Archive for the roses tag

Follow these five steps to grow fabulous roses

April 4, 2023 • Leave a Comment

Roses are just like people—they need just five things to thrive:

Sun
Air
Food
Water
Love

Mother Nature can handle the first two needs (sun and air) by herself. But she needs your help with the second two (water and food) in order for your roses to survive. You are the sole provider of the last need (love). And it’s that one that spells the difference between roses that simply survive, and those that thrive.

Let’s consider each of these needs:

Sun. Roses are sun-loving plants. Typically roses need at least six hours of full, direct sunlight daily and will do better if they receive more.

For areas that receive between 4 and 6 hours of direct sun, select five-petaled roses. These are roses with a lower petal count and, in general, the lower the petal count, the more shade a rose will tolerate. As a group, hybrid musk and antique alba roses are fairly shade tolerant—mainly because they have simple blooms.

Air. Roses like good air circulation to keep their leaves dry and to prevent fungal diseases. However, avoid exposure to strong winds. Consider the most rugged roses, like rugosas and Canadian explorers, for your cottage on the Great Lakes. Otherwise, plant your roses where they will enjoy gentle breezes. Remember this if you plant near a wall or solid fence.

Remember, roses grow quickly, which means you should thoughtfully consider the spacing between bushes. Follow this rule of thumb: roses generally grow to be as wide as they are tall. So, roses expected to be four feet tall should be planted about four feet apart, as measured from the center of one bush to the center of the next.

Hybrid tea roses can be planted closer together, while antique and shrub roses should be placed a little further apart. Remember, too, that climbing roses need lots of room. Plant them at least 6 to 8 feet from neighboring climbers.

It’s a common misconception that roses shouldn’t be planted near other types of plants. In truth, they can be part of an integrated landscape provided neighboring plants don’t crowd them and prevent good air circulation.

Food. Roses are heavy feeders and appreciate richly amended soil. They are adaptable to soil type. They’ll thrive in sandy soil if you feed them frequently, and in clay soil if they have good drainage. The solution to sandy-soil and clay-soil problems is the same: organic amendments. Many municipalities produce wonderful compost from the grass clippings collected from homeowners. Usually this compost is free for the hauling.

Apply your first fertilizer in late April or early May. Slow-release fertilizers need only be used once or twice a year. Organic options should be used every 4 to 6 weeks. In any event, your last fertilizer application should be in mid-August, so that your roses ease into dormancy before the first heavy frosts.

The commonly available rose fertilizers with systemic insecticides should be avoided because they will kill earthworms. Treat insect problems as they occur—you don’t need to “nuke” your entire garden to eliminate a few aphids or budworms when targeted attacks will be sufficient. Also, foliar-feed fertilizers give your roses a nice snack, but they are too quick-acting and transient to be used exclusively.

Water. Roses like lots of water, but not wet feet. In other words, be sure the plants are in a well-drained soil. We simply do not receive enough natural rainfall in Michigan for roses to thrive, which begs the question, how much is enough? Some will tell you 1 or 2 inches per week. However, it really depends upon your soil type and drainage. The goal is to keep the soil near the rose roots evenly moist. This means you’ll need more water in sandy soil than in clay. Try installing a rain gauge near your roses so you can see exactly how much water they are receiving.

The belief that you shouldn’t permit rose leaves to get wet is a myth. In our nursery, we watered our roses exclusively with overhead watering. We found that it helped wash off powdery mildew and insects. It helped that we watered early in the morning so that the leaves dried as the day came on. This prevented fungal diseases that can form when leaves are wet for an extended period or overnight.

Most residential in-ground irrigation systems are optimized for turf grass and do not provide enough water for roses. You can supplement these systems by hiding a soaker hose under the mulch around your roses. Your irrigation contractor may recommend a special drip irrigation circuit for roses, but be prepared to check the emitters frequently—clogging is a common problem.

