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ROSE CARE FOR FEBRUARY
by Nanette Londeree, Master Consulting Rosarian
by Nanette Londeree, Master Consulting Rosarian
This time of the year you have to have a good memory to recall the beauty of the rose garden. After pruning, the garden can look pretty bare, though in our mild climate it’s generally only about six to eight weeks. You can expect to have your first blooms about ten - twelve weeks after you finish pruning. Not done yet? Better get to it - if the weather stays mild, your roses can break dormancy and begin to put out new growth. If that happens and then you prune, it may take a little longer to see blooms in the spring.
This is a good time of the year for a tune up in the rose garden. With the plants dormant, the structure of the plant is clearly visible as well as the area around each plant. First look closely at the pruned plant. If there are any canes or stems that are thin and weak, remove them – they’ll only produce small, wimpy blooms. Also check for any sign of post pruning die-back - canes that are brown to black. Trim them back to a point where the canes are clearly green and you see healthy, creamy white pith. Remove any canes that are crossing to keep the center of the plant open for good air circulation. Next, look at the base of the plant. Ideally, you should see the bud union (for grafted varieties) above the soil level, exposed and free from garden debris. This is where your new basal breaks will occur - something you really want to encourage. If you have miniature roses in the ground, they can easily become a network of tiny canes that are a good place for insects and other pests to make a home. Clean out the center of the plants and if the plant is getting too large for the space, dig it up and divide it (just like you would a perennial). Since miniature roses are grown on their own roots, dividing is actually beneficial for the plant and for you - another rose for another location!
Once you’re satisfied with your pruning, clean up the soil around the plants. Remove fallen leaves and other debris, pull weeds, and trim back any companion plants you have growing with the roses. If you dormant spray, do it after your clean up.
Towards the end of the month if the rains have tapered off, you’ll be ready to add amendments - particularly alfalfa pellets and Epsom salts (though you can add them any time through March). Add one cup of alfalfa pellets (without molasses) spread at the base of each plant. There’s no need to mix it in unless you don’t like the appearance. Add one handful of Epsom salts per bush, again, sprinkled at the base of the plant. Be sure that the plants are well watered before and after adding the amendments, especially the salts (timing it between rains is a good idea).
With your tune up complete, you can relax for a month or so until the roses begin their real intense growth period and dream about the flowers to come.
A YEAR OF ROSE CARE:
January
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Last Modified: 2/22/08