ROSES IN SUMMER
Simple tricks to keep your roses bloomin’
Published in the Gateway Newspaper July 25, 2007
A lot of people think roses are supposed to bloom like crazy in June and then bloom a bit off and on throughout the summer. I tell everyone to EXPECT their roses to bloom continuously from early June until frost, barely taking a breath between bloom cycles. Of course there are important rules to follow to insure this, but I promise they are simple and well worth the effort involved. A “happy” established rose bush should produce anywhere from 50-300 blooms a season. Here’s how…
HIGH RATED ROSES ARE THE KEY.
Only grow high rated, disease resistant roses. Don’t settle for anything less. The rose variety you choose will make or break your rose growing experience. Everything I tell you about how to make your rose glorious will mean nothing if you grow a low rated “dog” of a rose. Ask the experts before you choose a new rose no matter what. Forget the pretty picture or the name on the tag. Be educated.
Ask…ask…ask! Only buy #1 grade (at least 3 canes) roses from reputable garden centers…..and not from the cement floors of a heated warehouse where no watering system exists.
DON’T STOP WATERING.
Roses need 1-2 inches of water per week. I water every 2-3 days (using a drip system) for approximately 15 minutes. Using organic fertilizers like Terosa and organic mulch like Barefoot Soil Earthworm Castings or any high quality compost will keep moisture in. Using 2-3 tablespoons of ‘Quench’ will also help keep moisture in. One of the mistakes people make is not watering properly. Be consistent. Don’t stop your watering program until early fall. I see roses go dormant very quickly when they should be producing loads of blooms because people are both inconsistent and too quick to stop watering in the summer.
FERTILIZING
Ideally fertilize with Terosa Rose Food by July 15th. Its once-a-year application with all the rich organics will “feed the soil” unlike chemical foods, which do nothing but pollute it. Organics improve the soil dramatically and will enable your roses to grow beautifully. If you didn’t use Terosa and would like to try it use 3 cups per rose instead of the recommended 4 cups per bush.
ALFALFA MEAL & EPSOM SALTS
While many garden gurus have promoted the use of alfalfa meal on all your plants it is not a complete fertilizer. In fact because alfalfa is in essence nitrogen, over use of it will promote too much green growth and not enough blooms (not to mention an aphid invasion). Using alfalfa as your only fertilizer is a big mistake. However when used in conjunction with Terosa as a compliment it is highly recommended. While Terosa contains both alfalfa and Epsom salts a second application anytime during the growing season (no later than August 15th) is beneficial. Epsom salts (yes, the same ones we put in our bath water) are a terrific source of magnesium. The magnesium helps to create basal breaks at the base of the rose. Basal breaks are the big chunky canes so many roses DO NOT produce enough of. At the drip line of each rose apply 2 cups alfalfa meal and one fourth cup Epsom salts. Cover up with soil or compost and water in well.
STRIPPING THE BOTTOM LEAVES OFF.
In July (or August) I pull off the bottom one third of the leaves on the rose bush. At this point in the season the bottom leaves act as a host for blackspot spores and spider mites. Pulling them off (by hand) also allows for better air circulation. Because my roses are surrounded by perennials this practice helps keep my roses healthy.
SPRAY AS NECESSARY.
There really should not be much to deal with (except spider mites) in the heat of the summer. Do keep ‘Rose Defense’ (neem oil) handy if you see any aphids or any disease. If your rose is still getting blackspot and mildew in mid summer I would suggest you re-evaluate that rose bush. Maybe it is too troubled to keep.
A MINI PRUNING
As you cut off the dead blooms or simply cut some roses to bring in the house cut down to the 2nd or 3rd five leaflet on the stem. Cutting a long stem will act as a stimulus, telling the rose it must grow again.
FISH FERTILIZER OR FISH MEAL
Terosa contains the rich organic fish meal, but a little trick I suggest rose growers try is to give your roses either an application or two of liquid fish fertilizer or a half cup of fish meal(applied to the base of the bush). Either product will intensify the color of the blooms. It will take about 10 days to see the results, but it does make a difference. People have told me they see this depth in color occur even when they only use Terosa. Chemical foods do not do this. The hot sun often bleaches out the color of the bloom and adding either fish fertilizer or fish meal will enhance the color further.
Terri Hiatt works at Peninsula Gardens as a buyer, designer and rose expert. She teaches gardening classes all over the Pacific Northwest and also at Peninsula Gardens and at Tacoma Community College in Gig Harbor and is the creator of Terosa Ultimate Once A Year Fertilizers. She can be reached at terrihiatt@hotmail.com
