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ROSE CARE FOR FEBRUARY
by Lydia Treadway, Consulting Rosarian
by Lydia Treadway, Consulting Rosarian
February for me is the beginning of a new rose cycle. I get so fired up thinking of all the new roses that I fell in love with, and then how to find a place for them in my garden. February is the hopeful month of ‘let it rain” and to complete the tasks to finish one’s pruning, to plant new roses, and to move old roses around.
When you buy your new roses, it is best to plant them immediately. I like to soak my roses at least six hours in five gallons of water with two tablespoons of Clorox to help get rid of diseases they may carry. You can leave them hydrating for up to a week.
Planting your roses correctly is the most important thing. Do it well! First, you make a hole wide enough to spread out the rose roots and deep enough that the bud union will end up at soil level. Spread the roots out over a mound of soil at the bottom of the hole. In the mound of soil I mix some bone meal to help root system development. Start filling up the hole with good rose soil (no fertilizer), mix with existing soil and then water well to settle it all in.
After the water has drained, fill the hole to the top with soil. To keep your plant growing strong, do not forget to water. Sometimes we think that the rains will do the job, but if it starts to be dry, please water your plants to encourage growth and flowering.
This is the right time to clean the garden of any rose debris and weeds. I do this regularly as it helps my garden not to carry diseases through the growing season. I will share a few photos from my garden to show before and after pruning roses and cleaning the ground. I wish you a happy growing season with a lot of gorgeous blooms and great success in entering your roses in our shows. We are the rose family—please share your roses with us!
Photos by Lydia Treadway
A YEAR OF ROSE CARE:
January
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Last Modified: 2/18/10