A good organic mulch, such as finely ground pine bark, pine needles or garden compost will help the soil retain moisture and reduce the need for frequent watering.

Love. Spend a little time with your roses, deadheading spent blooms and checking the moisture content of the soil at their roots. That way, while you are enjoying their beauty, you’re likely to notice “conditions” before they become “problems.”

Roses can be the stars of your garden, so plant where you can admire them frequently—their blooms are abundant and fabulous. Follow the guidelines presented here, and you’ll be amazed at their display!

Nancy Lindley was the co-owner of Great Lakes Roses in Belleville, MI.

Elsewhere: Downy mildew control on roses

Simple steps to keep roses healthy for the summer

June 20, 2022 • Leave a Comment

by Nancy Lindley

You can prolong the fabulous show that roses put on in June just by following a few simple steps to keep roses healthy for the summer. Here’s how.

Look at your garden. Are your roses receiving at least six hours of direct sunlight? If not, consider thinning out overhead tree branches. Are they planted too close to other plants? If so, relocate those plants and give your roses some space.

Maybe your roses are planted too close to a wall. Did you know it’s easy to move them by root pruning in summer to get them ready for transfer in fall when they’re dormant? To root prune, cut a circle around the shrub with your spade, much like you were digging them up. However, don’t do that final thrust that rips the roots out. Fertilize as usual, and keep the plant well watered. Do this several times throughout summer. This will create dense, compact roots that respond well to moving. In the fall, dig out your rose with a root ball slightly larger than your pruning circle cut, then transfer your plant to its new home.

Roses need much more water than they receive from typical rainfalls, and more water than home irrigation systems provide for turf grass. How much is enough? It depends on your soil, mulch and air temperature. To determine if your roses need watering, dig a small hole a few inches deep near the plant’s base. Check the soil’s moisture content. If in doubt, water.

Unless your spring fertilizer was a slow-release type, fertilize your roses every month or so during the growing season. To promote repeat blooming, deadhead (remove) spent blooms to prevent the formation of rose hips (seed pods).

Hybrid tea roses have long stems and are good for cutting. Make your cut about one half inch above a leaf cluster with five or more leaflets. A new shoot will emerge above that cluster and just below your cut. To prolong the life of cut roses, take a bucket of warm water into the garden. Immediately after cutting the rose, hold the stem underwater and make a new cut about an inch above the end of the stem. Doing this brings water, not air, into the stem. To condition the roses, place the bucket in a dark, cool room for several hours. Now they’re ready to be arranged in a vase.

Common Michigan pests

While working with your roses, watch for pests or unusual growths and immediately correct any problems. Here are some common insects and diseases that can attack Michigan roses.

Aphids. Small insects that congregate near the tops of roses and suck the life from tender, new growth. Their “honeydew” (waste) is ideal for mold and mildew growth. Remove aphids by hand, or blast them off with a high-pressure water spray daily. On the ground, predators will feed on them. If you must use a pesticide, select a low environmental-impact product, like neem oil or insecticidal soap.

Spider mites. Unlike aphids, spider mites lurk on the lower leaves of a rose. They are difficult to see, but not the problems they cause: lower leaves take on a bronzed, crispy appearance. Spider mites prefer miniature roses and thrive in hot, dry areas. The best treatment is a daily, high-pressure water blast. These mites resist insecticides, but they can be smothered with neem oil.

Japanese beetles. These large, shiny green beetles are common in Michigan and prefer feeding on roses with yellow and white fragrant blossoms. Remove these pests from plants by hand and drop them into a jar of soapy water. Stepping on them may help females release their eggs. Also consider treating your turf to kill the grubs that will become this year’s Japanese beetles. Beetle traps are not recommended because they lure the pests into your vicinity where they might feed on your roses before reaching the trap. Most effective insecticides are fairly toxic and need to be reapplied every few days. More friendly neem oil products are recommended.

