Rose

1. Q. As the weather gets hotter, my roses look worse. What can I do to insure that they survive the summer?

A. Poor cultural practices and neglect during summer months will weaken plants and make it harder for them to survive. Here are some suggestions on summer care of roses:

  1. As flowers fade and petals fall remove old flowers. Otherwise, food and energy will go into seed production rather than plant growth and flower production.
  2. When removing spent flowers cut just above the second five-leaflet leaf above the main cane or branch.
  3. Use a complete fertilizer such as 10-10-5, 15-10-10 or similar formulations at the rate of 1 1/4 pounds per 100 square feet just as new growth starts in spring then apply about 1/3 to
  4. During hot, dry weather water rose beds thoroughly every week to a depth of 8-10 inches.
  5. Control blackspot and mildew by spraying with Benlate or Funginex every 7-10 days from the time new growth starts in the spring and continue throughout the growing season until frost.

So for optimum flower production this summer and fall give your roses that bit of added attention.

2. Q. I think my rose bushes need an overhaul - - they look terrible! Is there anyway to "supercharge" the bushes so they will bloom this fall?

A. The cooler temperatures of fall will stimulate rose bush growth and intensify the color of the rose blooms. Many people do not prepare their roses for this second spring so they miss really the most spectacular, longest lasting bloom period. Roses should be pruned and groomed from now until no later than September 20. Fall pruning is lighter than in the spring. Cut about one-fourth to one-third of the bush. When pruning miniatures, other than cleaning them out, simply cut off all the blooms. When pruning standard size roses remove all of the blooms and bloom pods. When removing the recommended one-fourth of the bush cut all canes back to pencil-size wood, remove any crossing canes which might rub and damage adjoining canes and remove any dead or diseased wood. The general shape of a rose bush should be open-centered or vase-like with canes evenly distributed around the outside. To prolong the bloom period you may want to prune only one-half of your rose bush at a time then wait a week to complete the process. The half which was pruned first will bloom first generally 45 days after pruning occurred. Mid-October should begin the peak rose bloom season. Remove and dispose of all diseased leaves with black spots on the foliage. Black spot fungus must be prevented rather than cured. Prevention is easily accomplished by a 7 - l0 day spray schedule with Funginex fungicide (Black Spot is a fungus disease) and Orthene insecticide for thrips (these cause blooms to stay closed or be mis-shapened). Spraying should continue until the first hard freeze occurs. By September, the spray interval should be shortened to every 7 days since disease is more prevalent. After fall pruning has been done, give the bushes a "shot in the arm" with the addition of fertilizer. Feeding with a water soluble fertilizer should occur every two weeks. Follow instructions by mixing one tablespoon of water soluble fertilizer per gallon of water and pour a gallon of solution around each plant. Donšt feed with either liquid or dry fertilizers after October 15th so that growth can slow and harden for the winter cold. Water and wait for the beauty of fall - - that's all you have to do to "supercharge" your rose bushes.

3. Q. What are the best roses to grow?

A. Once you decide which rose type you want to plant (most folks will plant a hybrid tea or grandiflora), you will need to know which are the best varieties within those classifications. I not only have a listing of the best rose varieties for this area but also a POP (proof of the pudding) rating as compelled by the best rose growers in the state. Any POP rating above 8.0 is spectacular. Those rose varieties with POP above 7 are considered excellent. The best of the hybrid teas and grandifloras include:

In the floribunda category the winners are Fire King, an orange red with a POP of 7.5; Gene Boerner, a medium pink rose that grows on a very tall and bushy plant--this variety has a POP of 8.8, one of the highest rated floribunda; Little Darling, which would seem misnamed since it is an extremely tall and spreading bush with a profusion of yellow blend blooms of a hybrid tea form, has a POP of 8.8; Pink Rosette is an older variety with low height and bushy pattern of growth yet it is extremely floriferous (it is not unusual for 20-25 blooms to be on one cane; and, last but not least, Rose Parade, a pink blend bloom on a bush of medium height, has a POP of 7.7.

In the climbing rose category, the varieties Blaze (medium red), Climbing America (coral pink) and Don Juan (deep red) are recommended. Some of the best miniatures are Beauty Secret (medium red), Dreamglo (red blend), Party Girl (yellow blend), Starina (orange-red) and Starglo (white).

