5
Easy Steps to Roses
This week brought a winter storm that surprised
most of us. We had 7” of snow at our house that quickly
melted off the drive the following day; it’s the kind
of snow I like. The stuff that sticks around with a thin icy
layer underneath is no fun, especially when you have to shovel
a two-acre garden center the next morning!
This storm is more typical of the area: snow one day, melt
the next. However, it still means that we must protect our plants
from snow damage. I posted some very good pictures of what to
watch for and how to deal with plants heavy with snow. They’re
on my business Facebook page, www.facebook.com/WattersGardenCenter.
You can help me out while you’re there. I am in a race
with a buddy of mine in Portland, Oregon who has 1822 Facebook
fans who 'Like' his business. Would you 'Like' me so my buddy
will stop harassing me about having more fans than I do?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The last week of February tends to bring on March-like spring
weather. This is our cue to start pruning roses. All roses appreciate
a good cutting, and now through the end of March is the ideal
time to prune mountain roses. Don't be afraid to “cut
them hard”.
Every year, when I first look at my bushes I get the feeling
I don’t know where to start cutting! However, with many
rose-pruning seasons under my belt, I’ve found five easy
steps that ease my uncertainty and guide me to making roses
the best they can be. With these steps you can knock out a dozen
properly pruned rosebushes in an easy afternoon.
Step #1 - cut out all dead canes. Make sure you wear a good
pair of gloves for this step. The dead thorns can really hurt,
draw much blood, and even leave scars. This gardener has a few
battle wounds, trust me. I highly recommend a good pair of rose
gloves, the kind you can find at any garden center.
Step #2 – cut off wild-looking canes and any crossing
branches. Usually you’ll find the wild-looking canes growing
from the bottom of the graft, close to the ground. These canes
are from the original rose rootstock; you don’t want them
on your bushes so cut them back to the graft. You’ll easily
identify these because the thorns on these canes look different,
heavier, and sharper. Crossing branches are any that are growing
across others, contradicting the overall shape of the bush.
Step #3 - cut out old canes. These are canes that have bark
starting to form on them and are very thick, an inch or more
thick. For this job I break out my favorite pair of long-handled
pruners; they’re perfect for this job. These are specialty
pruners you will only find at garden centers, but they’ll
help you reach deep into the bush without incurring brutal cuts,
punctures, or scratches. Cutting out these old canes will open
up the bush and define the structure for the plant.
Step #4 - prune out any canes that have suffered winter damage.
These canes appear green on the bottom with a red to purple
color on the tops that have been injured by winter’s cold.
The goal is to end up with a bush that is knee to waist high
and with 3 to 6 spatially balanced canes coming from the main
graft near the ground.
Step #5 - seal any cut cane that is larger around than your
pinkie finger. This will keep bugs from burrowing into the exposed
soft wood. I like the black pruning paint that comes in a can
with a small brush attached to the cap; it makes this job very
easy.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
With your rosebush pruning finished for another year, you should
wind up your session with a little spring cleaning. Remove any
dead leaves and flowers from around the graft so that air can
circulate freely around the base of each plant. If you have
had problems with powdery mildew on certain bushes, make sure
you pull all remaining leaves off the canes and really clean
up thoroughly. This will reduce the possibility of mildew returning.
Make sure to clean up remaining canes. Spray the newly pruned
rose bush with my ‘Lime Sulfur’. This liquid spray
is a natural formula that will clean the bush of any powdery
mildew, aphids, and thrips.
Now, feed your roses. I am a strong believer in rose foods
with systemic bug control. The plant actually absorbs the bug
killer into the foliage to keeps bugs at bay during the growing
and blooming season. There’s nothing more satisfying than
having the most fragrant roses that are beautiful AND bug free.
With these easily performed tasks our roses are ready for the
summer season. That’s when we reap the results of our
labor: we get to enjoy these beautiful, fragrant stars of our
gardens!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
If you want to learn more from this local gardener I invite
you to my classes at the garden center each Saturday from 9:30
to 10:30. This week’s topic is “Keeping the Mammals
O-U-T”. You may bring photos of your landscape and we
can discuss specifics after the class. Make sure to arrive early
because class sizes are limited. This spring’s entire
class schedule is posted on my Facebook page under the 'Events'
link. Remember, I am in a race with friends to get the most
fans to 'Like' our page. Please help!
If you are not a Facebook user you can always check out the
classes the “old-fashioned way” . . . through my
web site at www.wattersonline.com .
Until next week, I'll see you at the garden center.
|
