Spring, summer, fall and voila winter!!!! Fortunately or unfortunately, here in our lovely state, specifically Marin county, our winter is not snow, or ice but rather tons of rain. Normally, the rain starts in November and ends in March. So, compared to the rest of the country, our winter is mellow. Simply put, winterizing our …
Cooler weather, dew on leaves longer in the morning, and the first real rains of the season, can bring with it a bane of the rose garden – rust. This fungal disease with orange, powdery pustules on the undersides of leaves makes rust easy to identify. They start out yellow to light orange and deepen …
As I write this, it is hard to believe that fall officially starts tomorrow. But the calendar doesn’t lie, and if we have a normal fall, the rains should start in mid-October. Don’t let a few early showers fool you. If an inch of rain has not fallen during the week, you will probably still …
Those leaves with the striking green and yellow marbled patterns festooning one of your rose plants may look like Mother Nature as artist, but don’t be fooled. More than likely, it’s the result of rose mosaic virus. You may see yellow, white, or brownish lines, bands, rings, wavy lines, vein clearing or blotches on leaves. …
Like most of you, I struggled through those blistering hot days of July and August with plants wilting in the sun, leaves and blooms of roses crinkly and scorched. Despite watering twice a day, it wasn’t enough. So, what could I have done? Well the old layers of mulch come to mind, but I’d already …
I only have 150 roses counting all the miniatures. Yet, I am always wondering what to do and what not to do to keep them blooming at all times since I am such a hog when it comes to rose blooms. Have you ever wondered about that too? As we all know, the weather, the …
This month can be the start of our hot weather, with warm days and cool nights as the summer fog pattern settles in. Maintain good deep watering at least every other day or more if we get a really hot spell. Fertilize with a good balanced liquid fertilizer always after watering so as not to …
Giving your roses a high-quality environment and balanced nutrition can result in robust plants that produce lots of healthy foliage, an abundance of blooms, and an enhanced ability to resist attack from pests and disease. It doesn’t have to be a lot of hard work, complicated or involve a truckload of chemicals. Consider those old …
As summer approaches it’s time to get into the garden maintenance mode – deadheading, weeding and watering. keeping after pests and fertilizing. You can follow the same routine through September, barring any unusual weather. Speaking of weather, late spring can bring us conditions that may cause some strange symptoms in your plants. Freezing temperatures followed …
Drought – it’s a scary thing, especially when your only source of water comes from seasonal rains and they don’t materialize. We had record rainfall in the winters of 2017 and 2019 but his past season was relatively dry. While we have adequate water to get us through this season, it’s always a good idea …