharp and don’t forget to wear gloves.  In about 6—8 weeks, you should have beautiful blooms on your plants. 

Fertilize your roses mid-month with a nice organic fertilizer.  Use one made for roses or use a good seaweed or fish emulsion.  Spray the leaves with seaweed or fish emulsion and they will love it!  Do not do this during the hottest part of the day.  Try for very early morning or near the end of the day.  Just a tip.  The fish emulsion does smell fishy for a couple of days and the seaweed doesn’t smell like fish.  So, if you have a lot of neighborhood cats, you might want to go with the seaweed.  Follow instructions on the amount to use.  More is not better!  Also, water the day before you fertilize.  Never fertilize a dry or stressed plant. 

Now is the time to also check for those pesky spider mites.  Spider Mites They love this kind of weather.   Make sure you check the undersides of the leaves where they love to hide.  You can use insecticidal soap on them.  It is still too hot to use horticultural oil.  You will burn your plants. 

Just thought I would leave you with a picture of my garden display of some of my favorite roses in bloom.

Enjoy September! 

What to do in the Rose Garden in August

Well, when Mother Nature turns up the thermostat, she does it in style.  Yikes!  We are really feeling the heat, especially since we had such a lovely long spring.  Right now, your roses are just trying to survive the heat during the day and the warm temps at night.  Not cooling off at night stresses your roses.  The stress from summer heat affects every variety differently.  Some go through without too much trouble, and some have their leaves burn.  The flowers are usually smaller.  The colors fade quickly, and petals and foliage may crisp and burn.  All of these are symptoms of the heat.  They also help me to decide if I want to keep a particular rose or not.  Am I willing to have my roses stressed during the summer or choose varieties that do well in the heat?  These are questions we can all ask ourselves.  There will probably be some varieties that I have that I will not have come fall.  Others may take their place or not.  Most of all, don’t blame yourself if a particular rose doesn’t do well or dies.  Blaming yourself won’t bring it back to life.  The purpose of this discussion is to emphasize what we can do to keep our roses alive during the summer. 

If you haven’t placed compost or mulch around your roses, it is never too late to do so.  Maintain at least three inches of mulch around the drip-line of your roses.  Compost helps to moderate soil temperatures and will break down slowly, offering some important organic nutrients for your roses.  Both will keep the soil moisture evaporation rate down and (added benefit), control weeds. 

I still would not fertilize now.  It is too hot to stress out the roses to pump out blooms.  I would wait until the end of the month to fertilize.  It is easy to over fertilize, and more is not better for your rose!

Check your drip and sprinklers to make sure your roses are getting adequate water.  Water on the days and times allowed by your water district.  Roses in the afternoon may show some light stress and wilting.  If it is heavy wilting, additional water may be necessary.  If that wilting is still there in the morning, then an additional time and frequency of water is necessary.  Check the moisture level around your roses about 24 hours after watering.  If the soil is dry, increase the time you have been watering, or add another cycle.  When the temps are over 105 F and nighttime temps are hovering between 80 F plus, then on the days you are allowed to water, you can set a cycle for the evening to help cool the soil at night.  The cooled soil and light moisture will help roses to recover during the night from the hot daytime temps. 

Any pests and mites that appear on your rose leaves can be helped by giving your roses a good blast from the hose.  Make sure you get both the topside and the bottom of the leaves.  This also helps to remove dust from the leaves which seems to be plentiful where I live. 

If you see your leaves having a cut-out lacy effect, that is the work of our solitary, native, non-stinging, leaf cutter bees.  They are using your rose leaves to help line their nests.  I just love those bees and the beautiful and perfect half circles they make on my leaves.  They are very welcome in my yard.  These are beneficial insects and insecticides are not effective on them.  Enjoy the beautiful patterns that they create. 

On the other hand, I have seen more grasshoppers, katydids, and locusts in my garden then ever before.  I just ran into a Carolina Locust this morning.  A baby bird grasshopper yesterday.  I show them no mercy as they will indiscriminately eat anything and everything.  I usually squish them or cut them with my pruners.  Ewww, I know, but they have been a real problem for our farmers in the past few years. 

While taking care of your roses, remember to take care of yourself.  Please wear sunscreen, a hat, and gloves to protect yourself when working outside with your roses.  No sandals (they won’t protect your toes from dropped pruners) and wear long pants.  They will help to protect against bugs and thorns.  Mosquitoes have been plentiful as well and I use a natural, organic repellent when I am outdoors working in my yard.  Tests have shown that Lemon Eucalyptus oil (30%) keeps those little bugs away.  I also work very early in the morning before the temps get too hot.  Drink plenty of water before, during and after you work in the garden. 

Meaning of the Colors of Roses

People have attached meanings to certain flowers/plants since ancient times.  Victorians used to carry floral dictionaries to describe the meanings.  It is interesting to note that the dictionaries didn’t always agree with each other!  The rose was considered then (and now) to be the flower of love.  Pink roses often conveyed coyness and secret love.  White symbolized innocence and purity.  Red and white roses symbolize unity.  Variegated pink roses conveyed grace, joy, and thankfulness.  Yellow roses often had many meanings.  They could symbolize joy, jealousy, infidelity, or friendship.  Orange roses meant desire and enthusiasm.  Lavender were sentiments of love at first sight.  Dark crimson were symbols of mourning and grief. 

The sweetest flower that blows,

I give you as we part. 

For you it is a Rose,

For me it is my heart.—Frederick Peterson

What to do in the Rose Garden for July

Well, the heat is on!  What a wonderful June we had.  It is officially over, unfortunately.  We are under an excessive heat watch for the first few days of July, according to the National Weather Service.  So please prepare yourself and your garden for what lies ahead. 

1. Stay hydrated.  Drink water, especially if outdoors.  Water your garden early in the day (on the days you can water), before 8 am to cut down on evaporation.  Make sure your roses are watered on all sides. 
2. Cycle and soak. The water in your garden needs a chance to soak into the soil.  Run your sprinklers or drip for a short period of time and then repeat it after an hour or two.  The water from the second cycle will reach deeper than the first and soak down into the soil, rather than run off into the gutters if you only watered for one long cycle. 
3. Mulch! I know I constantly go over this.  Have at least 3 inches of organic mulch around the drip-line of your roses (and other plants).  This will keep the water in the soil instead of evaporating and keep the rose’s roots cooler.  It will keep the weeds away as well. 
4. Shading your roses may help against sunburn and water loss. I have my roses under large patio umbrellas to shade them against the hot afternoon sun. 
5. Now is not the time to fertilize. Wait until the temps (overall) are cooler.  Your plants are stressed and trying to survive. 
6. If you have dead or diseased leaves under your roses, pick them up and put them in the green bin and not your compost pile. Your compost pile probably won’t be hot enough to destroy any fungal diseases. 
7. Check for pests. The “spidy” or spider mites just love this kind of weather.  Spider Mites  They are very tiny and make webbing on the underside of your leaves.  The tops of your leaves may look speckled or discolored.  If you find them, the best thing to do is to blast them with a good strong spray of water.  Make sure you get the underside of the leaves. 
8. Do not apply any pesticides (including soap) when the temps are over 90 F or when it is windy. Do not use any horticultural oils during this heat wave.  It will literally fry your leaves. 
9. Remember to check any roses you have growing in containers. They can dry out quickly.  You may need to water them in the morning and again in the evening. 
10. Try to walk in your garden early in the morning when it is cool. Doing this can reduce your stress and help you to save any plants that are experiencing stress because of the heat.  In England, MD’s can prescribe gardening to reduce stress!  Scientists have found that spending two hours a week in nature can lead to better health and well-being. 

If you love David Austin roses and want one that can really take the heat of our summers, it is worth it to find the discontinued rose called Pretty Jessica.  She is gorgeous, smells divine and does great in our climate.  I got mine through a mail order nursery.  She is worth checking out.  One of my favorites!  Check out Help Me Find Roses for nurseries that carry her. Help Me Find Roses

“The rose is fairest when it is budding new, and hope is brightest when it dawns from fears.” – Sir Walter Scott

Welcome to Rosie’s Corner!

I can’t believe that it is June already.  The weather is about to turn much hotter and if weather forecasters are to be believed, we are in for a strong El Nino in the late summer/early fall.  Until then, continue to watch for garden pests (see last month’s article), dead head spent blooms and water appropriately. 

All of my roses are on a drip system.  Most mature, full-sized roses will need about 12 gallons of water per week, once the temps hit around 100 F.  A rose can stay alive on less but may suffer some damage.  Mini roses will need much less water per week.  Watering with a drip system ensures that the water will go down to the roots of the plant and not be sprayed into the atmosphere.  If you already have a drip system, make sure you check your emitters are working correctly.  Repair any leaks or clogs. 

How do you figure out how long to run your drip system for roses?  It just takes a bit of simple math.  If you have four one-gallon emitters on a mature rose bush, each emitter will deliver one gallon of water per hour.  That is four gallons of water on that one bush, for that hour.  To have your mature rose get about 12 gallons, run your system for one hour three times a week.  Three times a week is the maximum we can water in Fresno.  I further break up that one hour to three 20-minute segments.  That way, the water has time to get down to the bottom of the roots and be absorbed. 

You always hear me talk about mulch.  Have a good three to four inches of mulch on your garden.  Don’t use the rubber or dyed stuff.  You want to have the mulch eventually break down and feed your soil.  The mulch will keep the roots cooler and it will help keep the moisture in the soil.  If you grow grafted roses, do not cover up the bud union with mulch.  Keep it about 12 inches or so away from the bud union.  Keep your foliage also pruned at least eight inches above the mulch layer to reduce infestations from pests like spider mites. 

Stop feeding your roses by the middle to end of June.  Your roses will go dormant during the summer.  That is OK.  If this summer is anything like last summer, they are just trying to survive.  You can start to feed them again in September for a nice fall/winter bloom. 

Lady Bird Beetles

Lady Bird Beetles are great for eating aphids on your roses and other plants.  How about purchasing them at the local hardware store or on-line?  I can sum it up in two words—Please don’t.  Lady Bird Beetles are gathered from the wild (in our Sierra mountains).  People think they are bred at some “nursery” for bugs.  They are not.  They are vacuumed up from plants, etc., in our local foothills and mountains.  There have been times when those gathering the beetles, may have an offroad vehicle that has damaged our local flora and fauna as they gather them.  All the more reason not to purchase them. 

Plus, lady bird beetles that you purchase will rarely stick around.  Better to plant native plants that they like in order to attract them to your yard.  One plant they love is yarrow.  Each year, I have tons of lady bird beetles (and their babies) in my yard and have never purchased them.  I plant the plants that they like and they show up.  Better yet, they stay, if I continue to have a food source for them such as aphids.  Here is a great article on this topic.  Oregon State article on attracting Lady Bird Beetles. 

Pictures of My Roses From This Spring

I have been promising you this for a couple of months.  Here you go!  Blooms were glorious!  I probably have roses you may not have heard of.  You can always find them on Help Me Find Roses Help Me Find Roses if you want more information. 

The first striped rose is bred by a super nice breeder, Junie Burns up in Oregon.  This is my first year with this rose and it looks like it is going to be a winner.  Those blooms are gorgeous!  She and I talked about this rose before it became commercially available.  I have been waiting for it for years!  Isn’t it gorgeous? 

The second rose is also from a super nice breeder, Gail Trimble.  She is up in the Marin area.  She knew I wanted this rose and on her way down to visit a nursery where the rose was going to be sold, she dropped one off at my home!  I still can’t believe she did that!  The visit was lovely and so is the rose.  This rose glows!  I have never seen anything like it before.  Great rose.  Please excuse the shade on the flowers, I had to take the photos very early in the morning. 

Another picture of this beautiful, glowing rose, Violet Hour.  Excuse the aphids on the buds.  The lady bird beetles were making this way to the rose for breakfast!

The following picture is of Minnie Mouse (aka Roller Coaster).  Bred by Sam McGredy IV in Australia.  Minnie is a great rose.  Her blooms remind me of Minnie Mouse’s dress.  Single roses allow pollinators to come in and get the nectar and the pollen.  Mine are always being visited by native and honeybees.  Our native Leaf cutter bees even use the leaves for nesting materials.  When they do, they leave the most perfect lacy cut outs on the leaves.  I just love them! 

This rose does get about eight hours of sun per day.  I don’t recommend planting roses in shady spots.  I took this picture very early in the morning just as the sun was coming up. 

Last rose I am going to share is one that I grew from seed.  Yes, you can grow roses from the seeds, that are in the hips that your roses can make.  This rose looks like it might turn out to be interesting.  It is a mini rose but with a dark pink “eye” and what appears to be a faint white star pointing out from the center of the petals. 

I will be watching it in the future to see how it develops further.

…”In a world full of daisies dare to be a rose.” Matshona Dhliwayo

What to do in the Garden in May

Timing is Everything!

