Plant Patch
Roses
Later This Year!
Last year at this time we made planted containers for the county show and used roses, many of which were in flower. This year we could not find any in flower and the season would seem to be at least 2 weeks later, but the bushes are covered with promising looking buds and if our preparation has been correct we should be rewarded with a beautiful display. It is worth looking at the fairly simple requirements of these plants that have come to epitomize English summer gardens.
Rootstock
Most roses are grafted on a briar rootstock ie the flower bearing part of the plant is different from the root system . The roots being of briar are vigorous, disease free and capable of dealing with fairly heavy soil but even roses will not deal with heavy badly drained clay which must be improved with organic matter and good preparation. They dislike acid soil and light free draining soils although both these can to some extent be counteracted by liming and the addition of organic matter.
Planting
The bushes should be planted with the union of stem with root just above surrounding soil . Incorporating well-rotted manure or organic matter will improve soil structure and water holding ability of the soil. The traditional planting time has always been the autumn but planting of roses from pots has now become more popular . One advantage of summer planting is that one can see the colour of the blooms “ seeing is believing.”
Pest & Disease
Roses need a good open sunny position , planted in the shade encourages weak bushes prone to disease and poor flowering . Which brings us to disease and pests : Greenfly love roses and they have to be sprayed. Fortunately aphids are very soft and thin skinned and easy to kill chemically or by organic means. The important thing to remember that the population of aphids explodes very rapidly and it is important to spray regularly and not allow them any chance to build up.. Black spot a fungus disease is just about to put in an appearance and you should already have been spraying with a fungicide. This air borne fungus is always with us and spraying before it appears is much more effective than trying to cure the disease. It is now possible to get a combination spray that will kill greenfly and prevent blackspot in a ready to use formulation . Roses just got easier to grow.
The Choice Is Yours
Roses are available in many colours; some of the newest are brown. Their scent can vary from heavy to delicate. They make excellent cut flowers all summer long. As garden plants they exist as bushes, climber, standards, shrubs, miniatures and now the increasingly popular ground cover roses. What a versatile group of plants that give pleasure in so many ways.
ROSES : WE LOVE YOU
Plant Patch 1st June 2005