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ROSE CARE FOR MAY
by Maureen Groper, Consulting Rosarian
by Maureen Groper, Consulting Rosarian
My garden has gone through a transition this past year. I lost a large oak that dominated the garden and I eliminated a very unhealthy lawn.
After taking several classes at Marin Art & Garden Center I decided to try sheet mulching. Since it’s a rather large area, I used appliance boxes from Martin & Harris Appliance. Over those we spread the oak wood chips generated by the shredded oak tree. Then ammonium sulfate was generously sprinkled on to hasten decomposition. The conventional sprinkler system was changed to drip and lines were laid. Finally Sonoma Compost delivered 15 yards of early vineyard mulch that was spread on top. If you can work through a gardener the cost is extremely reasonable.
What has resulted is the most wonderful soil. I have virtually no weeds and the soil is loose, dark, rich and teeming with life.
I’ve composted for years and have never had a rodent problem and only once have had what I believe was a raccoon invasion. Since I now mix fresh horse manure with my kitchen waste it hasn’t reoccurred.
The key ingredients are waste from a caterer friend’s kitchen mixed with coffee grounds I collect in a huge Tupperware container from Coffee Roasters in San Anselmo. They love getting rid of it. Since I don’t have a good source for brown material, each year I bring in a bale of hay.
I learned recently from Betty Mott that shredded paper minus the little plastic window pieces is also considered brown and Charlotte Torgovitsky informs me that cut up egg cartons and even natural fiber cloth can be composted. The four elements needed for the process to begin are brown material for the carbon, green material for the nitrogen, air and water. I turn my batches two or three times before they are ready for use in my garden. This and alfalfa tea are my only fertilizers for my roses. I truly believe in the mantra of a recent Marin Rose Society speaker, Steve Andrews, aka “The Dirt Dude”, “Compost, compost, compost, mulch, mulch, and mulch!”
My roses were moved from a shadier part of the garden to where they now get full sun all day. What a difference! It’s certainly true that most roses thrive with at least 5 hours of sun daily. The seven new roses that went in this year all had a dose of compost in the hole and the established roses were side dressed. John Goldsmith’s recipe for Alfalfa Tea (used in the MAGC garden) will be applied during the last two weeks of April or the first of May. It may be earlier this year to give a boost for the May show.
I have oodles of ladybugs, lacewings and soldier beetles. It’s important to learn to recognize these because I used to kill the soldiers thinking they were the enemy! As the buds are forming now it is time to watch for rose curculio that I try to knock into a bowl of soapy water. The aphids and spittle bugs I usually just brush off with my finger. The little fruit tree leafroller caterpillars (green with a black head) are quite obvious in their little rolled up leaf that is easily picked off and squashed. Also watch for blind shoots - stems that have no bud at the terminus. According to Jolene Adams, “These aren’t hurting your rose; in fact those leaves are making food while they are sitting around admiring the view. But why not cut back the stem and let the rose try again to make a long stem with a lovely bloom on top?”
Disbudding is always a dilemma for me. Disbudding is the early removal of bloom buds. This practice allows the rose to send nutrients to the buds that remain. The result is a more fashionable, larger rose - one more suitable for display. On hybrid tea roses, the terminal bud (the one on the very tip of the stem) is the first to form. Shortly after, secondary buds are formed around the terminal bud. Early removal of these secondary buds sends the rose's energy to the terminal bud - producing a larger bloom. The removal of these secondary buds should be done early in their development. It is easily done with the fingers or pair of tweezers.
On roses that produce multiple blooms, like those of Floribundas or Grandifloras, it is the terminal bud that is removed. On these roses, the terminal bud will open first. By the time surrounding blooms form the terminal rose is almost fully blown. The result is a floral spray with a hole in the cen-ter. By removing this terminal bud early in its forma- tion, the rose's energy goes toward those that remain. The result is a floral spray that is full -- without the hole in the center. This is most important if you intend to show your roses.
Some time ago I heard that the best deterrent to pests in the garden was the gardener’s shadow so I might suggest getting out there to enjoy all your efforts and spread that shadow around.
Photos of Maureen’s garden and fruit tree leafroller by Betty Mott. Photos of green lacewing, soldier beetle, and disbudding by Gail Trimble. Photo of rose curculios by Baldo Villegas from http://buggyrose.tripod.com/irosepests.htm
A YEAR OF ROSE CARE:
January
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Last Modified: 5/14/10