Administration:
Consulting Rosarians
History of MRS
Officers
Bronze Medal Awards
Membership:
Join Us!
Newsletter sample
Upcoming Events:
Programs
Directions to MAGC
Rose Culture:
Diseases
Fertilizing
Garden Good/Bad Guys
Great Roses
Planting
Pruning
Watering
Annual Rose Care
Monthly Rose Care
Rose of the Month
Rose Purchasing:
Buying Roses
Mail Order Sources
Rose Shows:
Latest Show Results
Previous Rose Shows
MRS Trophies
Misc:
Poet's Corner
Rose Books
Join the ARS
What's New?
Rosey Links
Site Map
ROSE CARE FOR OCTOBER
by Barbara Picarelli, Consulting Rosarian
by Barbara Picarelli, Consulting Rosarian
The hot summer months are over, or are they? I’ve just spent the last month knee deep in soil, either with clay soil being removed or screening soil to replace in the beds that have been formed by new block walls. One thing I couldn’t help but notice was how hard and dry this clay was at a depth of about a foot to 18 inches. It would be ideal if when you plan to buy a house you specify its garden should have loamy soil, no such luck in my yard, clay and more clay!
How do you get this soil watered when it’s so hard and dry? Well in my case since I’d removed most of it, I added gypsum at a rate of 5 pounds per each 10 feet, rototilled it in then watered heavily. Gypsum is a substance that is supposed to help loosen clay soil, made up of calcium sulfate, and it also acts to help remove excess sodium, (a good use for those potted roses that have had plenty of fertilizer). Since I planned on replacing the roses that had been removed to build the walls, I had the added advantage of the additive having sulfate included which will acidify the soil too.
Once the gypsum was tilled in, I then added compost, chicken manure and alfalfa pellets and once again the hit the beds with a rototiller. The removed soil was screened to remove roots, large rocks and other debris and added back to the beds, with more tilling. By this time I have muscles like “Arnold” and am tired of the whole thing.
Why not wait and do this later or in the spring? Time was NOT on my side. However the beds will have most of the winter to settle in and hopefully be in better shape to accept and grow better roses. The best thing to add to help change the quality of the soil is compost. This process takes more time but does a better job than anything else you can do to change the soil acidity or the texture and structure. If you’re able to make your own compost, super, if not buy it by the yard from a reputable dealer and have it delivered, or if no other alternative, buy it by the bag at a garden center. Compost can be added at any time during year. Not only will it add structure to the soil but also adds nutrients and allows for the proper flow of water. And I can guarantee you it will help whittle your waistline while shoveling all that compost!
A YEAR OF ROSE CARE:
January
Return to the Main Page
gail@marinrose.org
All Rights Reserved
Last Modified: 10/25/06