Two common types of fungal infections

Powdery mildew. This gives new foliage a powdery, sugar-frosted appearance, usually in spring or fall. Red roses are prone to this fungus. The best treatment is a daily high-pressure water blast. If you grow varieties susceptible to mildew, consider applying a fungicide every 10 to 14 days. Read application instructions carefully. If your plants are located in an area of poor air circulation, consider moving them.

Black spot. This dreaded summer fungus appears as black spots on lower leaves and occurs because leaves are left wet continuously for seven or more hours. Soon the leaves turn yellow and fall off, then new leaves higher on the plant become infected. Nothing will cure the spots once they develop. However, you may help save your plant by removing all infected leaves and begin spraying regularly with a preventive fungicide.

Perhaps your best “cure” is to prevent this problem (and powdery mildew) from ever occurring in the first place. To do this, bathe your plants with an early morning shower. That way, leaves can dry quickly as the day wears on. Also consider planting rugosa roses, which are highly resistant to black spot. Talk to garden center professionals about other resistant varieties.

Summer pruning of climbers, rugosas, and once-a-year bloomers

Some roses, such as hybrid teas and miniatures should be heavily pruned in late April or early May, before their first bloom cycle. However, the best time to prune climbers, rugosas, and once-a-year blooming antique roses is June. Each year, remove about 25 to 30 percent of their total wood to keep them looking fresh. Do this by sawing out their oldest, woodiest canes at the plant base with a pruning saw. This thinning process encourages new growth from the base and reduces plant size. You can further reduce the plant size by cutting it at the top of the plant, but do this after the major thinning cuts.

Climbers benefit from this late-spring annual thinning. Also in late spring, prune back a climber’s side shoots that emerge along the length of lateral (horizontal) main canes. New blooms will develop at the end of these shoots. Once your climber completes its first bloom cycle, prune these side shoots down so that only a couple sets of leaves are left on each side shoot. This will encourage new side shoots (and blooms) to form.

Follow these few simple steps, and you will be rewarded with beautiful bouquets from June to October.

Nancy Lindley was the co-owner of Great Lakes Roses.

How do I care for transplanted roses in spring?

March 31, 2022 • Leave a Comment

Last October, I transplanted two climbing roses and a standard rose bush. What should I be doing for them this spring?

There are four basic tasks for transplanted roses. First, carefully remove winter protection about the time you see crocus and tulips emerging from the ground. That indicates the ground temperature is warming slowly and your roses will be taking up moisture soon. If any of your roses were grafted, expose the graft union and check for growth buds on the rootstock (below the graft). You do not want to encourage these rootstock sprouts—remove them. On your climbers, if you have laid the canes down on the soil and covered them up, now is the time to uncover and gently lift the canes up and attach them again to their support structure.
The second task is pruning in April, when you start to see bud swell on the canes and branches, or around the time forsythias bloom. Remove dead branches and prune for air circulation, crossing branches and aesthetic cane length based on the supports.
The third step is their first feeding, which can be done at pruning time. A general slow-release fertilizer blended for roses is great. Spread it at the dripline and gently scratch it into the soil. Roses are heavy feeders. Many rose growers use organic supplements, such as fish emulsion or additional slow-release granular fertilizer, once a month until August to keep them healthy against disease and insect attack.
Lastly, as the roses start to push out leaves and new growth, apply a preventative spray for fungal diseases like black spot. A horticultural oil spray later in May into June can help with insect problems.

How to grow great roses: Pruning and fertilizing

April 21, 2021 • Leave a Comment

The rose is the queen of the flowers. With proper planning and a little loving care, you can be rewarded with beautiful rose blooms year after year. Here are some springtime guidelines to make sure you get the most out of your roses.

Pruning timing

Perhaps no other aspect of rose care is as misunderstood or feared as pruning. It’s actually quite simple.
Rule Number 1: Prune your roses in the spring, usually in April or May—never in the fall. How much you prune is another matter, which brings us to Rule Number 2: You can’t kill a rose with improper pruning. You might give it a bad-looking season, but you won’t kill it. Some pruning practices for specific roses:

Repeat-blooming roses, such as miniatures, hybrid teas, floribundas and shrub roses, bloom best on “new growth.” You create new growth by cutting back these roses by 1/3 to 1/2 early each spring when the forsythia blooms.

