Garden Tips

By Wendy Pan

With "Delicate as a rose" as a popular figure of speech with poets and writers, the common misconception that the care of roses requires high maintenance comes as no surprise. But roses are actually shrubs with a few manageable requirements to ensure healthy plants with bountiful blooms.

Watering: Providing a thorough, slow soaking to roses a few times a week is the most critical chore. Direct the water into the soil to soak the roots, not the leaves. Watering in the morning instead of the evening prevents lingering moisture from causing diseases.

Weeding: Weed out perennials and cultivate the soil around the roses regularly. Spreading a mulch of wood chips, pine needles, or other biodegradable material will inhibit weed growth. Avoid using systemic herbicides, as roses are sensitive to them.

Pest control: In rainy and humid areas, the care of roses involves watching for diseases such as black spot, in which black spots develop on the leaves, and mildew, which causes leaves to turn white. Common fungus diseases include rust, which is characterized by raised orange spots on the undersides of leaves, and rose canker, which leaves brown patches on the stems. A fungicide can be used for any of these diseases; consult a garden center for appropriate products and carefully follow directions for use. Clean pruners with alcohol to avoid spreading disease.

Roses can also harbor insect pests. Aphids secrete a substance that attracts ants, and spider mites construct webs on the undersides of leaves. Wash them away by blasting the leaves with water from the hose. A more serious predator, common in the Eastern United States, is the Japanese beetle, which will feed on the flowers and foliage of roses growing in bright sunlight.

Gardeners who wish to avoid using insecticide granules or sprays can try milky spore disease powder to kill the grubs. A pyrethrum spray can be used to combat thrips and leafhoppers.

Pruning and deadheading: Although pruning is not a critical task in the care of roses, it is highly recommended for ensuring healthy, well-shaped plants and abundant flowering. In the spring, after removing dead branches, prune the plant back by about one third or even one half, until the centers of the stems look white instead of brown. Make slanted cuts above outward facing buds with five leaflets to promote growth in that direction. Pruning rose bushes allows more sunlight and increases air circulation to the plant. In the summer, deadhead roses by cutting off dead flowers to encourage more blooming (depending on the variety).

Winter protection: As the summer winds down, so will the care of roses. Do not fertilize roses in the fall, because promoting new growth will make them more vulnerable to cold. In areas where the temperatures can fall below 20 degrees F, protect the roots by building a mound of soil about 6 to 12 inches high around the plants. When new growth appears at the base in the spring, the mounds may be removed.

Wendy Pan is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about care of roses, please visit How Do I Care For Roses for current articles and discussions.
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