Due to our rather unusual winter, my roses (and the rest of my garden) is blooming later by about three weeks.  Normally, the second and third week in April, my garden is a mass of spring blooms (roses included).  Not this year!  I was so enjoying the long spring season after the long and cold winter season, only to have summer jump upon us in the form of hot weather.  OK, just a couple of days, not such a big deal.  Back to cool spring.  Well, unfortunately, that didn’t last.  Back to heat wave at the end of April.  Roses that were just starting to bloom (finally!) are blown in a day (or less) with over 90 F heat.  So, what is a rosarian to do?  Deadhead.  I am not talking about Jerry Garcia fans or Jerry himself.

Deadheading

If those beautiful blooms are spent, it is time to start deadheading, so your next flush of blooms can flourish.  It takes an average of 49 days for most roses to rebloom.  Roses with many petals, may take up to 60 days for rebloom.   

Lightly prune back your spent rose blooms to the first outward facing five-leaflet leaf.  Don’t shorten the canes too much.  Try to shape your rose bush to outward facing buds.  See Rosie’s Corner on pruning for more information.  Make sure you put all your vegetation into your green waste bins. 

Compost and Mulch

If you have not already put down compost and mulch, you still can do this.  Maintain a good 3-inch layer of compost and mulch around your roses.  These will help moderate soil temperature during our extremely hot summers, control weeds and help to keep the soil moist.  The compost will break down during the summer and enrich your soil which will help your roses to survive.    

Fertilizer

Water roses before you fertilize so they are hydrated, prior to and after applying, either a liquid or dry fertilizer.  Use fertilizer at ¼ to ½ the recommended rate if the weather continues to be warm.  When and if we stay over 100 F, (June, July and August) wait until the fall to fertilize.  You can resume the normal or recommended rates when the temperatures cool down in late September/October for your fall bloom.  Don’t over fertilize.  It doesn’t help the plant.  More is not necessarily better. 

Water

Make sure your roses are getting adequate water.  Don’t waste water by over watering.  Your roses will not appreciate it.  If you use sprinklers make sure that you are not watering the sidewalks and driveways. Also, I am hearing that because we had a good amount of rain and snow this year, we don’t need to worry about water.  Not true!  We still need to conserve.  So, water carefully and don’t waste it. 

Insects and Diseases

If you had powdery mildew in the early spring, it should start disappearing as we get to hotter temperatures. 

With the temps over 80 F, it is spider mite season.  Check your roses at least daily, (if you can) to make sure you catch any spider mite infestation.  Spider Mites  Spider mites can eventually kill your roses if you don’t get them under control.  Insecticides won’t work for this.  Best thing to use is a strong spray of water to wash them off the tops and undersides of your leaves every couple of days. 

Now is the time that you will be seeing any thrip damage on your rose buds/flowers.  Thrips. 

Also check for white flies on the underside of the leaves of your roses as well as aphids.   White Flies and  Aphids.  Aphids seem to be the biggest pest for me right now.  How do I deal with that? I hit them with a blast from the hose on my days I can water.  I also plant lots and lots of California native plants that attract ladybird beetles.  I have tons of ladybird beetles in my yard and their babies.  They LOVE aphids.  Great way to get rid of aphids without using chemicals that can hurt our other pollinators such as bees.  So, plant some yarrow, etc., in your garden to attract ladybird beetles.  BTW, I don’t recommend buying ladybird beetles in your local store.  Those won’t stick around in your yard.  You know that old saying, Ladybug, Ladybug fly away home?  They will.  Better to increase the ladybugs (or ladybird beetles as my teacher taught us to say), by planting California native plants. 

I have also seen Rose curculio damage to my rose buds.  Rose curculios.  Best course is to cut off and dispose of the damaged buds.  Also applying beneficial nematodes (which you can get online or sometimes in your local hardware store), can help prevent future outbreaks.  It has been a couple of years since I put down nematodes and I will do so again this year.  I won’t use a systemic insecticide in my yard as it can affect pollinators, so beneficial nematodes are it.  This will become a fall chore as it will be more effective then.  I will just hand pick them for now and destroy any buds they have eaten.  They should be gone by July or so. 

The biggest problem in the garden starting right now is the dreaded Hoplia Beetle.   Hoplia Beetle  I have been out in my garden at least once a day, squishing those horrible things (I wear gloves for this).  Ugh!  Spraying for them will not help.  They too will be gone in a couple of months, but until then, I am a woman on a mission to get rid of those horrible pests. 

Take Care of Yourself!

Remember to wear sun protection while gardening including a broad brimmed hat.  Gloves are helpful when working with roses and squishing Hoplia beetles.  Stay hydrated.  Drink water before, during and after working in the yard.  Work in the early morning if possible and not during the heat of the day or when the sun is directly overhead.  Wear clothing that will protect your arms and legs.  Mosquitoes love me this time of year so protecting my arms and legs is important.  Wear closed-in shoes.  Sandals do not protect your toesies from dropped pruners and thorny canes!  Make sure your tetanus shot is current.  There are some nasty things in the soil that can make you quite ill.  Most of all, enjoy your beautiful roses! 

Until Next Time… Take time to smell the roses. Appreciating the little things in life really can make all the difference.~ Andy Puddicombe

What To Do In The Rose Garden For April

With all the rain we have been having, it is time to watch out for fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, downy mildew, black spot and rust.  powdery mildew  rusts  downy mildew  black spot.  You can spray with a dormant horticultural oil if the high temperature for the day is going to be below 75 F.  If the temperature is hotter, the oil can burn your plants.  Spray after all pollinators have gone to bed.  The dormant oil can harm them. dormant oil.  Spray only if you spot a fungal disease.  Don’t spray, just to spray. 

Use proper protection if you are going to spray and follow directions on the bottle.  Dispose of any empty bottles appropriately.  Clean all leaf debris from around your rose bush to eliminate fungal spores. 

If you have botrytis, botrytis remove the blooms and discard them.  Same if you see signs of thrips.  thrips.

It is time to get ready for the Hoplia beetles to invade your light-colored roses. Hoplia Beetles. Knock on wood, I haven’t seen them yet.  I am hoping we don’t have as many because of the cold and rain, but it is anyone’s guess.  Get a bucket of soapy water and shake them off into the water.  Do this daily.  It is even better if you do this in the morning and again in the evening.  They are horrible pests that love to destroy your blooms, especially light-colored roses.  Sprays are not effective against them.  This is their mating season so the more you are able to eliminate them, it will hopefully help to reduce the population.  Make sure your neighbors do the same.  Might be a fun task for the kids—who can collect the most!

Check to see if you have aphids.  aphids  You can squish them to help eliminate them and/or blast them with the hose, but other beneficial bugs love them as a tasty meal.  Ladybird Beetles, Lacewings, Praying Mantis, etc., love to eat those little buggers.  I plant lots of California native plants near my roses to encourage Lady Bird Beetles, (and other beneficial insects) to make their homes (and babies) there.  No need to buy beneficial bugs at the store.  It is much better to encourage them to come and live in your garden. 

Plant native plants that beneficial insects will love, e.g., yarrow (Achillea milleforium) common yarrow, narrow leaf milkweed (which will attract Monarch Butterflies as well—plant only the native milkweed please!) Asclepias fascicularis, Narrow Leaf Milkweed, asters (Aster chilensis), California Aster  California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) California Buckwheat, salvias, etc.  Your roses and the beneficial insects will thank you for it!  Here is a great poster of the beneficial insects you want in your yard.  UCANR Beneficial Insect Posters

Deadhead any spent blooms on your roses.  If you fed your roses in the middle of March, you can feed them again towards the end of April for great blooms in June.  Also make sure you have a good layer of mulch and compost around the dripline or the edge of your rose bushes.  That will help to reduce weeds and prepare your roses for the upcoming heat in the next few months. 

The most important thing is to enjoy your beautiful blooms!    

Do not watch the petals fall from the rose with sadness, know that, like life, things sometimes must fade, before they can bloom again"- Unknown

Welcome to March! 

Can you believe the weather we are having this year?  Wow!  We are still having freeze warnings and my roses have started to come out of dormancy.  I have been watching them to see if there is any freeze damage on the new growth.  So far, so good.  However, since we still have a freeze warning this week, I will continue to observe and hope for the best. 

When we had a break in the weather, I took some time and checked my irrigation system to make sure it was working correctly.  Now is the time to do the same in your garden.    

I like using drip as I don’t have water spraying on my rose leaves which can cause fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew and rust.  Drip irrigation directs the water to the roots of the plant, not the leaves or canes.  You want to avoid having moisture evaporating or collecting on the leaves of your roses. During the cooler months of the year, this can lead to fungal diseases.  During the warmer months, this can lead to sunburn. 

If you have sprinklers, avoid watering in the evening or at night.  This will prevent excessive ground moisture at night.  Soil that is too wet can lead to unhappy roots and/or fungal diseases.  Avoid watering when it is windy, so the water doesn’t evaporate into the air instead of watering your roses. 

If you are thinking you might want to use a fungicide to prevent fungal diseases from happening, I would encourage to wait and see if they actually develop.  Don’t spray your roses, just to spray your roses.  Only do it if you see fungal diseases or pests that can’t be managed by any other means. 

If you believe you must spray, don’t spray on a windy day.  Don’t spray during the late morning, afternoon or evening hours.  Don’t spray when bees are out (even organic sprays).  Don’t spray when it is over 75 F as it can burn your plants.  Don’t spray on a rainy day or if it is going to rain the next day.  Don’t spray if your pets (or your neighbor’s pets) are in the yard.  Don’t spray if your children/grandchildren/neighbors are in the yard.  I cannot stress enough that spraying is serious.  You must take precautions. 

If you choose to spray, you can use a lime sulfur spray or a horticultural oil mixed with a dormant spray for fungal diseases.  You need to wear an appropriate face mask (N95), gloves, closed toe shoes (no sandals or slippers), and disposable coveralls or a safety suit.  Yes, anytime you spray your roses for insects or diseases, it is serious business.  You can hurt yourself or others if you don’t.  That includes organic sprays as well, such as neem oil, BT, etc.   Just because something is labeled organic, doesn’t mean it can’t hurt you, your neighbors, pets, birds, bees, etc.  Shower, including washing your hair, after spraying.  Make sure you also wash your clothing. 

Those chemicals (yes, even organic ones) need to be stored appropriately.  Don’t mix chemicals because you think that it will be better for the plants.  Follow directions on the label.  Leftover sprays and their containers need to be disposed of, appropriately.  If all of this sounds like a lot of work, it is. 

I practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM).  I rarely, if ever, spray for anything, be it diseases or insects.  I will tolerate a fair amount of “damage” to my roses from diseases and insects.  I hand pick off the insects (yes, I still have a bit of an eeeuuuwwww response, but I get over it—use gloves!).    I can also spray bugs such as aphids and spider mites, with water (good strong blast) and that will remove them, without the chemicals.  Make sure you spray the underside of the leaves.  Repeated application of chemicals on insects can cause resistance to the product.  A strong spray of water every couple of days works fine and you don’t hurt the plant nor the environment.    

I remove leaves that have powdery mildew, rust, etc., if I get it.  New ones will grow in.  Mostly, I don’t get fungal diseases.  That is because I try to choose disease resistant varieties for my yard (and we generally have low humidity).  I also practice shovel pruning.  If the rose is a disease-ridden mess, out it goes.  I grow roses for my own enjoyment and their beauty.  I don’t have time to baby them.  Some roses do better than others in our climate.  I want the ones that do well in my yard. 

I clean up debris from my roses and place it in the green bin.  It does not go in my compost pile.  I also keep a good 3—4 inches of organic mulch around my roses to stop weeds in their tracks and keep my rose roots cool in summer and warm in winter.  It also helps to keep my soil moist so I can water less.  The mulch will eventually break down and help improve the soil in my yard.  The soil in my yard left something to be desired when I first moved here.  After several years, it has greatly improved due to using compost and mulch (not rubber mulch!) that eventually breaks down and improves my soil. 

I attract the “good bugs” such as lady bird beetles, lacewings, etc., by planting pollinator plants in my garden.  Flowering native plants such as Yarrow (Achillea), California buckwheats (Eriogonum), Seaside daisy (Erigeron), Sticky monkey-flowers (Mimulus), Tidy tips (Layia platyglossa), etc., attract the “good bugs” that will eat the “bad bugs.”  Native plants are great choices, are beautiful and they are drought tolerant.  These plants also attract birds to my yard.  They too will eat the “bad bugs” and they are quite amusing to watch. 

If you have the space for new roses, there is still time to purchase them and get them into the ground or a large pot.  I like ordering roses on-line from several different sources.  I find a greater variety on-line and end up with terrific plants.  Also, the people who work at these nurseries tend to know the plants they sell and can make useful recommendations about what will or won’t work in my garden. 

