Rose Hints - rose gardening - Brief Article

Flower & Garden Magazine, Sept, 2000 by Ann Hooper

Hot, hot, hot! Plants, especially roses, can suffer this time of year, so plenty of water is vital to their good health. Rose plants are busy now, storing up lots of energy from the sun and from the water and nutrients you give them. But when the temperature is above 90 degrees, they don't expend much of that energy. In fact, growth will be slower and flowers smaller. But not to worry! In another month or so, cooler weather will encourage huge blooms and the most vibrant colors of the season.

Water at the roots will keep plant stems and leaves turgid and able to photosynthesize. An overhead watering will keep plants cool and wilt-free during the hottest weather, and a strong spray from the hose will wash off dust and pollen, as well as those nasty red spider mites that can suck the life out of a rose leaf in no time flat. If you don't spray a miticide regularly, be sure and do the shower treatment at least once a week. Those almost microscopic red spiders can be seen on the undersides of rose leaves, and they often spin a few webs, too. They thrive in hot, dry weather and can defoliate a rose plant very quickly. If you see 'em, spray 'em! But make sure you do it in plenty of time for the foliage to dry before nightfall.

Be on the lookout for rose diseases. Powdery mildew likes hot, humid weather, and blackspot likes warm days, cool nights and wet leaves. Once you see signs of these diseases on your plants, they've been growing behind the scenes for a month or more. Because it's much easier to prevent than to cure them, I always recommend a preventative fungicide spray regimen. Whether you choose a biological or a synthetic material, use it regularly, according to the directions.

Insects thrive in hot weather as well. Beetles of all types may be seen chowing down on your beautiful blooms. Whether they are Japanese, cucumber, or rose chafer beetles, a squirt with a pesticide of your choice and discretion kills 'em dead if you get it right on their little personages, but it doesn't have much residual effect. Japanese beetle traps work great at attracting beetles to your garden, so let your neighbors buy them! Or use some tried and true method that has been effective for you in the past. Even if you were able to destroy all the beetles in your neighborhood today, they'd still fly in from Machu Picchu or Tierra del Fuego tomorrow!

Despite the bugs, mites, and diseases that like roses almost as much as people do, just one perfect rose makes rose culture worth the effort. Whether you enjoy them in the landscape, as cut flowers, or both, roses are truly flowers that make your heart sing!

Ann Hooper is an American Rose Society-certified consulting rosarian. She is also the owner of Primary Products, a mail-order supplier of fine products to help grow perfect roses and other plants. If you have e-mail, subscribe to Ann's FREE and timely Rose-E-Tips online newsletter, or order a FREE color catalog from Primary Products at 800-841-6630 or from the Primary Products website at www.primaryproducts.com.