Climbers bloom best on “old wood.” So, in late April, prune out just the winter-killed or damaged canes. You don’t want to prune them back too far; knee-level is good. You won’t kill the plant if you prune it further, but you won’t see its best bloom either. Wait until late June to perform major size reductions if needed.

Rugosa roses are repeat bloomers, but like climbers, it’s best to wait until late June for major pruning. In early spring (like April), all you need to do is clip off any winter-killed tips. Note that rugosas are slow to wake up in the spring, and the dormant canes are often gray and look dead—don’t worry, they’re not. So wait until they are leafed out before pruning.

Once-a-year blooming antique roses and ramblers perform best if you wait until late June, after their spring bloom, for major pruning. In April and May, just prune out the winter-kill and damaged canes, then stand back. You’ll be treated to massive and wondrous June blooms that isn’t matched by other roses.

Pruning techniques

The first rule here: use a quality pair of bypass pruners. The second rule: keep them sharp, and learn how to sharpen them properly. Pruning practices to help you get started:

Most people tend to under-prune. Don’t be shy. Use those quality pruners and cut the canes low.
Miniature and shrubby roses with many canes can be pruned with just about anything, even hedge trimmers.
With hybrid tea roses, prune out canes that are very spindly or so old that the bark has turned brown. Also, prune out overlapping canes from the center of the bush to open it up. The end result should be 5 or 6 plump, green canes. With floribunda or repeat-blooming shrub roses, it’s all right if you end up with more canes. In fact, it’s desirable.
Cut about 1/2 inch above a “bud eye,” the bump on the cane. New growth starts from the bud eye closest to the cut. Before you cut, be sure that the bud eye is facing the outside of the bush, not the inside.

Fertilizing roses

Before discussing fertilizers, let’s start with your soil. Get it tested. Contact your Michigan State University Extension (go to www.MichiganGardener.com > “Resources” > “Garden Help”). MSU will provide you with a form to complete and return to them along with your soil samples. On that form, point out that the soil will be used for growing roses.

Now on to fertilizers. Question: what do roses and teenagers have in common? Right! They both consume enormous amounts of food. Like teenagers, roses require a continual supply of food during their growth and blooming periods. This is especially true with repeat bloomers.

In general, roses perform best when you use a well-balanced fertilizer. There are several commercial blends that contain natural materials like bone meal, fish emulsion and blood meal. These organic blends help improve the soil structure in addition to providing nutrients. If you have a yearning to be unique, you can make your own home blend of organic fertilizer. Include a variety of components to your mix, not just one or two. Like people, roses need a well-balanced diet to be healthy. Whatever organic fertilizer you use, remember to apply it 3 to 4 times a year, starting in late April.

You can also augment your granulated fertilizer applications with a quick-acting liquid fertilizer. This kind of fertilizer should be used as a supplement to your regular applications, rather than an alternative. If you decide to use a liquid fertilizer, I suggest using it at half the recommended strength.

Whatever fertilizer you select, avoid granular products that contain systemic insecticide. While they perform well as a fertilizer, the insecticide component poisons the soil and kills the desirable earthworms. Further, their insecticide components are not all that effective.

Growing great roses: The 5 essentials

To thrive, roses need five things. Look around your yard and find where nature will amply provide two of the essential ingredients: 1) sunlight, and 2) air. You provide the other three: 3) water, 4) fertilizer, and 5) love.

Specifically, plant your roses where they will receive at least six hours of direct sunlight daily, and where the air circulates freely to prevent disease. Keep in mind that roses love water and lots of it, but not standing in pools. So, select a site that offers good drainage. Be prepared to supplement nature’s rainfall with regular waterings of your own. Also reward your roses with fertilizer, and they will reward you with dazzling blooms.