If the new growth on your roses is about 2—3 inches long, you can start fertilizing.  I recommend a good organic rose fertilizer.  It will contain micro elements that will help to improve your soil and your plant.  Synthetic fertilizers do not.  As I have written before, your plant doesn’t care what you buy, organic or inorganic.  However, organic fertilizers won’t burn your plants, add salts to your soil, (synthetic fertilizers are made of various salts—not the kind of salt you eat).  Organic fertilizer will help to build your soil over time.  As your soil improves, you will be able to use less fertilizer but have the same result. 

Again, test your soil before you fertilize.  Don’t fertilize, just to fertilize.  You are wasting your hard-earned money.  More is not better!    I have had great results with just compost and a good layer of organic mulch (again as opposed to rubber mulch). 

Next month…we should be seeing some beautiful spring blooms!  If you can, take some time to enjoy all the new and beautiful spring growth in your yard. 

Until next time….”Friends are the roses of life…pick them carefully and avoid the thorns!”  Unknown

Welcome to Rosie's Corner! 

This year it seems like we are having an actual winter!  The rain and the cold weather is continuing into the early part of February.  Now is the time to prune your roses.  If you can, try to get them pruned by the middle of the month.  It is best to prune when the temps are not freezing, so that gives you a little bit more time to get the job done.  Even if you finish it by the end of the month, that is OK.  Everything will be fine.  Any freezing weather could damage any new growth on the rose canes and you would have to prune everything all over again.  So, try to wait until the temps at night are not close to freezing.    

I am starting to see new buds forming on the canes of my roses.  So, when I get a chance to go outside, I take it and prune another bush or two.  As you cut the canes and remove all the remaining leaves on the bush including any leaves on the ground and dispose of them in the green bin.  Don’t compost them.  Your compost pile probably won’t be hot enough to kill any diseases. 

As I have stated before, prepare yourself to prune safely.  I wear glasses, gloves (not cloth or rubber ones), long sleeves and depending on the rose, welder sleeves or long rose gloves.  I make sure my bypass pruners are sharp, oiled, and ready to go.  Clean the pruner blades with alcohol wipes between roses so you don’t spread diseases.  For some roses with older canes, I use either a pruning knife or loppers to remove them if the canes are too thick for my pruners. 

For rose bushes that are large, I start my pruning by trimming them down to about three feet.  Then I start the actual pruning.  When pruning, make sure the cane’s pith is white and not dark.  The pith is the center part of the cane.  It should look like the inside of an apple.  If it is dark, keep cutting the cane back until the pith is white.  You may have to cut the cane all the way back to the soil or graft.  That is OK.  Those dark centers indicate that the cane is in decline or diseased.  Removing it should spur new growth for your rose. 

You are going to prune your canes to an outward facing bud.  What is an outward facing bud?  Buds are formed in the “axil” where the leaf meets the cane.  If you look closely, you will see a little bump there, underneath the leaf.  Prune about ¼ inch above that bud.  Prune to an outside facing bud (not one facing the inside of the bush).  That bud will produce a flowering cane. 

For shrub roses, hybrid teas, own root roses, etc., cut them back to conform to the space you want them to fill.  Clean out any dead material from the center of the plant.  Shorten canes by about 1/3 to ½ of their current size.  Remove all of the leaves from the canes.  You can leave anywhere from 5—7 (or so) canes on the bush.  You want the remaining canes to be about the size of a #2 pencil.  Cut out old and scarred canes.  Cut out spindly canes.  Cut out one or both canes that are crossing each other.  Those canes can rub against each other, and disease can then infect both canes.  The center of the plant should not be crowded with canes but open and airy.  Again, dispose of the leaves and debris in the green bin.    

Climbers and rambling roses are pruned differently.  Start to prune those only after you have had them for a couple of years.  This allows them time to form nice arching canes.  These are called the main canes.  Keep about 4—6 of those nice arching main canes and prune any old, crossing, diseased canes from the bush.  Those arching canes will have lateral canes that come out from them.  Cut those lateral canes to about 3—5 axils (where the leaves come out).  Those lateral canes are the ones that will be producing the flowers in the spring. 

Climber and rambling rose canes should be tied to a structure such as an arbor as close to a 45-degree angle as you can get, without breaking the cane.  That angle will stimulate lateral growth and blooms.  Tie them loosely.  You don’t want the tie to girdle the cane.  Clean up around your rose.  Make sure you have removed all of the leaves and dispose of them properly. 

Rambling roses are climbing roses that bloom only once in the spring.  Prune them lightly after they have finished blooming in the spring/early summer.  If you prune them later, you will be pruning off next year’s flowers. 

You can also apply a dormant spray to the plant as well, if you wish.  Many of us rose gardeners have no spray gardens and our roses do just fine.  Spray only when it is not windy and not going to rain.  The weather should be below 80 F for the day.  Spray in the early morning when bees and other pollinators are not out.  Make sure you suit up if using fungicides or pesticides.  Yes, even the organic ones!   They are still chemicals that can hurt you.  Follow the instructions on the label.  Do not mix chemicals.  Make sure they are stored properly. 

When your roses start to put out new growth and that growth is about 2 inches long, it is time to fertilize.  I use a good organic rose fertilizer, or alfalfa meal and compost.  Sometimes our alkaline soil doesn’t allow the rose bush to utilize the iron in the soil.  This causes the rose leaves to look whitish instead of green.  That means that your rose needs extra iron.  There are lots of good iron plant supplements (not the kind you take!) in the marketplace.  You may need to feed that iron supplement to the rose, if the leaves are a light whitish green.  Check your soil with a good soil test to see if this is necessary.  Don’t add fertilizer and supplements, just to add them.  More is NOT better for the rose, and it can be bad for the environment as well.  Just use what your rose needs. 

I also mulch around my roses.  Put a good 3-inch layer of mulch around the dripline of the rose and not next to the canes of the roses.  That will help to save water and keep your roses cooler in the summer.  You will also have to weed less!  A bonus point!  That mulch will eventually break down and enrich your soil.  Another bonus!  Assess the irrigation system to make sure it is in good working order.  In about 8—10 weeks you will be rewarded with beautiful blooms. 

Now is the time to plant new roses.  The American Rose Society has posted new roses in production for 2023.  If you want to take a look you can see them on their website.    2023 rose introductions

“As delicate as flower, as tender as rose petals, choosing to be tender and kind in a harsh environment is not weakness, it's courage.”
Luffina Lourduraj

What to do in the Rose Garden in January

Happy New Year!  We are coming up to the new lunar year (January 22^nd) of the rabbit!  According to Chinese legend, the Rabbit’s quiet personality hides their confidence and strength.  They are steadily moving towards their goal, no matter what negativity the others give them.  Ah, such are our roses.  They are moving towards their first bloom in a few months.

Your roses are pretty much dormant.  Again, allow your roses to make any hips they please.  Don’t deadhead or prune this month.  Do NOT fertilize your roses.  You won’t need to fertilize your roses until the spring, and then only after a couple of inches of new growth emerges.  This will be after you have pruned them at the beginning of Feb. (a little bit later for those of you in the mountains).   Again, resist the urge to prune your roses now.  Pruning will prevent dormancy and it will signal the plant to send out new tender shoots.  Those shoots will get killed by the next hard frost we might have.  Much better to wait to prune until the beginning of February. 

Speaking of pruning, now is the time to get your tools ready.  Those tools include a good pair of bypass hand pruners that fit comfortably in your hand.  Bypass pruners are those that have a sharp curved cutting blade.  That blade is the one that cuts through the cane.  They also have a dull curved non-cutting blade.  That dull blade holds the rose cane in place while you are making the cut.  The sharp blade bypasses or slides over the dull curved blade. 

Also have a good pair of sturdy loppers.  Check the size of the blades as they have a maximum diameter which they can cut efficiently.  Using pruners or loppers that are too small on a cane that is too big, can damage both the tool and the cane.  If you run into a large cane, use a good garden hand saw. 

Keep your tools clean.  Rubbing alcohol and cotton balls or rubbing alcohol wipes are ideal for cleaning the cutting blades, before, during and after the job.  This will prevent disease transmission from plant to plant and is helpful if you manage to cut yourself as well. 

Best way to prevent not cutting yourself?  Wear a good pair of gloves made from leather or goatskin.  I have a short pair that goes to my wrists and also a pair that has sleeves that go up to my elbows.  In addition, I also have a good pair of welding sleeves that go up to my arm pits.  Those are great for pruning long canes and climbers. 

Wearing gloves will help to make sure you don’t get Sporotrichosi.  Sporotrichosi is a fungal infection of the skin caused by the fungus Sporothrix schenckii, which is found on decaying vegetation, rosebushes, twigs, hay, sphagnum moss and mulch-rich soil. Because of its tendency to present after a thorn injury, it is also called rose gardener disease.  I have had this disease from touching (with my bare hands) sphagnum moss.  I always use gloves now whenever I am in the garden.  This is not an easy disease to get rid of. 

However, the best tool for you to have in the garden is to make sure you are up to date with your tetanus shots.  Some gardeners I know have had roses puncture their skin and they developed a serious infection that required surgery.  It took many months for them to recover. 

Remember to clean your pruners with an alcohol wipe between each rose bush.  That way, you won’t spread any diseases between bushes.  Don’t use wipes that contain bleach as that can ruin the blades of your pruners and loppers.

Before you start to prune, sharpen your blades.  You can do this with a small diamond file.  Try to match the original bevel of the blade.  You can also buy a sharpening instrument that will automatically do this for you.  While pruning, swipe the file over the blade every 100 cuts or so to keep it sharp.  If your pruners are crushing the stems, it is time to sharpen them.  Keep this rule in mind.  The sharp blade on your pruners/loppers should always face the part of the plant that will be left.  This will minimize the crushing of the cane or stem as that part will be discarded. 

It is also good to oil the moving parts of your blades.  Use a little light oil (such as 3-in-1 oil) on the screw that holds the blades together.  This will keep all of the moving parts of your blades in great working condition.

If you notice that the leaves from your roses have started falling on the ground, make sure you clean those up and throw them away in your green bin.  Don’t compost them, as your compost pile may not be hot enough to get rid of any diseases.  Keeping the area around your roses clean will help to keep any diseases at bay. 

There is still time to order or purchase any new roses you may be thinking of adding to your garden.  Enjoy looking at those catalogs!  I have a new mini rose that I bred that I will be showing you in the coming months (if it survives).  Also, there is a rose pruning class coming up at the end of the month.  You might want to check it out.    

Until Next Time…”There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson

What to do in the Rose Garden in December

OK, where did this year go?  Seems I was just complaining about heat a couple of days ago.  Now, I am talking about winter care for your roses.  Well, luckily, there is not too much to do in the rose garden this month.  Just water your roses according to the schedule that the city permits.  You can cut off any pretty blooms to enjoy inside your home as well. 

Your roses will start to go dormant as the days get shorter and cooler.  You can help promote dormancy by not deadheading or pruning this month.  If your rose makes “hips,” allow them to mature.  This will send hormonal signals to the plant that it is time to rest and start to conserve its energy for a nice spring bloom.  Do NOT fertilize your roses.  You won’t need to fertilize your roses until the spring, and then only after a couple of inches of new growth emerges.  This will be after you have pruned them in Jan/Feb.  Resist the urge to prune your roses now.  Pruning will prevent dormancy and it will signal the plant to send out new tender shoots.  Those shoots will get killed by the next hard frost we will have.  Much better to wait to prune until late January or the beginning of February.  

It is time to start thinking about getting any new roses you may want.  There are lots of rose breeders/growers’ websites that sell roses.  Also, there are Internet web sites selling antique roses.  People think, oh, an antique rose will only bloom once and that is it for the year.  So not true!  As always, it depends.  I look for antique roses that have repeat bloom so I can enjoy them more than just in the spring. 

Bare Root Roses

Now is the month that you will start to see the big box stores selling “bare root” roses.  They come in a type of plastic bag.  Somewhere on the bag, it will state what grade the rose is.  Only buy grade No. 1 roses.  Anything less, are typically culls and not worth your time, money and energy growing them. 

Since they are wrapped in plastic and if they start to grow, there is no way to get water to those roots.  So, once you get them home, fill up a 5-gallon bucket with water and put it in a cool, dark place.  Carefully cut open the bag (don’t injure those precious roots or yourself!), and remove the shredded newspaper or whatever they have wrapped the roots in.  Place just the roots in the bucket of water.  Make sure the water goes up to the bud union of the plant.  The bud union is where the canes grow out of. 