Miniatures have become very popular in the last few years. As a result hundreds of new cultivars have bee introduced with different results. The top five exhibition winners in the country are Jean Kenneally, a tall apricot blend with a POP of 7.9; Minnie Pearl, a tall and bushy plant with pink blend blooms and a POP 8.1; Snow Bride, a medium sized white bloom with a POP of 8.0; Party Girl, a yellow blend on a medium sized bush and a POP of 8.0; and Little Jackie, a vigorous, tall bush that produces a light petaled, orange blend bloom. Others, in order of preference, are Rainbow's End, a yellow blend on a medium sized plant and a POP of 8.0 and Starina, a small to medium, orange red whose POP is the highest in the world at 9.6. Two others that produce well in this climate are Kathy Robinson, a tall, bushy plant that has pink blend blooms with a POP of 8.7 and Over-The-Rainbow, a medium size plant with a bushy growth habit which produces a red blend colored rose with a POP of 8.5.

4. Q: When do you prune roses? Climbing roses?

A: Hybrid tea, Grandiflora and Floribunda roses require annual pruning in the spring just prior to bud break. If rose bushes are pruned too early, injury from late frost may make a second pruning necessary. Climbing roses should be pruned in the fall, any time after cold weather sets in. Old rambler roses should be pruned immediately after flowering.

5. Q: Leaves are eaten off my rose bush. Sometimes the whole leaf blade is gone, and other times, the leaf is half eaten. What type of insect is eating my plants?

A: Probably some type of chewing insect. Examine plants frequently to see if any pests can be found. Treatment depends on insect. Leaf cutting bees or ants are a common problem.

6. Q: Should I or could I pour pickle juice around roses?

A: Pickle juice would be acid, so it would lower the pH somewhat, but sulfur would be a better choice. You would need to know the actual pH before you did anything.

7. Q: When and how do you start rose cuttings?

A: Roses can be started from terminal cuttings or leaf bud cuttings. However, because all hybrid roses are grafted onto a common root stock you should buy the variety you want that is already grafted.

8. Q: Does the petal count of roses determine the number of days before subsequent blooms occur?

A: Yes, on hybrid teas. According to the Rose Society if a flower has forty petal blooms when cut, then it will take 40 days to rebloom. However, this is a broad rule of thumb.

9. Q: Can fish oil be used to feed roses?

A: No, not strong enough. Suggest 12-12-12 or 10-20-10.

10. Q: Do you need organic material, iron and nitrogen fertilizer for roses?

A: Needs organic material; iron is not a usual problem in most rose beds; suggest 12-12-12 or 10-20-10 fertilizer rather than straight nitrogen.

11. Q. I have heard about the great attributes of old-fashioned or antique roses. What do you know about them?

A. Though these plants do have some redeeming features, they are not what most people want in a garden rose. Many consider Belinda's Rose (Belinda's Dream) to be the best (most desirable qualities of disease resistant, fragrance, durability, flower form) rose in the world.

12. Q. I think my rose bushes need an overhaul - - they look terrible! Is there anyway to "supercharge" the bushes so they will bloom this fall?

A. The cooler temperatures of fall will stimulate rose bush growth and intensify the color of the rose blooms. Many people do not prepare their roses for this second spring so they miss really the most spectacular, longest lasting bloom period. Roses should be pruned and groomed from now until no later than September 20. Fall pruning is lighter than in the spring. Cut about one-fourth to one-third of the bush. When pruning miniatures, other than cleaning them out, simply cut off all the blooms. When pruning standard size roses remove all of the blooms and bloom pods. When removing the recommended one-fourth of the bush cut all canes back to pencil-size wood, remove any crossing canes which might rub and damage adjoining canes and remove any dead or diseased wood. The general shape of a rose bush should be open-centered or vase-like with canes evenly distributed around the outside. To prolong the bloom period you may want to prune only one-half of your rose bush at a time then wait a week to complete the process. The half which was pruned first will bloom first generally 45 days after pruning occurred. Mid-October should begin the peak rose bloom season. Remove and dispose of all diseased leaves with black spots on the foliage. Black spot fungus must be prevented rather than cured. Prevention is easily accomplished by a 7-10 day spray schedule with Funginex fungicide (Black Spot is a fungus disease) and Orthene insecticide for thrips (these cause blooms to stay closed or be mis-shapened). Spraying should continue until the first hard freeze occurs. By September, the spray interval should be shortened to every 7 days since disease is more prevalent. After fall pruning has been done, give the bushes a "shot in the arm" with the addition of fertilizer. Feeding with a water soluble fertilizer should occur every two weeks. Follow instructions by mixing one tablespoon of water soluble fertilizer per gallon of water and pour a gallon of solution around each plant Don't feed with either liquid or dry fertilizers after October 15th so that growth can slow and harden for the winter cold. Water and wait for the beauty of fall - - that's all you have to do to "supercharge" your rose bushes.

