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ROSE CARE FOR JANUARY
by Barbara Picarelli, Master Rosarian
by Barbara Picarelli, Master Rosarian
Is it 2009 already, I haven’t figured out where 2008 went! But here we are and it’s that time of year to prune and clean up the garden. First and foremost make sure your tetanus shot is up to date, it may save a trip to the Emergency Room later. Then it’s time to prune those roses. We will do hands-on pruning class this year at our January meeting, so join us if you’re in doubt about how to do it properly.
A VERY important part of the yearly garden rose care is the clean up! You never know what lurks under those crispy curled leaves lying on the ground, so be sure to wear gloves. (It’s sort of like looking under the bed in your teenager’s room; you just NEVER know what you’ll find) Remember too that pruning debris and clean up debris do not go into the compost pile as they can harbor disease. Put them into the recycling can or the garbage. I usually prune my rose bushes first then strip all the leaves, leaving me a lot less stripping to do. Old canes, dead and dying canes, and pruning inside the bush to open it up to a nice vase shape for air flow and decreasing disease is imperative.
Once this is accomplished, if you chose to spray use a dormant product and spray the plant and the ground around your bushes to decrease the incident of re-infestation of disease. Some diseases reoccur with “splash” element. It rains hard, (we hope), water splashes up onto the canes and voila, disease is carried up to the bush again. I use a dormant oil product, on my bushes as well as the fruit trees in and around my garden, thereby killing two birds, etc. It doesn’t harm the environment and is very effective. Whatever you chose to use, READ the product label and use as directed, more is not better. Remember too to use proper precautions when using sprays, (any kind of sprays) — long sleeves on clothing, gloves, goggles, and a mask or respirator type breathing apparatus if using toxic type chemicals.
A YEAR OF ROSE CARE:
January
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Last Modified: 1/20/09