Leave the plant in the bucket of water for at least 24 hours so the plant can hydrate itself.  The next day, you can plant the rose in a 5-gallon nursery pot, making sure there are lots of holes in the bottom for good drainage.  Place the planted rose in a shaded area.  When you are planting the rose, make sure you spread out the roots so they are not all clumped in the middle.  If you see any broken roots, cut them off with sharp pruning shears.  Before cutting any roots, wipe off the blades of the shears with a hydrogen-peroxide or alcohol wipe (like the kind they use on you before you get a shot).  You want your shears to have a nice clean blade so you don’t spread any diseases on the roots of your plant. 

Don’t use soil from your yard to fill up the container.  Use a good draining potting mix for outdoor potted plants.  The bottom of the bud union on the rose should be about 2 inches from the top of the pot.  Don’t bury the bud union in the pot.  That will cause the root stock to grow instead of the rose you purchased, which is not what you want.  Make sure the potted rose is well watered. 

You can now place the potted rose in a spot that will get at least six hours of sun daily.  I place all of my potted roses on movable plant casters.  Use the good, heavy-duty ones that will hold up to 500 pounds.  They will last you for many, many years rather than one season.  You can find them in the big box stores or on-line.  Believe me they are worth it.  You will be surprised how many times that rose will end up moving, i.e., the spot doesn’t get the sunlight you thought it did, you have to wash your windows and the potted rose bush is in the way, it is right under the spot where all the water comes off your roof when it rains, etc.  Potted roses are extremely heavy!  Save your back!  Save your money and don’t buy cheap plant casters that will only last one season.  I have had my heavy duty ones for decades!

Make sure your plant is well watered until new growth starts.  Don’t fertilize your rose until it has its first flush of blooms (which should be a couple of months away).  You can leave your rose in this container until the following year or plant it in the ground in Feb/March.  If you choose to leave it in the 5-gallon container, you must plant it in a larger pot by next December.  Also, make sure that when the hot weather is back, (next late spring/summer) that the potted rose will continue to get morning sun and afternoon shade. 

Award Winning Roses for 2021

If you want to, check out the International Rose Trials award-winning roses for 2021.  They are posted on the American Rose Society website.  The top award went to the rose, Sweet Spirit, bred by the House of Meilland in France.  Allain Meilland has bred many great roses and it was lovely to see him get this award.  This rose is extremely disease resistant and scented!  International Award Winning Roses.  Check out the other roses that won awards.  It is nice to see some of the breeders whose roses I grow, win awards.  I have been following them on the internet or have attended their lectures (they are so nice!).  Lots of hours and hard work went into breeding those plants.  I am thrilled that their time and energy has produced such wonderful roses.

Until Next Time…Life is not always going to be roses and rainbows. You are going to have uncomfortable moments. It's what we do with those moments that is going to count and determine our destiny. Lana

What to do in the rose garden for November. 

This is a time of transition for the weather and daylight.  Remember that the new watering schedule started November 1^st.  Your yard can only be watered once a week.  Make sure to water your roses (and yard) in cycles (anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes at a time, depending on the plantings, soil, etc., in your yard).  That way, water can be absorbed easier and stay in the ground where it belongs (not running down the street). 

You can fertilize on the 1st and again on the 15^th of November.  That will be it for fertilizing until next year.  You can sit back and enjoy your roses.  There should be beautiful blooms for Thanksgiving and up until Christmas or the first of the year, depending on the weather.  Check for any unwanted bugs or fungal diseases and treat accordingly.  Rose Pests

Now is also the time that the new rose catalogs are out!  Enjoy the beautiful pictures and choose the new roses (or some old favorites) that will grace your garden in the new year.  Here is a picture of one of my favorite roses, Minnie Mouse (aka Roller Coaster).  She is a mini and the bees just love her.  She is a short climbing rose.

Do not be impatient with your seemingly slow progress. Do not try to run faster than you presently can. If you are studying, reflecting and trying, you are making progress whether you are aware of it or not. A traveler walking the road in the darkness of night is still going forward. Someday, some way, everything will break open, like the natural unfolding of a rosebud."

Vernon Howard

Well, we have finally made it through the worst of the summer and what a summer it was!  One for the record books and I hope we don’t repeat it anytime soon.  October is the transition month, from the heat of summer, to cooler temps, especially in the morning.  (Hallelujah!). 

What to do in the Rose Garden this Month

If you grow roses in pots and you notice the soil has dropped in the pots, add more potting mix to your planter/pots.  The soil level should be about two inches below the top of the pot. 

It is still important to water your roses on the days and times we can water.  This is the last month we can water three days a week.  Starting November 1^st, we are back to watering only one day a week.  I hope we get some needed rain soon.  On the days we can water, wash off the rose leaves (both top and bottom) to keep the dreaded spider mites away.  I have found that really helps to keep them out of your yard.  Last year, I lost a rose due to a spider mite infection that appeared practically overnight.  So, check your roses! 

Now is the time to lightly trim your roses.  Emphasis on light trim.  This is not the heavy pruning you do in January/February.  If you have dead canes that didn’t make it through the summer heat, cut those out.  Ideally, you want to trim your roses about 1/3 off the top of each plant.  Only do this if you have enough living leaves remaining on the canes. If you have little to no foliage on the plant, do not trim the plant at all.  I have two such plants that I will be looking at and monitoring to see if I need to pull them out in a month or so.  This summer was brutal!  Just leave those plants alone to see if they will make it through the next couple of months. 

Now is the time to start fertilizing again.  This should give you beautiful blooms for Thanksgiving and the holidays.  You can choose from the following: an 8-10-8 fertilizer, an organic rose food, fish emulsion and alfalfa meal.  I do not recommend the alfalfa pellets as they may contain salt which is a no-no for your plants.  At the beginning of this month, you can add the alfalfa meal around your plants.  Use about a cup for large, well-established roses and ½ a cup for large established minis.  You can also add the fertilizer or organic rose food at the beginning of this month.  From the middle of the month to the middle of November, you can fertilize every two weeks with the diluted fish emulsion, if you wish.  There can be too much of a good thing and I am watching the amount of fertilizers I use (even my organic ones) as too much is not good for the plant nor for the environment.   

I also add a nice layer of compost and top everything off with mulch to make sure I maintain that three inches around the drip line of each plant.  That mulch will keep the water down towards the plant where the roots need it and will help to regulate the soil temperature as well as keep weeds away.  Before you add mulch and compost, rake away any leaf drop and old petals that have built up around your roses.  I would not compost those old rose leaves as they may contain fungal diseases that may not get killed in the compost bin.  So put that debris in the green bin to be hauled away. 

Now is the time to check your irrigation system to make sure it is working properly.  You can start to cut back on the amount of time that you water as the sun is much lower in the hemisphere and days are getting shorter and cooler. 

Again, watch your roses for any signs of pests, spider mites, aphids, thrips, white fly, etc.  You can go to our UC ANR Integrated Pest Management (IPM) page for tips on how to deal with all of them.  UC IPM Roses. 

How to Make Rose Water

You can make Rose Water with your rose petals.  Take a half cup of fresh rose petals (make sure you have not sprayed any insecticide on them).  Add them to one cup of water.  Place them in a saucepan with a lid.  Cover the saucepan with the lid and bring the rose water to a boil.  Reduce the heat and let it simmer until the color of the petals has faded (about 10 minutes or so).  Leave the lid on and let the brew cool completely.  Strain the mixture with a cheesecloth.  Pour the cooled mixture into a spray bottle and this mixture (so refreshing on your skin) should last for about a month in the fridge. 

…”As delicate as flower, as tender as rose petals, choosing to be tender and kind in a harsh environment is not weakness, it’s courage.”  Luffina Lourduraj

What ‘s Going On in the Rose Garden This Month

Well, have you melted yet?  It has been hot (understatement).  I decided to do a bit of research on the topic of our weather.  I looked at the daily high temperatures from May through October for the years 2012-2022.  I only went through August 2022 for this year.  The temperatures were from the Fresno Airport Terminal Weather Station from the National Weather Service website.  I counted how many days were over 100 F.  We have normally averaged between 40—50 days over 100 F during those six months.  However, in 2021, we had 69 days over 100 F.  This year looks to be about the same.  That is a large increase.  Is it any wonder that my roses (and other plants) look fried? 

I have started covering my plants with large patio umbrellas, to keep the worst of the heat/sun off of them.  I am making sure they are well watered on the days that I can water.  I do check with a moisture meter/water probe to make sure the water is going to the roots of the rose. 

On those water days, I am washing them off with a blast of water (I use a water wand) from my hose.  I have been able to keep the spider mites and other bugs off of them.   I will continue to do this until we start to finally cool down into the high 80’s.  When the temps get down to that degree, I will feed them again with either fish emulsion, organic fertilizer and/or compost for a nice fall/early winter bloom.    

Make sure you have a good layer of mulch around your rose bushes.  It should be at least 3—4 inches deep and around the drip line of the bush.  That will help to keep moisture in and weeds down.    

I am keeping the dried dead leaves on the plants in an effort to protect the canes from further sunburn.  I have lost one rose due to the heat/sun.  Not sure if I will replace it at this time.  So, try to protect your roses as best you can from the ravages of the heat and sun.  Spray them on days you can water to keep off spider mites and other pests. 

Next summer I will try (as an experiment) covering my roses and other plants with 65% shade cloth and see how they do.  This is what rose growers in Tucson Arizona use, so I will give it a try.  The Tucson Rose Society members have had great success with this. 

Meanwhile, I attended a HeyGo Tour of the beautiful Belgium rose garden at Kasteel Coloma.  The 15-acre garden has over 3000 rose varieties from 25 countries. 

Did you know that at one time roses were thought to advert the plague?   Did you know the first rosary was literally made from dried rose hips?    

This first picture is of the castle itself. 

Here is a picture of the caretaker’s cottage.  I immediately volunteered to move into the cottage and take care of the gardens.  Unfortunately, they didn’t take me up on my generous offer.   

There were several rose gardens on the grounds.  Some of them are broken out by countries and features roses bred in that country. 

Here is a picture of the Japanese rose garden.  You will see empty spaces for roses to be planted in the future.  The sculpture of the crane in the center is amazing! 

The USA garden was also very nice.  I was thrilled to see one of Ralph Moore’s roses (he bred roses at his nursery in Visalia).  They had his Sweet Chariot rose in the garden blooming away!

Sweet Chariot, a Ralph Moore rose.

It is a beautiful rose garden that I hope you will have a chance to visit someday. 

“The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed to the time it dies. Within it, at all times, it contains its whole potential. It seems to be constantly in the process of change: Yet at each state, at each moment, it is perfectly all right as it is.” ? Paulo Coelho

What To Do in the Rose Garden for the Month of August

Well, our roses continue to suffer in this heat, just like the rest of us.  Advice for this month is pretty much the same as last month.  Remove the petals of spent roses and allow them to form hips.  Don’t feed your roses yet, it is still too hot.  They are working on staying alive right now. 

Check to make sure your plants are getting enough water, check for sunburn leaves, etc.  Leave those sunburned leaves on the plant so they can help shade the canes to keep them from getting sunburn.  You can also cover your roses with shade cloth to help them get through the worst of the summer. 

Watch out for spider mites spider mites and wash them off with a good spray of your hose.  Make sure you get the underside of the leaves where they like to hide.  You can look out for any thrip damage that may be happening as well.  thrips

Rose Garden Travel

Since my rose garden is suffering at the moment, I thought I would show you some pictures of a virtual rose garden tour I took this month.  The virtual tour was of the De Haar Castle in Utrecht, Holland.

Castle De Haar is the largest castle in Holland.  You might think it was built in medieval times.  It has a moat, drawbridge, turrets, etc.   It is, however, a “new” castle.   The famous Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers built it between 1892—1912. I just love their front door. 

The castle was built where an old derelict castle was located.  The old castle was raised to build the new one.  You can tell it is a new castle as it has lots of large windows, lots of turrets, etc.  Older castles would have small windows, etc., so they could easily be defended.

The gardens on the castle grounds are spectacular. The architect, Cuypers worked closely with garden architect, Hendrik Copijn to create several beautiful gardens.  There are small lakes, a canal, a large kitchen garden, a beautiful chapel, Italian style gardens, French gardens, etc., on the grounds.  They are just beautiful!

In 1912, the eldest son of the family who built the castle, was killed in a traffic accident.  He was only 24 years old.  The rose garden is dedicated to him.  It has over 1200 roses with 79 different species roses.   The pillar in the middle of the garden is “broken” to show that his life was cut short. You have a great view of the chapel (in the distance on the right) from this area.

It is a beautiful remembrance.  Those arches are covered in rambling roses.  Unfortunately, they just went out of bloom at the time of my visit.  Here are some pictures of the beautiful rose garden.

There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence.” ? Ralph Waldo Emerson

What to do in the Rose Garden for July

Mother Nature decided to turn on the heat.  We had such a lovely beginning of June.  However, it is Fresno and it is officially summer, so the heat is on.  The high summer temps are less than ideal for having beautiful roses for the next couple of months.  Check your garden in the morning when it is the cooler part of the day.  Look at the leaves of your plants for leaf wilt, drying or discoloring of the leaves.  If they appear dull, check your plants for disease, drought or pests. 