One more thing on site selection. Choose a place that is easily visible from your home. Not just so you can enjoy the full display of brilliant colors, but so you can readily see and react to little problems that may occur before they become big ones.

Growing roses is fun and very satisfying. You soon may be answering the question from friends and neighbors alike: “How do you grow such beautiful roses?”

Nancy Lindley is the former co-owner of Great Lakes Roses.

RELATED: Maintaining climbing roses

Famed rose breeder David Austin dies at age 92

January 3, 2019 • Leave a Comment

David Austin, the rosarian and founder of David Austin Roses Ltd., died in December, 2018 at age 92. Over the past 20 years, U.S. and Canadian gardeners came to know Austin as the creator of beautiful, fragrant English roses.

He bred more than 200 English roses during his extraordinary career. From a farming background, Austin developed a keen interest in old roses in his early twenties. He felt that although the old roses were charming and often had magnificent fragrances, they were lacking in the color diversity and repeat blooming common to the more modern hybrid teas. This belief was the basis for the collection of English roses that gardeners enjoy today. He set about creating an entirely new rose, which combined the beauty and fragrance of old roses with the benefits of modern roses. His first English rose was ‘Constance Spry,’ launched in 1961. Notable varieties include ‘Gertrude Jekyll’—twice voted England’s favorite rose—and more recently, ‘Olivia Rose Austin.’

David Austin Jr., son and Managing Director of the company for the last 25 years said, “My father was a remarkable man. His love for the art of rose breeding was truly inspiring; he loved nothing more than seeing the pleasure that his roses gave to others.
His presence will be sorely missed within the global family company that he created. But the passion he instilled will continue and we will hold true to my father’s vision when he founded the company almost 50 years ago.”

What is the difference between own-root and grafted roses?

May 7, 2018 • Leave a Comment

What is the difference between own-root and grafted roses? Is one better than the other?

Own-root roses are produced by rooting and growing the cuttings of desired varieties. The types produced by this method often include Antiques, Flower Carpet, Meidiland and many Shrub varieties. Most own-root roses do not need ground level protection in winter once they are established.

Budded (or grafted) roses are produced by inserting a bud of a desired variety onto a vigorous rootstock. The types produced by budding include Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, Climbing and English varieties, as well as a few from the Antique and Shrub groups. Budded roses should be planted with their swollen bud union 1 to 2 inches below the surface, plus have winter protection each year to help them survive our cold Michigan climate.

Few rose varieties are produced using both methods, so the question of one method being “better” than the other really does not apply. Since the propagation method relates to the type of rose, your choice is really determined by the rose producers and their experience of which one works best for that particular variety.

Healthy-looking rose bushes fail to bloom

July 13, 2015 • Leave a Comment

I have 6 rose bushes that get morning sun. The foliage looks great but I get no roses. I inherited these plants when I bought the house and I don’t know anything about them. I have good drainage and have given them rose fertilizer. C.M., Allenton

Your roses with no blooms are more than likely not receiving enough direct sunlight. In order to produce flowers, roses must have full sun, which is usually defined as a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of direct sunshine. Morning sun doesn’t sound like it fulfills that requirement. Perhaps the rose bushes have become shaded as the surrounding landscape has matured and trees and shrubs have grown larger, creating shade where there was once full sun. If that is the case you have two options.

First, it may be possible to prune back the offending trees or plants that are creating the afternoon shade, thereby allowing more sunshine to the roses. In a mature landscape that can be difficult due to the probable destruction of the aesthetics provided by the larger plants. A second and more viable option is to simply transplant the roses to a new space with the full sun they need. The best time to transplant roses is in the very early spring, while they are still dormant, before any new leaves have sprouted. You can get a jump on the process by digging and preparing the new rose bed this growing season in anticipation of the big move. Then, next spring, dig each bush with the largest root ball you can handle and move them into the light.

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