13. Q. I have weird looking leaves on the growing tips of my rose bushes. The affected leaves have a whitish-grayish, dust- like substance on them. What is causing this problem and how can I solve it?

A. You have a BIG problem but a common one. Pest control is one of the major problems facing area rose growers. Insects such as thrips damage flower buds and cause them not to open or to form odd-shaped blooms. These insects must be prevented rather than waiting until damage occurs before acting. Once damaged, blooms are not salvageable. The same is true for foliage diseases--prevention rather than cure should be the rule. The most notorious of the rose foliage diseases are black spot and powdery mildew, which can severely damage most of leaves and impair the plant's ability to produce a bounty of large, beautiful blooms. The black spot fungus disease is prevented by applying triforine (Ortho Funginex) or benomyl (Greenlight Systemic Fungicide) spray every 7-10 days. Powdery mildew, the affliction which you describe as affecting your roses, is best controlled with bayleton (Greenlight Fung-Away) or benomyl (Greenlight Systemic Fungicide). Apply Orthene, diazinon or malathion for insect control when necessary. Do not apply a mixture of Orthene and Funginex more than two weeks in a row. Applying insecticides and fungicides separately is safer for plant health. Also, using insecticide on the buds only, rather than the entire bush, gets super results for insect control. These pesticide sprays are a necessity if rose growers expect an abundance of perfect blooms on disease-free plants.

14. Q. My 22 hybrid tea roses and five climbing roses have been damaged by a late freeze. The new green growth, leaves about three inches, have turned brown and some of the canes on the hybrid teas are black and soft. In 12 years of growing rosese I have not experienced any damage this severe. Should I remove the brown leaves and blackened canes now or wait until warmer weather? Should I fertilize to encourage new growth now or wait until new growth appears on it's on, hopefully they are not dead. What setbacks am I to expect?

A: Wait until the plants recover and begin a new flush of growth -- then cut all dead wood above the flushing area. If you want to do something now, it is a safe bet to remove blackened, withered wood. However, some buds may be damaged, even on green wood, to a point they will not initiate foliage. BEWARE that you don't forget most roses are grafted so if sprouts and shoots arise only from beneath the graft union, you have lost the rose. I would wait on fertilization until after the sprouting has begun then feed as you would normally.

15. Q. I have a Fragrant Cloud rose that has white spots covering the older canes, and it has spread to some of the leaves. The smaller canes have turned brown and died back. The spots are not moving (not bugs). Any clues?

A: You are dealing with "critters" on your Fragrant Cloud (GOOD CHOICE!!) rose called scale. They are aphid-like covered with a white sheild. When you prune next February, try to remove all affected branches. If you just have one bush, you can rub all you see off with your hand. You can direct spray them with an insecticide such as Orthene or direct spray with a summer oil spray. BE SURE to be careful and FOLLOW label instructions with the summer oil spray or you can damage your plant to the point of death. Roses are having a hard time with these hot temperatures but summer prune them in September for beautiful fall bloom in cool temperatures.

16. Q: Could you please enlighten me on the history of the yellow rose of texas?

A: The "Yellow Rose of Texas" according to the history was NOT a flower but a lady-of-the-night who kept Santa Anna "occupied" to delay battle so that reinforcements could arise. Ironically, the yellow rose is the weakest of all rose colors -- horticulturists and rose breeders are constantly trying to find a good, yellow rose. In Dr. William Welch's book, Antique Roses For the South, he indicates that "Pioneers moving westward often took 'Harrison's Yellow' with them, and it persists in old California gardens today, testifying to the transcontinental trek to new frontiers. Some historians consider 'Harrison's Yellow' to be the "Yellow Rose of Texas".

For further information concerning growing roses, see the American Rose Society's web site.


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