Now is not the time to fertilize.  Your plants are struggling to remain hydrated.  You can remove your withered petals and let hips develop for the time being.  Make sure your plants have at least four inches of mulch around the dripline of the plant to help keep away weeds and help to maintain moisture. 

When temps get over 90 F, roses will lose moisture through their leaves.  This sometimes shows up as browning along the edge of the leaf.  Insufficient moisture in the root zone of your roses will cause this.  It is a sign of heat stress.  Make sure you give your plants adequate water on the days when we can water.  If you see this, don’t be tempted to remove the leaves.  They will help the canes of the plant to stay shaded from the sun and not get sunburned.  Sunburned canes can kill your plant. 

Again, check your plants for any signs of pests.  Thrips and spider mites seem to love this time of year and these temps.  A strong spray of water below the leaves, followed by an overhead shower can help to keep those little critters away.  Do this early in the day, on the days you can water, for at least 10—14 days.  Inspect your plants daily for any signs of infestation.  An added bonus is just walking in the garden is a great way to reduce stress.  (Did you know that in England, physicians can prescribe gardening as a treatment for reducing anxiety and stress?  Scientists have found spending two hours a week in nature can lead to better health and wellbeing.)

Rose Garden in Nakanoshima, Japan

I was fortunate to be able to attend a virtual tour of a rose garden in the middle of Nakanoshima, Japan.  What a treat!  The city has two rivers that run through it and there are rose gardens along the banks of those rivers.  It is in the middle of the downtown area so everyone in the office buildings can enjoy the view of the garden and spend their lunch hours, breaks, etc., walking through them.  I took some pictures for you to enjoy.

I don’t think I have ever seen such beautifully pruned climbers as in this garden. 

The rose below is called Dainty Bess.  It is a Hybrid Tea rose.  Those reddish yellow stamens get me every time.

Here is a view of some of the garden.

Those “blank” areas of lawn will be where future roses will grow.  I will share more lovely pictures in the future.

”It’s OK to feel delicate sometimes.  Real beauty is in the fragility of your petals.  A rose that never wilts isn’t a rose at all.”  Crystal Woods, Write Like No One is Reading

Shall we talk about water?  What is the best way to water my roses?

The best way is to deliver water efficiently.  That means making sure there is no overspray if you are using sprinklers.  If you are hand watering, use a water wand that you can turn off at the nozzle so when you are done watering one rose, you can stop the water flow before moving onto the next. 

I use a drip system on my roses (and my other plants too).  Drip systems are the most efficient way to water as they don’t produce a spray that can be blown away by the slightest wind.  I have emitters (not the spray type of drip system).  I am always checking the system (at least once a month) to make sure there are no leaks.  Leaks are easy to repair, and the Master Gardener program usually has a class on how to install and repair leaks in your drip system.  I recommend taking the course if you are able. 

So, I am often asked, how much water does each rose need?  That depends upon the time of year and the type/size of the rose.  The typical hybrid tea (we are talking a mature plant), will take about 6-9 gallons a week if the temps are below 80 F.  In wintertime when the temps are much cooler, they will take much less water.  If the temps are over 90 F consistently, they will take about 12 gallons a week (not daily!).  Again, this will depend on the size of the rose.  Mini roses will take much less water than a full-size hybrid tea.  Roses are pretty drought tolerant and can take less water but may show signs of stress. 

The amount of water will also depend upon the type of soil you have (get your soil tested!).  If you have clay soil, it will hold water, so you will need less.  If you have sandy soil, the water will permeate more quickly through the soil.  If you have nice loamy soil, the recommendations up above will suffice. 

So, how do you estimate how long to run your drip system for your roses?  

Multiply the number of emitters by their delivery rate, (e.g., one gallon per hour).  If you have 40 one-gallon emitters and ten roses, each with four one-gallon emitters placed around them, that is four gallons of water to each rose per hour.   If you need to deliver 12 gallons of water per week, then you would divide that by three (the number of days per week we can water), and that gives you 4 gallons of water each day that you water (3 days).  So, you would run your system for one hour each day that we can water. 

I like to divide that up as well as I want the water to soak in before I water again, so I will divide the time I water on each of the days to 20 minutes.  I stagger those times and water around 5 am.  I water again around 7 am and then again in the evening after 7 pm.  Doing this allows the water to reach the roots of the plant and also encourages the roots to grow deeply rather than on the surface.  That is much better for the health of your plant. 

Another way to help reduce and maintain water in the soil is to mulch heavily.  I recommend using a four-inch layer of mulch around the dripline of each rose/plant.  What is a dripline?  It is the outer canopy of leaves from the plant.  Don’t mulch around the “trunk” or base of the rose bush but around the outer edge.  Leave an open area about 12 inches in diameter around the base of the plant.  I have also heard that if your rose bush is pruned to at least 8 inches above the mulch layer, it will help to reduce the spread of pests such as spider mites. 

Mulch will moderate the temperature of the soil and maintain moisture.  It will also keep weeds away from your plant!  I prefer to do less work in the garden during our hotter than Hades summers and this is a way to make that happen!  Don’t use rubber mulch.  Don’t use mulch that has been dyed.  Use a mulch that will break down over time and enrich your soil.  I like fine wood chips the best, but I have also used compost as mulch as well. 

Now there are two thoughts as to whether or not to let your roses go dormant in the hot summer.  What that means is that from June until at least the middle to end of September when the temps are cooler;

• Don’t feed your roses
• Make sure your watering system is operating efficiently
• Apply 4 inches of mulch over the entire bed
• Don’t prune your roses
• You can deadhead them or just remove the spent petals and allow hips to form
• If the leaves burn on your plant, leave them on the plant to help shade the canes from burning

There is another school of thought from folks who grow roses in Tucson.  Grow your roses under shade cloth, when the temps are consistently over 95 F.  June is often the hottest month in Tucson.  They use 65% shade cloth as a canopy over their roses.  In essence, they create a canopy structure with pipes and the shade cloth.  It is big enough to cover the roses and still walk under them.  Some put a misting system on the pipe as well to increase the humidity. 

They continue to feed their roses and don’t let them go dormant.  I have seen wonderful results.  Beautiful growth and flowers all summer long.  They remove the shade cloth in the fall, winter and early spring.  In Tucson, they are still able to water their roses daily (if necessary and if they don’t have monsoonal rains that day).  We don’t have that luxury, unfortunately.  If I am able to set up a shade cloth structure in my yard, I will let you know how it goes. 

There is a lot going on in the rose world, which I will talk about next month.  I have been attending wonderful classes through the Royal Horticultural Society on roses.  There are pretty new roses out for this year.  One of them is celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. 

Until next time….If I had a rose for every time I thought of you, I’d be picking roses for a lifetime. – Swedish Proverb

Well, this has been the year for weather, hasn’t it?  We have had drought, blistering heat, cold, wind, occasional rain, etc.  All of this has added to my roses having fungal diseases, opening later than usual or earlier than usual. 

The yearly invasion of Hoplia Beetles started at the beginning of April and continues.  Hopefully, they will be gone before the end of May.  They normally hang around for about six weeks and then go back underground as grubs until next year.  This year, I have been squishing them with gloved hands.  Good way to work out any aggression you may be feeling. 

Plants that have never had spider mites in my yard, now have spider mites.  I have been hosing those down with a blast from the garden hose.  I also had aphids on my roses earlier in April.  I squished a few until I saw my first Lady Bird Beetle (aka, Lady Beetles or Lady Bug). Lady Beetles  I asked her to graciously invite all of her friends and relatives.  She did one thing better.  She had babies!  I now have lots and lots of Lady Bird Beetle larvae on my roses!  They look like little (less than a quarter of an inch) black and red striped alligators.   I feel bad that there are not more aphids for them to eat (they wiped them out!).  However, I have been directing them towards my spider mites as they consider them delicious also.  I am so glad I didn’t spray for bugs.  In fact, I planted California native plants deliberately in my yard to attract beneficial insects and it is working just fine.  I am thrilled! 

My roses have not looked their best this spring with a few exceptions.  It has been due to the weather.  I expect things to improve from now on until the first blast of summer heat comes upon us.  If your roses have suffered from various fungal diseases cut off those buds, flowers or pick off those leaves.  Yes, they will grow back again.  powdery mildew  It is just the weather causing this.  Once you see the white powdery mildew on the rose, it is too late to spray it with a fungicide.  Best to just pick off those leaves and buds and put them in the green bin.  Don’t leave them out on the ground.  You can spread the disease by doing that.  Make sure you wipe off your pruners with an alcohol wipe so you don’t spread the disease to another plant. 

What to do in May in the rose garden? 

Your rose blooms will mature quickly in warm weather.  As they start to fade, lightly prune them back to the first outward facing five-leaflet leaf.  This should be a very light pruning. You should have new blooms on your plant in about six weeks or so, around the middle of June. 

You may want to do one last feeding of fertilizer and compost before the end of the month.  That will be it until the fall.  Our roses go semi-dormant due to the heat from about mid-June through the middle of September.  Put those pruning’s in the green waste barrel.  Make sure you have a good layer of mulch around the dripline of your plant (not near the stem/trunk of the plant but the outside area of the plant).  Place or refresh mulch so it is a good three or four inches around the drip line.  It will reduce weeds, keep moisture in the ground for the plant to use on non-watering days, and improve your soil. 

OK, how about some pictures of roses?  My Munstead Wood is always beautiful.  Hoplia Beetles don’t touch it since they prefer the light colored roses. 

Today on the Madera Master Gardener Home Tour, I saw the most beautiful Eden climber rose.  I love this rose.  One of my favorites. 

Speaking of tours, I went on a virtual tour of a rose garden in Rome.  Here is the same rose Eden on a trellis in Rome, Italy.  Beautiful!

Until next time…. The life cycle of a rose can be related back to our own lives. We go through phases of growth, pruning and rough winters that can leave us bare but in the end, we (like roses) will regrow and prosper again.  Unknown

What To Do In The Rose Garden For April

Well, those little buggers are definitely out and about.  I am referring to aphids.  Seems we are getting them early this year.  The weather we’ve been having is the type of weather they just love.  Aphids   I put on my gloves and go squishing them throughout the garden.  I have also sprayed with an insecticidal soap and have sprayed them with a good blast of water (not at the same time but on different days).  It is rare that I will use an insecticidal soap.  Squishing them and blasting them with the hose every couple of days is my preferred method of dealing with them. 

I also saw my first Ladybird Beetle (yes!) on one of my roses.  I hope she has a great feast and brings more of her friends!  Ladybird Beetles (aka Ladybugs) favorite food is aphids.  I try to encourage them in my garden by planting yarrow and other native plants that they love. 

Our current weather (rain and warmth) is also conducive to fungal diseases.  I have not spotted any (so far) on my roses.  However, if you do spot those diseases on your roses, you can spray with a dormant horticultural oil if the afternoon temps will be below 75F.  Anything higher than that and your run the risk of burning your plant.  Only spray if you happen to see fungal diseases.  Don’t spray as a preventative measure.  Horticultural oil will indiscriminately kill beneficial insects and you don’t want to do that.  Spray in the evening after the bees have gone back to their hives.  Don’t spray on a windy or rainy day.  Suit up and protect yourself when you spray, e.g., wearing goggles, gloves, a suit for protection, mask, etc.  Dispose of any empty bottles appropriately.  Clean all leaf debris from around your rose bush to eliminate fungal spores.   

I rarely spray for fungal diseases.  powdery mildew  rusts  downy mildew  black spot  We just are not prone to them like other parts of the country, and I am willing to have a little fungal damage on my roses in order to protect my beneficial insects, bees and other pollinators.  This year, I may try an experiment of using milk as a fungal spray.  While there is no scientific evidence that this works on roses, it has worked for other plants.  However, fungal diseases are not all the same.  For example, the strain of powdery mildew fungal disease that affects grapes is different than the strain of powdery mildew fungal disease that affects roses.  There are many different types of powdery mildew fungus. Here is a report from the University of Washington on using milk as a fungicide.  University of Washington, milk as a fungicide  If I try it, I will let you know my results. 

If you have botrytis, botrytis blight, remove the blooms and discard them.  See Rosie’s Corner April 2020.  Same if you see signs of thrips.  thrips

It is time to get ready for the Hoplia beetles Hoplia Beetles to invade your light-colored roses.  Get a bucket of soapy water and shake them off into the water.  Do this daily.  It is even better if you do this in the morning and again in the evening.  They are horrible pests that love to destroy your blooms.  Especially the light-colored flowers.  Sprays are not effective against them.  This is their mating season so the more you are able to eliminate them, it may help to reduce the population.  They are usually a pest for about six weeks or so.  Many people confuse Hoplia Beetles with Japanese Beetles.  While looking somewhat similar, we don’t tend to have Japanese Beetles in the west of the Rockies.    

