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ROSE CARE FOR SEPTEMBER
by Betty Mott, Consulting Rosarian
by Betty Mott, Consulting Rosarian
September is the beginning of the transition months in my garden. It can be scorching but by the end of the month cooler temperatures will reward us with blooms of vibrant colors rivaling those of spring. What you do in your garden depends on what plans you have for your roses. If you are planning on entering your roses in some of the fall rose shows scheduled in the NCNH District, you have most likely pruned your roses back so you will have plenty of blooms ready for show time.
In my garden with the shade, fog and visiting animal population, I have never willingly deadheaded or pruned off roses or buds to prepare for an event. However if you are planning to enter roses in a show in the future or have an event planned for your garden you might find the information useful. Since we all know every part of gardening advice is subject to many variables such as: fertilizer - how much used and how often, stress factors such as excessive heat or cold, amount and frequency of water, and the number of hours of sunlight your roses receive, please keep these factors in mind.
This information on pruning back for an upcoming rose show was gathered from an article written by Bill Reynolds, a member of Butte Rose Society. He lives in Chico with a different micro - climate that we have but you can use this as a general guide. “Large Flowering Climbers and Old Garden Roses tend to have an 8 week re-bloom cycle. Floribundas, Modern Shrubs, Polyanthas, Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras will re-bloom in 6-7 weeks. Miniatures and Mini Floras are faster to re-bloom in 5-6 weeks. Another suggestion is not to deadhead a whole bush at once. Instead deadhead ½ of the bush one week then finish the other half of the bush the following week. Some exhibitors split their deadheading up into thirds removing 1/3 of the spent blooms each week for a three week period.” Regardless, it is a guessing game and there are no guarantees.
Since I have no big plans for my roses this year, September will be the last month that I will apply any additional fertilizer. Do not use a slow release fertilizer like Osmocote in September. Soon we will be encouraging our roses to go into a dormant state so they will once again awake in the spring full of energy and vigorous growth.
There are so many recipes for rose teas popping up these days and all seem to include various amounts of alfalfa pellets, fish emulsion, Epsom salts, rose food like Maxsea, and liquid seaweed. I also noticed someone was adding 1/3 cup of chelated iron (iron aids chlorophyll formation and sugar burning enzymes, which activates nitrogen fixation). I can report that my roses looked pretty perky after using the Marin Rose Society Garden Tea developed by John Goldsmith which was mentioned in your June newsletter. Being my first experience with a tea, my only question was what to do with the alfalfa pellet sludge left on the bottom of your 30 gallon brew? I threw a bucket full on the closest roses to the 30 container, but apparently one should spread about 1 cup of it on each rose bush until it is used up. Thankfully my roses are forgiving.
Keep your roses deadheaded and remove diseased leaves and petals. Remove any dead canes and stems smaller than a pencil so the plant’s energy will go to the blooms and not dead ends.
Be mindful of the temperatures and water accordingly. September and October can bring on the heat, yet the amount of daylight is decreasing. Roses do require water to perform at their best. I am happy to say that although I appear to be using more water than the average user in Marin County in the summer months, I have reduced the amount of water use in my garden this year. Replacing the spray emitters with the circles of tubing with 4 holes emitting ¼ gallon each per rose seems to be a better water wise solution for my garden. It is never too late to add mulch to your rose bushes. The 2-4 inches of Mango Mulch I added this spring has just about disappeared. Mulch in the winter months adds protection for your roses as well.
A Marin Rose Society member had trouble with the Cucumber Beetle…a yellowish-green chewing insect with black spots that eats holes in petals when the temperature moderates. Go to:
http://www.ghorganics.com/CucumberBeetles.htm to learn about this pest and safe ways of getting rid of it. I did not have Cucumber Beetles, but I had my first encounters with Grasshoppers.
Who would ever think those cute little green creatures could cause so much damage in the summer? Grasshoppers chew everything in sight! Their damage is most noticeable on leaves and at first glance resembles that of caterpillar damage. Although not the only indicator, commonly grasshopper damage is characterized by rough-edged holes in the leaf's center. Both leaf tissue and veins will be chewed away, although some species will commonly eat only the tissues. Go to:
http://www.ghorganics.com/page12.html to find out more about Grasshoppers and how to control them with organic methods.
Other suggestions: If you go out early in the morning you can see them and easily cut their heads off with your clippers. When it is cool in the morning they cannot move very much, until the sun warms them up. I think I mistook two praying mantis for grasshoppers and cut two in half, before I realized my mistake. I felt sick. I know they are garden friends. My husband swears they were grasshoppers but I think he was trying to make me feel better. Are you encouraging birds to hang out in your yard? Add a bird bath to attract them? They have been the best "organic" control in my yard. They come to the bird bath, have a drink, and then hunt for breakfast.
Evaluate your roses and look for ones that you may want to replace. September is also a great month for planting roses. Some nurseries clear their rose inventory starting Labor Day weekend. This might be a good way to buy some great roses at reduced prices. Make sure that the plants are free from pests and diseases and that the plants are not showing any sign of wilting or stress.
In closing, I would like to share a couple of Chinese Proverbs:
- “The fragrance always remains in the hand that gives the rose.”
“A thorn defends the rose, harming only those who would steal the bloom.”
Photo of the praying mantis by Marie Cheek and photo of the grasshopper by Jacob Hamblin—both used with permission from: http://www.istockphoto.com
A YEAR OF ROSE CARE:
January
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Last Modified: 7/30/09