Deadhead any spent blooms on your roses.  If you fed your roses in the middle of March, you can feed them again towards the end of April. 

Well, all I have written about are pests and diseases that can bother your roses.  It may seem like a chore or a pain but when I look at those beautiful blooms and smell that wonderful scent, it is glorious!   Enjoy your spring flush of gorgeous blooms.  They are so worth it! 

Here is a picture of the lovely rose Vineyard Song.  It was bred by Ralph Moore from Visalia.  He thought the buds on the plant looked like a "bunch of grapes."  Hence the name of the rose.

A profusion of pink roses bending ragged in the rain speaks to me of all gentleness and its enduring. – William Carlos Williams

Welcome to March!  This is the time when your roses are starting to break out from dormancy.  It is a good time for garden maintenance before the big flower display in April. 

Take some time and check your irrigation system to make sure it is working correctly.  Make repairs if it is not.  My garden is strictly on drip.  Yes, I did go through every emitter to make sure it was an adequate size and working.  It is worth the time.  Especially during a drought.  I don’t want to waste water.

I like using drip as I don’t have water spraying on my rose leaves which can cause fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew and rust.  Drip irrigation directs the water to the roots of the plant, not the leaves or canes.  I don’t want water running down the sidewalk, streets, driveways, etc.  We have not gotten a lot of rain this winter and water is much too precious to waste. 

If your watering system isn’t drip, run your sprinklers in the morning before the day warms up.  This will avoid moisture evaporating or collecting on leaves which can (during the warmer months) result in sun burn or (during the cooler months) make it favorable for fungal diseases to develop on your roses.  If you have sprinklers, avoid watering in the evening or at night.  This will prevent excessive ground moisture at night.  Soil that is too wet can lead to unhappy roots and/or fungal diseases.  Avoid watering when it is windy, so the water doesn’t evaporate into the air instead of watering your roses. 

If you are thinking you might want to use a fungicide to prevent fungal diseases from happening, I would encourage to wait and see if they actually develop.  Don’t spray your roses, just to spray your roses.  Only do it if you see fungal diseases or pests that can’t be managed by any other means. 

If you believe you must spray, no matter what, do so soon.  Don’t spray on a windy day.  Don’t spray during the late morning, afternoon or evening hours.  Don’t spray when bees are out (even organic sprays).  Don’t spray when it is over 70 F as it can burn your plants.  Don’t spray on a rainy day or if it is going to rain the next day.  Don’t spray if your pets (or your neighbor’s pets) are in the yard.  Don’t spray if your children/grandchildren/neighbors are in the yard.  I cannot stress enough that spraying is serious.  You must take precautions. 

If you choose to spray, you can use a lime sulfur spray or a horticultural oil mixed with a dormant spray for fungal diseases.  You need to wear an appropriate face mask (N95), gloves, closed toe shoes (no sandals or slippers), and disposable coveralls or a safety suit.  Yes, anytime you spray your roses for insects or diseases, it is serious business.  You can hurt yourself or others if you don’t.  That includes organic sprays as well, such as neem oil, BT, etc.   Just because something is labeled organic, doesn’t mean it can’t hurt you, your neighbors, pets, birds, bees, etc.  Shower, including washing your hair, after spraying.  Make sure you also wash your clothing. 

Those chemicals (yes, even organic ones) need to be stored appropriately.  Don’t mix chemicals because you think that it will be better for the plants.  Follow directions on the label.  Left over sprays and their containers need to be disposed of, appropriately.  If all of this sounds like a lot of work, it is. 

I practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM).  I rarely if ever, spray for anything, be it diseases or insects.  I will tolerate a fair amount of “damage” to my roses from diseases and insects.  I hand pick off the insects (yes, I still have a bit of an eeeuuuwwww response, but I get over it—use gloves!).    I can also spray bugs such as aphids and spider mites, with water (good strong blast) and that will remove them, without the chemicals.  Make sure you spray the underside of the leaves.  Repeated application of chemicals on insects can cause resistance to the product.  A strong water spray every couple of days works fine and you don’t hurt the plant nor the environment.    

I remove leaves that have powdery mildew, rust, etc., if I get it.  New ones will grow in.  Mostly, I don’t get fungal diseases.  That is because I try to choose disease resistant varieties for my yard (and we generally have low humidity).  I also practice shovel pruning.  If the rose is a disease-ridden mess, out it goes.  I grow roses for my own enjoyment and their beauty.  I don’t have time to baby them.  Some roses do better than others in our climate.  I want the ones that do well in my yard. 

I clean up debris from my roses and place it in the green bin.  It does not go in my compost pile.  I also keep a good 3—4 inches of organic mulch around my roses to stop weeds in their tracks and keep my roses roots cool in summer and warm in winter.  It also helps to keep my soil moist so I can water less.  The mulch will eventually break down and help improve the soil in my yard.  Yes, the soil in my yard left something to be desired when I first moved here.  After several years, it has greatly improved due to using compost and mulch (not rubber mulch!) that eventually breaks down and improves my soil. 

I attract the “good bugs” such as lady bird beetles, lacewings, etc., by planting pollinator plants in my garden.  Flowering native plants such as Yarrow (Achillea), California buckwheats (Eriogonum), Seaside daisy (Erigeron), Sticky monkey-flowers (Mimulus), Tidy tips (Layia platyglossa), etc., attract the “good bugs” that will eat the “bad bugs.”  Native plants are great choices, are beautiful and they are drought tolerant.  These plants also attract birds to my yard.  They too will eat the “bad bugs” and they are quite amusing to watch. 

If you have the space for new roses, there is still time to purchase them and get them into the ground or a large pot.  I like ordering roses on-line from several different sources.  I find a greater variety on-line and end up with terrific plants.  Also, the people who work at these nurseries tend to know the plants they sell and can make useful recommendations about what will or won’t work in my garden. 

If the new growth on your roses is about 2—3 inches long, you can start fertilizing.  I recommend a good organic rose fertilizer.  It will contain micro elements that will help to improve your soil and your plant.  Synthetic fertilizers do not.  In reality, as I have written before, your plant doesn’t care what you buy, organic or inorganic.  However, organic fertilizers won’t burn your plants, add salts to your soil, (synthetic fertilizers are made of various salts—not the kind of salt you eat).  Organic fertilizer will help to build your soil over time.  As your soil improves, you will be able to use less fertilizer but have the same result. 

Again, test your soil before you fertilize.  Don’t fertilize just to fertilize.  You are wasting your hard-earned money.  More is not better!    I have had great results with just compost and a good layer of organic mulch (again as opposed to rubber mulch). 

Next month…we should be seeing some beautiful spring blooms!  If you can, take some time to enjoy all of the new and beautiful spring growth in your yard. 

”Friends are the roses of life…pick them carefully and avoid the thorns!”  Unknown

What to Do in the Rose Garden for February

Seems like we had our “winter” in December and that is about it.  Unfortunately, there has been no rain for about a month.  Temps are getting warmer too.  Now is the time to prune your roses.  If you can, try to get them pruned by the middle of the month.  It looks like we won’t be having any freezing temps (at least in the valley) that would damage any new growth on the rose canes.  Just keep watching the weather, but long-range plans don’t look promising for rain (boooo!) or colder temperatures. 

I am starting to see new buds forming on the canes of my roses.  So, when I get a chance to go outside, I take it and prune another bush or two.  As you cut the canes and remove all the remaining leaves on the bush, dispose of them in the green bin.  Don’t compost them.  Your compost pile probably won’t be hot enough to kill any diseases. 

As I stated last month, prepare yourself to prune safely.  I wear glasses, gloves (not cloth or rubber ones), long sleeves and depending on the rose, welder sleeves or long rose gloves.  I make sure my bypass pruners are sharp, oiled, and ready to go.  Clean the pruner blades with alcohol wipes between roses so you don’t spread diseases.  For some roses with older canes, I use either a pruning knife or loppers to remove them if the canes are too thick for my pruners. 

When pruning, make sure the cane’s pith is white and not dark.  The pith is the center part of the cane.  It should look like the inside of an apple.  If it is dark, keep cutting the cane back until the pith is white.  You may have to cut the cane all the way back to the soil or graft.  That is OK.  Those dark centers indicate that the cane is in decline or diseased.  Removing it should spur new growth for your rose. 

You are going to prune your canes to an outward facing bud.  What is an outward facing bud?  Buds are formed in the “axil” where the leaf meets the cane.  If you look closely, you will see a little bump there, underneath the leaf.  Prune about ¼ inch above that bud.  Prune to an outside facing bud (not one facing the inside of the bush).  That bud will produce a flowering cane. 

For shrub roses, hybrid teas, etc., cut them back to conform to the space you want them to fill.  Clean out any dead material from the center of the plant.  Shorten canes by about 1/3 to ½ of their current size.  Remove all of the leaves from the canes.  You can leave anywhere from 5—7 (or so) canes on the bush.  You want the remaining canes to be about the size of a #2 pencil.  Cut out old and scarred canes.  Cut out spindly canes.  Cut out one or both canes that are crossing each other.  Those canes can rub against each other, and disease can then infect both canes.  The center of the plant should not be crowded with canes but open and airy.  Again, dispose of the leaves and debris in the green bin.     

You can also apply a dormant spray to the plant as well.  Make sure you suit up if using fungicides or pesticides.  Yes, even the organic ones!   They are still chemicals that can hurt you.  Follow the instructions on the label.  Do not mix chemicals.  Make sure they are stored properly. 

Climbers and rambling roses are pruned differently.  Start to prune those only after you have had them for a couple of years.  This allows them time to form nice arching canes.  These are called the main canes.  Keep about 4—6 of those nice arching main canes and prune any old, crossing, diseased canes from the bush.  Those arching canes will have lateral canes that come out from them.  Cut those lateral canes to about 3—5 axils (where the leaves come out).  Those lateral canes are the ones that will be producing the flowers in the spring. 

Climber and rambling rose canes should be tied to a structure such as an arbor as close to a 45-degree angle as you can get, without breaking the cane.  That angle will stimulate lateral growth and blooms.  Tie them loosely.  You don’t want the tie to girdle the cane.  Clean up around your rose.  Make sure you have removed all of the leaves and dispose of them properly. 

Rambling roses are climbing roses that bloom only once in the spring.  Prune them lightly after they have finished blooming in the spring/early summer.  If you prune them later, you will be pruning off next year’s flowers. 

When your roses start to put out new growth and that growth is about 2 inches long, it is time to fertilize.  I use a good organic rose fertilizer, or alfalfa meal and compost.  Sometimes our alkaline soil doesn’t allow the rose bush to utilize the iron in the soil.  This causes the rose leaves to look whitish instead of green.  That means that your rose needs extra iron.  There are lots of good iron plant supplements (not the kind you take!) in the marketplace.  You may need to feed that iron supplement to the rose, if the leaves are a light whitish green.  Check your soil with a good soil test to see if this is necessary.  Don’t add fertilizer and supplements just to add them.  More is NOT better for the rose, and it can be bad for the environment as well.  Just use what your rose needs. 

I also mulch around my roses.  Put a good 3-inch layer of mulch around the dripline of the rose and not next to the canes of the roses.  That will help to save water and keep your roses cooler in the summer.  You will also have to weed less!  A bonus point!  That mulch will eventually break down and enrich your soil.  Another bonus!  Assess the irrigation system to make sure it is in good working order.  In about 8—10 weeks you will be rewarded with beautiful blooms. 

Now is the time to plant new roses.  The only “new rose” I have ordered for this year, is an “old” or antique rose on its own root.  It was bred in 1921, making it 100 years old.  It is called Schon Ingeborg. I will share pictures with you as it matures.  Right now, it is just a baby twig. 

The American Rose Society just posted a video of new roses in production for this year.  If you want to take a look you can see it on YouTube.  ARS New Roses for 2022.

“Forgiveness is the scent that the rose leaves on the heel that crushes it.” – Anonymous

Welcome to the New Year!

Rosie, can I finally start to prune my roses?  They are starting to look pretty bad. 

With the rain and the cold weather (Hasn’t it been wonderful?), we have been having, my roses are not looking their best either.  However, I am resisting the urge to prune them until later this month.  Why?  Because of the air and soil temperature.  If it warms up a bit, your roses will think it is spring and act accordingly by starting to put out some new growth.  Our last frost date is around Valentine’s Day for us here in the valley and even later if you live in the mountains.  If we get a cold snap (could happen!), it will freeze the young growth and you have to start pruning all over again. 

For now, you can clean up any rose leaves on the ground.  Take off any buds that may have any type of fungal disease.  That should be it for rose garden chores until the end of January or beginning of February.  Later, if you live in the mountains.  Sit by the fire or heater and take a look at new roses coming out in the various catalogs or online.  Order by the end of January, so you can get them (if not sold out already) and plant them in early February.    

Pruning

Prune your hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas, old garden roses and mini roses during late January/early February for a spectacular spring bloom typically in early April.  If you live in the mountains, prune them close to the last frost date for your area. 

Proper Equipment

It is important to have proper tools for pruning.  There are several tools that are vital in the quest for proper pruning.  The first one is high-quality pruning shears.  These should be a bypass type of pruning shear.  I cannot tell you how many of these I have purchased over the years.  Get a good one.  Gee, once I got a good one, I didn’t have to keep buying cheap ones!  It will save you a lot of heartache in the long run and the pruner will last.  It is worth the investment. 

Get a good quality lopper for cutting big canes.  Make sure they have the bypass cutting blades, same as your pruning shears.  These are ideal for pruning out larger canes and those that you can’t quite reach down towards the base of the rose. 

Use a sharpener for your shear and lopper blades.  Dull, dirty shears and loppers can damage the canes of your roses and cause disease and dieback.  Use a three-in-one oil after sharpening, to make sure the blades work smoothly.

Get a good pair of gloves.  I recommend leather or goat skin.  Cotton ones won’t cut it.  Rather, the canes from the roses will cut you if you wear those.  You don’t want thorns puncturing your skin.  Rose canes carry some nasty diseases.  You don’t want to get any of those or to have to get a tetanus shot from not wearing proper pruning gloves. 

You can get a pair of long gloves (rose pruning gloves) for protecting your arms.  I have a pair of long “rose” gloves and also a pair of welding sleeves that I use when pruning.  Choice is yours.  Sometimes I prefer using the welding sleeves with my short leather gloves.  Other times I prefer the long rose gloves.  Either will work well to protect your arms. 

I mentioned tetanus shots earlier in this article.  Make sure yours is up to date.  I know of rose growers who required serious surgery due to punctures by thorns.  I would rather have you safe than sorry. 

Pruning (for the end of January or beginning of February)

This is going to be a general guidance to pruning your roses.  I tend to prune my mini roses differently than my hybrid tea roses.  Same holds true for my old roses (those bred before the 1900’s) and my floribunda or English roses.  Climbers are pruned different from other roses.  I know this sounds so confusing.  However, roses are very forgiving plants.  Earlier editions of Rosie’s Corner had how to prune all of the different types of roses.  I will go over those again during the month of February. 

Most people are afraid to prune as they think they will kill their rose bush.  It takes a lot to kill a rose bush.  Pruning probably won’t do it.  All of my roses are on their own roots.  However, you may have grafted roses.  If you have a grafted rose, prune above the graft (that is that knobby thing that should be above the soil line in this climate).  Own root roses are not grafted onto a rootstock rose, so you don’t need to worry about cutting the graft when pruning.

First, pull off all the leaves from the bush.  Dispose of those in your green bin.  Do not use them in your compost heap as they may be diseased. 

Second, cut your bush between 2—3 feet in height (again this depends upon the type of rose you are pruning).  Remove any dead canes or small twiggy growth.  Remove any canes that are crossing in the middle and may be rubbing against each other. 

Third, after doing the above, take a look at your plant.  If it is planted near or against the house/fence, remove any canes that may be hitting your siding or fence.  If you want a nice, rounded bush, prune the canes accordingly so the plant has a nice round shape to it. 

Prune to a bud eye.  Usually, the recommendation is to cut ¼ inch above an outward facing bud eye.  Your choice depending upon where you want that cane to grow.  New growth will grow from that bud eye. 

You may end up with only six canes or so, when all is said and done.  That is OK.  You want to have a nice and open center for your plant so air will move through it.  That will help to reduce fungal diseases. 

Fourth, clean your pruning shears and lopper blades with an alcohol wipe between each rose bush.  Don’t use a wipe that contains bleach as that can ruin the blades on your shears and loppers.  The alcohol wipe will help to control diseases between each of your rose bushes. 

Fifth, make sure the area around your newly pruned rose bush is clean.  Take away any fallen leaves, twigs, debris, canes, etc.  I dispose of them in my green bin as they may have diseases on them and I don’t want those in my compost pile. 

If you grow roses in pots (I do too!), check to see if the soil in the pot has shrunken down to three or more inches below the rim of the pot.  If so, it is probably time to repot your plant.  You don’t want compacted potting soil.  Pull out the plant and use new, fresh good quality potting soil for your rose. 

Fertilizing

Resist!  Resistance is not futile!  You won’t need to fertilize until about the middle of February, when the new leaves start to come out.  

Watering

Continue to water your roses once a week (if necessary).  If it is raining, let Mother Nature water for you!  If you do water, make sure it is to a depth of 18—24 inches.  Roses in pots generally need to be watered more frequently than roses in the ground. 

Planting New Roses

Now is the time to plant any new roses you have purchased.  If you decided to add to your rose garden, get #1 rated quality roses.  It will increase your chance of success. 

Roses come “bare root,” potted or packaged.  Bare root roses are packed in wood chips to keep the roots from drying out (they are sometimes referred to, in the rose grower’s world, as “body bags”).  If you purchase one of these, take off the packaging, remove the wood chips and soak the roots in water for at least 24 hours before planting.  Bare root roses are the slowest to grow as their roots have been drastically pruned to fit in the plastic sleeves. 

Potted roses usually will make a nice transition to your garden.  These tend to be more expensive and there may not be as many varieties in the nursery, compared to a bare root roses. 

I find the greatest variety of roses comes from on-line retailers and breeders.  They have the greatest selection of own-root roses (which I prefer) and I get to know from the breeder what to expect for growth, disease resistance, etc. 

“Roses do not bloom hurriedly; for beauty, like any masterpiece, takes time to blossom.” ? Matshona Dhliwayo

How to Care for Your Roses in the Month of December 

Depending on where you live in Fresno County, the weather has been fairly warm.  The metro area of the county has not had its first frost yet, even though our first frost date for the metro area of Fresno is November 15^th.  Your roses should be actively growing and blooming right now.  However, cooler nights and days will soon have your roses heading into dormancy. 

Dormancy is good for roses.  Roses go through a natural hormonal change (dormancy) to get them ready for the big spring flush.  Cooler temperatures (which includes cooler soil temperatures) slow the plant’s metabolism.  You can assist in promoting dormancy by not deadheading or pruning this month. 

The one exception to that is if your flowers have a fungal disease, botrytis.  Botrytis is a fungal disease (sometimes called gray mold).  It looks like a fuzzy white to gray growth on your plant and particularly on its buds/blooms.  Cut off those blooms so that it doesn’t spread in your garden or to your other roses. Also, check your roses to see if there are any other signs of fungal diseases such as rust.  Treat accordingly.   

If your rose has made “hips” let them ripen on your rose bush.  You (depending on if you sprayed your roses or not) can use those hips for tea when they mature.  Those hips will also help to signal to your rose plant that it is time to stop making flowers and rest before spring. 

This is not the time to fertilize.  Wait to fertilize until spring, after you have pruned.  Pruning will take place in January/February.  You can also wait to fertilize after your plants have put on a couple of inches of growth in the spring.  Again, I know I am repeating myself, but get your soil tested to see if you even need to add fertilizer.  Don’t fertilize for fertilizer’s sake.  Fertilize when and if your plants need it.  Only add the type of fertilizer your plant needs.  The way to find that out is to have your soil tested. 

I used to prune the week between Christmas and New Year’s.  I don’t do that any longer.  I wait until four to six weeks after our first hard frost.  What is a hard frost?  That is when the temperatures are at or below 28 degrees F.  Some years we have a hard frost and other years we don’t.  If we don’t, then I prune at the end of January to the middle of February.  If you prune now, because the temperatures are still warm, new growth will emerge on your plants.  If we get a hard frost or freeze, it will kill that new growth.  It is better to wait at least four to six weeks to prune after our first hard frost or until after the first of February. 

Since you won’t be pruning your roses, there is time to take a look at new roses coming out in commerce for the spring.  The American Rose Center 2021 International Rose Trials just announced their winning roses.  The top winning rose receiving the gold medal, is a rose called “Sweet Spirit.”  The breeder of the rose is Alain Meilland of the House of Meilland, France.  It will be introduced by Star Roses.  (Did you know that Star roses grows their roses in the central valley?) This rose also won awards for fragrance, disease resistance and best garden impression rose. Here is a hyperlink to an article about these amazing roses that took the international awards.  It has pictures of the roses as well.   International Rose Trial Winners!

Until Next Time…. "Do not watch the petals fall from the rose with sadness, know that, like life, things sometimes must fade, before they can bloom again". Unknown.

What to Do in the Rose Garden This Month

Hopefully, towards the middle to end of October, you completed a light pruning of your roses.  You pruned out any dead, crossing canes and perhaps thinned out a bit of the middle of the plant (if necessary).  This thinning will help to keep away any fungal diseases that may start to happen.  Be on the lookout for black spot.  Blackspot  The thinning/slight pruning and fertilizing you did last month, will help to encourage a new blooming cycle.  Enjoy your blooms indoors as well as outdoors. 

Check to see the acidity of your soil.  Roses love slightly acidic soil between 6.0 and 6.5 for best growth and bloom.  As always, get your soil tested so you know what you have in your garden and if it needs any fertilizer or amendments.  Treat as necessary. 

I would not recommend fertilizing after the middle of October to the beginning of November.  If you choose or need to fertilize, pick a fertilizer lower in nitrogen during this time of the year.  Ack, Rosie!  What are those initials and numbers on the fertilizer bag or box?  What is N, P, K?  Nitrogen is the “N” number.  You want a fertilizer that is higher in Phosphate (P) and Potassium (K).  (See prior monthly articles on fertilizing roses). 

The easiest way for me to remember what each of those fertilizer ingredients provide for plants is to tell myself, “Up, Down and All Around.”  Nitrogen (N) is the first number (“up”—leaves, canes, flowers, etc.).  Phosphate (P) is the “down” (roots) and Potassium (K) is the “all around.”  As your roses start to go into the dormancy of the winter cycle, you don’t want to encourage any foliage growth; (the Up or the “N”).  Phosphate builds up the root structure and resistance to stresses in the environment (the Down or ‘P”).  This is important to help reduce the stress of the cold during winter.  The Potassium, (“K” or All Around), helps the Phosphate and aids in bloom quality. 

Roses still need to be watered this time of year but will probably be requiring less water.  So, especially during this time of drought, don’t over water!  I have already cut back at least 50% of water to my roses in the ground, and they are doing fine.  Remember to turn off your irrigation system when it rains! 

You will not need to prune your roses until the middle to end of January, so enjoy your blooms over the holidays.  Taking time to stop and smell the roses is important during the stress of the holiday season. 

Also, it is the time of year to check out roses that will be new on the market.  Over the weekend, I attended the American Rose Society’s regional chapter’s annual convention.  It was great and was done virtually!  There are some new and exciting roses in store for us!  Several breeders/hybridizers presented.  The new roses coming out have nice big blooms, great disease resistance, beautiful colors, and fragrance!  Some of the new roses won’t be available until 2023-24, but several will be on the market in 2022-23.  Check out catalogs for rose companies on-line to see the latest.  New catalogs should be out end of this month, if not before. 

“Roses shouldn't waste their thorns on each other.”
? Heather Herrman

What To Do In The Rose Garden This Month

How are all of you holding up with the heat and the smoke from the fires?  It has been a very rough summer and your roses are probably showing it.  Once the weather is consistently below 90 F, you can start to fertilize your roses again.  Make sure your roses are thoroughly watered the day before applying any fertilizer.  Especially if you use a non-organic fertilizer as it will burn the plant.  After applying the fertilizer, water again. 

You can alternate your fertilizer with fish emulsion if you wish.  Use a fertilizer that has a greater percentage of (P) phosphate in relation to (N) nitrogen and (K) potassium.  This will help to create stronger root systems and resistance to stress.  Get your soil tested (if you haven’t already) to find out if you need any additional minerals to make the ingredients in your fertilizer available to the root systems of your plant.   If your soil test shows your soil is adequate, no need to fertilize. 

If you grow roses in pots (like me!) use half the recommended dose of fertilizer but apply it every two weeks.  You can alternate between liquid fertilizer and dry fertilizer until 30 days before the “first frost date.”  Normally, for Fresno, that is (usually) right around December 1^st.  In our mountain areas of the county, that is (usually) about the middle of November. 

You can go ahead and lightly prune your roses once the temps are consistently below 90 F.  This is not the “big prune” that you will do in a couple of months.  Deadhead any spent blooms down to about the 3^rd leaflet below the bloom.  A leaflet is where those five or seven leaves come away from the cane.  If you can, prune to an outfacing bud.  Cut about ¼ inch above the bud.  Make sure you wipe your pruners with a alcohol wipe.  That will help to stop the spread of diseases such as canker.  You can take off any dead leaves but again, be careful to not expose the canes to too much sun.  The sun can still burn your plants this time of year. 

Keep inspecting your irrigation system to make sure it is functioning properly.  Your plants in pots will need to be watered more frequently than the ones in the ground.  Make sure you have mulched your roses to help them retain moisture.  Four inches of mulch is recommended around the drip line of the plant. 

Check your roses for spider mites and thrips.  They love the type of weather conditions we are having.  A good blast from the hose (especially under the leaves) will help to get rid of them.  I am still getting damage from grasshoppers on my roses.  They love to chew on certain varieties that I grow.  If you can get over the ick factor, hand pick them off the rose bush when you see them.  Again, if you can get over the ick factor, you can cut them in half with your clippers.  I have also found several large praying mantises in my garden (yes!).  I don’t spray with commercial insecticides nor fungicides and usually have a pretty good balance of beneficial bugs.    

New Roses

Now is the time to start to think if you want to add any new roses into your garden.  Soon the catalogs and mail order nurseries will have the new varieties for 2022.  If you decide to add, order early! 

Take a look at which roses are just not doing well in your garden or ones that you may not like.  Sometime roses are prettier in the catalog than in the real-life growing conditions of your garden.  I generally give a rose three years to perform well in my garden.  If it doesn’t, then out it goes.  Yes, this is difficult.  You can give the rose away to someone who will love it or put it in the compost heap.  A rose should make you happy and thankful that you have it in your garden.  If not, there are literally 18,000 other roses out there that you might enjoy.  Don’t be afraid to check them out at your local nursery, a rose catalog, on-line rose nursery, etc.  You can always look up a rose on Help Me Find, Help Me Find Roses to see the reviews, pictures and how it might do in your yard.  You can use the search engine on Help Me Find to look up antique roses, climbers, purple roses, etc. 

I tend to like more of the antique roses than the newer varieties.  I also like the single blossom roses (5—7 petals) to semi-double roses as they attract the pollinators to my yard.  Just be aware that no plant is maintenance free.  For those roses that have carefree or easy in their names, it does not mean you can neglect them, and they will do fine and look great.  All plants need some love and attention (aka water, compost, right growing conditions, pruning, etc.,) to look and perform at their best.

Until Next Time…As delicate as flower, as tender as rose petals, choosing to be tender and kind in a harsh environment is not weakness, it's courage.”  Luffina Lourduraj

Checking the weather, it is still going to be hot for the next two weeks or so.  Continue to do what was recommended for the months of July and August.  It is not time to prune your roses as pruning them will expose the canes to the sun and can possibly cause sunburn and death to the cane.  I wouldn’t feed your roses either until the very last few days of the month (again, depending on if the weather starts to consistently be cooler).  Each year it keeps getting hotter for longer periods of time.  So that mid-season prune keeps getting pushed back further. 

Sometime around the last week of September to the first couple of weeks in October (again, depends on the weather and how hot it still is), I will lightly prune my roses.  That means you prune the cane at the point where the stems of the flowers/bloom emerged.  If you can, prune back to just above the outward facing bud at the base of the first five leaflets (or seven leaflets in some roses). 

Make sure your roses are hydrated (especially those in pots).  Continue to check for “the spidey” (as I call them), spider mites.  They LOVE this type of weather.  Look for any webbing, especially under the leaves.  That is where they love to hide.  Wash off your leaves (if spider mites are there) with a strong blast from a water wand, to remove them.  Keep doing this every couple of days.  Check early in the morning and only blast them with water during the very early morning hours so the leaves have time to dry during the day.  You don’t want to invite fungal diseases into your garden. 

Speaking of fungal diseases, let’s talk about Canker. 

What is Canker?  Canker is a fungal disease that can affect roses.  It is a localized dead area on the rose cane.  It usually looks like a circular or oblong lesion that may be discolored (brown or black) and has a well-defined margin separating it from the healthy tissue on the cane.  Common causes are mechanical injuries (pruning with unsanitary pruners), sunburn and sunscald.    

So, how do your “cure” this disease?  Prune away the dead and dying canes when you first notice them. Make your pruning cuts in the healthy part of the cane below the canker.  The best approach is to use good sanitation on your pruners to avoid spreading it to other plants.  Wipe off the blades of your pruners as you go from cut to cut with an alcohol wipe.  Do not use one with bleach as the bleach can affect the metal of your pruners (and you don’t want that!).   Yes, I carry wipes around the garden with me.  Yes, it slows down your pruning, but you won’t have dead canes or plants from canker if you do this.  Oh, and canker affects other types of trees/plants than just your roses….

Here is a link to an article about rose canker by the American Rose Society, with great pictures of how it can look on your plant.  Rose Canker. 

Until Next Time…Roses do not bloom hurriedly; for beauty, like any masterpiece, takes time to blossom.”  Matshona Dhliwayo. 

What to Do in the Rose Garden for August

Well, our roses continue to suffer in this heat, just like the rest of us.  Advice for this month is pretty much the same as last month.  Remove the petals of spent roses and allow them to form hips.  Don’t feed your roses yet, it is still too hot.  They are working on staying alive right now.

Make sure your plants are getting enough water.  If they are showing signs of sunburn, you can try covering them with a structure such as a shade cloth or umbrella.  If they are in pots, move them so they get morning sun only.  

Watch out for spider mites (see prior Rosie’s Corner) and wash them off with a good spray of your hose.  You can look out for any thrip damage that may be happening as well.  thrips 

Alice Hamilton

I just love this rose!  This is considered to be an old China rose that was bred in 1903.  It was bred by Gilbert Nabonnand just before he died.  What is a China rose (rosa chinensis)?  China roses are members of the genus Rosa native to Southwest China in Guizhou, Hubei and Sichauan Provinces.  They were widely cultivated during the Han Dynasty (141-87 BC).  They were imported to Europe during the 18^th century and used for breeding new roses.

So, what is the importance of breeding existing European roses with the China roses?  Up until this time, pretty much all (but one exception) of European roses were once bloomers.  China roses boomed continuously.  China roses also have a genetic make-up that has the pure scarlet red in them.  European roses did not.  Also, China roses tended to be much smaller in size then European roses, making them easier to fit into smaller gardens and yards. 

The Alice Hamilton rose gets to be about four feet in height with large, pointy buds and blousy flowers.  This girl can take the summer heat here and just keeps on blooming.  She has a nice scent as well.  I have not noticed any fungal diseases with her either.  Overall, a very nice rose. 

So, who was the rose, Alice named after?  Alice Hamilton was born in 1869 and lived to be 101 years old.  She was an American physician, researcher, author and best known as a leading expert in industrial toxicology and occupational health.  Her research focused on industrial toxins and in particular lead poisoning.  She was the first researcher to determine that the disease, scarlet fever, was spread by droplets from the nose and mouth of those infected and the use of face masks stopped the spread.  It was through this pioneering research that MD’s now wear masks during surgeries to stop the spread of germs and viruses.  She became the first woman to be appointed to the faculty at Harvard University in 1919.  However, she would never receive a promotion or tenure at Harvard between 1919 and 1935, when she retired.    She then went on to work at the US Division of Labor Standards and serve as President of the National Consumer’s League.  She published books and articles on toxins in industrial waste. 

“We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today.” – Dale Carnegie

What To Do In The Rose Garden This Month

As the song says, “The heat is on…”  Check your watering system to make sure your roses are getting adequate water.  Adjust the flow for the summer watering schedule.  Roses love to be washed down and this will help prevent spider mites.  Make sure you spray under the leaves where the little buggers love to hang out.  Do this early in the morning so the leaves have time to dry off to avoid fungal diseases.

As was discussed last month, just lightly deadhead blooms or allow your roses to form hips during the summer.  If you lightly deadhead, make sure you clean up the leaves and spent blooms.  Don’t use the rose clippings as mulch because they can harbor diseases.  After Labor Day is when you will start to prepare your roses for their fall bloom, so wait for serious deadheading until then. 

Make sure you have a good layer of mulch (minimum of 3 inches) around the dripline of your roses.  It will help to keep them cooler in the summer, help to maintain moisture and deter weeds. 

To avoid stressing your roses, reduce or discontinue fertilizing until at least the temps are cooler around mid to late September.  If you choose to feed, use a lower Nitrogen fertilizer (that’s first letter on the fertilizer package) and dilute it. 

What Is Eating My Roses This Month?

Look out for caterpillars (those imported cabbage loopers love my roses), rose sawflies, katydids and grasshoppers.  Katydids just love to eat the tops of my new growth of my antique roses.  They are hard to see and catch.

Katydid damage on rose bush

Rose of the Month

Occhi di Fata

Occhi di Fata (Eye of Fate or Eye of the Fairy) is a rose from Italy.  The breeder is Enrico Barni who is part of a large rose breeding family in Italy.  This family has bred beautiful award-winning roses since 1882.  Occhi di Fata is a difficult rose to find in the United States.  That is a shame as it is a great rose!  It is a beautiful single rose whose petals start out white and as they age, they turn to a deep ruby pink.  It gets to be about 2—3 feet tall and about 2 feet wide.  It is very disease resistant.  It can also take the heat here in the central valley.  The flowers are in clusters and have little to no scent. 

Until Next Time…..”We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today.”—Dale Carnegie

Ah, it is sweet summertime again.  All of us will be feeling the stress from the heat outdoors including our roses.  I tend to follow the train of thought of Master and Consulting Rosarians who are located in hot areas of the county regarding how to treat your roses during the months of June, July and August.  See Rose of the Month which describes a Consulting and Master Rosarian.  This advice is a bit different than the advice for caring for roses, where it is not as hot, there are no drought restrictions and where the temperatures cool off at night. 

Your roses will be reacting to the heat.  If your roses are in pots, try to make sure they have morning sun and afternoon shade.  Water them on the days that you can water according to the city regulations.  Watering roses early in the morning and early evening is best.  It helps to reduce evaporation of the water into the atmosphere.  You want your plant watered and not the air.  If you are on a drip system, make sure your emitters are not clogged.    

I will feed my roses this month, but I only use fertilizer at half-strength or half the recommended dose.  Water before and after you feed your plants.

During this time, I just remove the petals from the flowers as they fade.  This is different than what most rosarians will tell you.  They will deadhead their blooms down to the next outside five or seven leaflet.  They don’t want their plants to grow hips and go dormant.  Those rosarians usually don’t live where it is as hot as the surface of the sun during summer, there is no rain, and it only cools off into the 70’s at night.  Most of the American Rose Society organizations located in hot, desert areas of the country recommend allowing your plants to go dormant for the next few months until the weather cools down.  It reduces the stress on your plants.    

I let the plant form hips which will help the plant to become dormant during the hottest parts of the summer.  This will reduce growth and bloom, and therefore, the demand for more water (important during our current drought).  Roses don’t bloom much during the heat of summer as they are just trying to survive.  I want as many leaves, (including the sunburned ones) left on the plant.  It helps to shade the canes and prevent sunburn on the canes.  I will deadhead them once the weather cools in middle to late September for a nice fall/early winter bloom. 

Make sure you have at least 4 inches of good organic mulch or compost (don’t use rubber or rocks), around the dripline of your roses to help them retain moisture.  It will also keep weeds from growing. 

Watch your roses for spider mites and other critters.  Spider mites love roses and love this hot weather.  Check the underside of the leaves for tiny webs and something that looks like small salt and pepper particles under the leaves.  I have had horrible spider mites this year and they nearly killed one of my roses.  (See Rosie’s Corner for May 2021 regarding spider mites). 

Violet’s Hour

Violet’s Hour is a pretty, single, miniature rose.  A single rose refers to the number of petals it produces when it flowers.  Violet has five and is therefore considered to be a single.  She was bred by American Rose Society Master Gardener, Gail Trimble from Marin County, California. 

What is a Master Rosarian?  It means that Gail is an active member of the American Rose Society and her local chapter.  She has freely given her time to answer questions and provide service to her area and district regarding growing and exhibiting roses.  She took a national test to become a Consulting Rosarian and kept that designation current, according to the American Rose Society guidelines and regulations, e.g., provide service, take additional courses, exhibit roses, etc.  It is only after being a Consulting Rosarian for at least 10 years, has providing excellent community service, that one can get nominated to become a Master Rosarian. 

Gail is an outstanding Master Rosarian and this rose is just beautiful as she is.  Gail is one of the nicest people I know.  I consider myself very fortunate to have this rose, hand-delivered to me by Gail (I have been lusting after this rose for over three years!).  The petals practically glow pink and fade to a lavender/violet color.  Violet Hour is a very, healthy rose.  It is considered a miniature.  It will get to be about 18 inches tall.  It is a compact rose and good for ground covers, beds, borders and pots. 

My life is part humor, part roses, part thorns….Bret Michaels