GREENGOLD GARDEN CONCEPTS
CARE AND MAINTENANCE NOTES

ROSES - How to Care for Them.

  "and I will make thee beds of roses, and a thousand fragrant posies."

The Rose has been called the "Queen of Flowers" and has been written about in in poetry, songs, and love letters, more so than any other garden plant.  Just think of the famous "Peace" rose, that was so named to celebrate the end of World War 11.The fragrance of a rose is beguiling, exotic, delicate, and subtle - it can vary enormously.  Roses such as Mr. Lincoln and Oklahoma have a really heady perfume, whilst David Austin roses have an amazing array of scents.

Beautiful, fragrant roses are ideal for providing color in any home garden. They will flower for years, and draw compliments from neighbors, friends, and strangers alike. Best of all, you can be sure of finding the right color and size for you individual garden at any GREENGOLD member. You will find that some members, such as CRAIG'S NURSERY at Goulburn, specialize in roses.

Roses are the world's best loved plants, but many people consider them difficult to grow. They're not ! Just follow the directions in these notes, and you should not have many problems. Modern Roses can be grouped loosely into the following classifications:

• Bush/Hybrid Tea - generally one main flower per stem.
• Floribunda - multi flowered on one stem
• Patio/Mini
• Climbing
• Groundcover - we prefer to classify these as low scrambling style roses.
• Heritage style roses - the best known being David Austins.

In the "Language of Flowers" the Rose means Love, and we all know that a bunch of red roses signifies love!

Roses can flower for anything up to nine months of the year, and can live to a ripe old age! They prefer an open sunny well drained position and a fairly heavy soil, but not solid clay. Good preparation of the ground beforehand is ideal but not essential. Dig in lots of compost, such as cow manure, your own compost, Lucerne, old well rotted grass clippings, or GreenGold Planting Compost.

FOR BEST RESULTS ROSES NEED:

• As much sun as possible - more than five hours per day
• Long deep watering a couple of times a week - much better than little 5 minute sprinkles each day!
• No competition from any major trees or shrubs - annuals, bulbs, and perennials are fine.
• A mulch of old manure, Lucerne, or Mulch & Feed/Gro Mulch.
• Fertilizing with GreenGold Professional Rose Food in Spring, then again round about Christmas time, and again in late summer for the final Autumn flush of flowers.
• Control of the fungus "Black Spot", aphids, and thrip, with a spray program.

"That which we call a Rose, By any other name would smell as sweet" - Shakespeare

PLANTING:
Roses from pots can be planted nearly any time of the year. Most GREENGOLD members carry roses all year round, and if adequate attention is given to moisture requirements there is no reason to plant only in the Winter as happened in earlier years. "Bare rooted" roses are best planted June/July and early August.

The ground has been well prepared with manure and composts.  You've bought your roses.  NOW - with bare rooted or packaged roses, follow these points:

• Unwrap if bagged, and shake free all the packaging material.
• Trim off any damaged roots
• Soak in a bucket of water
• Dig the hole for the plant, and make an in the centre
• Place the roots around it, with the graft union well clear of the eventual soil level
• Carefully backfill with the composted soil, gently firming down all the time.
• Water well to settle the soil, and top up with more soil if necessary.
• Finish up with a slight well around the plant for watering purposes.
• Ensure the graft union is well clear of the soil level
• Give a final water, and treat with Greengold Plant Starter to lessen the planting shock.

For potted roses, just dig the hole, and plant as you would any other shrubs.  However, you may find that New Seasons Roses are loose in the pot, having only very recently been potted up.  If the soil all falls away, follow the above instruction for packaged or bare rooted roses.

FEEDING
Roses are GROSS FEEDERS! They are hungry plants.   Feed them well and they will combat pests and diseases far better than undernourished plants.  We suggest feeding with GreenGold Professional Rose Food in September, again in January, and again in early Autumn.  In between these main feeds, you might consider an occasional feed with a liquid fertilizer and remember a good mulch of well rotted manure or Lucerne will greatly benefit the plants.

WATERING
Roses require good regular deep watering -   NOT the occasional light sprinkling! Preferably water in the morning to reduce the risk of fungal disease and flower damage.

MULCHING
Roses will benefit from a surface mulch.  It helps inhibit weed growth, keeps in moisture, and if a mulch of Lucerne is used it adds nitrogen to the soil and promotes worm activity,  Roses do not like competition from other shrubs.  They are best underplanted with annuals, bulbs and perennials.

PRUNING
It's easy ! Don't be afraid or put off. If you make a mistake, so what ! it doesn't matter. Roses are very forgiving plants. Prune in late July/early August, and again (less severely) in January/February. Use clean secateurs and a small saw for the very thick old wood. Clean off cutting implements with Dettol or bleach between each rose bush. Naturally wear a pair of gloves unless you are a masochist !

• Cut off at least half the plant - anywhere - just cut it off !!
• Now cut out all weak, old spindly growths.
• The freshest looking stems are this year's growth.   Darker stems are last years, whilst old brown stems are three or more years old.   Cut out all the old branches as low on the bush as possible.
• Cut back all the remaining limbs a little further to an outward facing bud.  Cut an angle so that the moisture runs off.  Cutting to an outward facing bud keeps the shrub vase shaped and the centre free for good air movement.  Always cut about 5mm above the bud.
• Remember that if you ever see any growth from below the graft union CUT IT OUT !  These are suckers from the wild briar understock.
• Cutting rose flowers is a natural form of light pruning.  If you don't cut the flowers for the house, then make sure that you regularly dead head.

PESTS AND DISEASES
Generally the main problem is Black Spot on the foliage, which is a fungal disease.    Your roses have Black Spot if the leaves yellow and develop brown/black spotty marks - they fall off early, and the bush generally has a leafless look about it.    Plants need leaves to live, so if unchecked this fungus can seriously affect the rose bushes to the point where they are really sick looking with hardly and blooms.    BUT, cheer up !  Help is at hand.

The Remedy: After pruning, remove all clippings, and leaves from the ground, and put in the rubbish bin - NOT the compost bin. Spray the pruned plants AND the surrounding ground, with LIME SULPHUR . This helps kill off the dormant spores of fungus.  Click here to go to the Yates page on Lime Sulphur usage.    As the new foliage appears, commence a spray program with a Triforine based spray every 2-3 weeks until late Autumn.

**PLEASE NOTE ALL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS ON THE CHEMICALS AND WEAR PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AT ALL TIMES**

Feed the roses regularly.    Remember - healthy plants are well fed plants ! Roses can become affected by MILDEW.  Spray with YATES Baycor., MANCOZEB PLUS, or the Triforine spray should prevent further mildew.
APHIDS are a hazard ! They love the new growth and tender young buds.  Rub off regularly or if you are squeamish, use a PYRETHRUM based spray.  YATES MAVRIK, CONFIDOR, or FOLIMAT are most effective.  Pale colored roses can be affected by THRIP.  These are the tiniest of little bugs, that suck the sap from the flowers, and so distort the blooms.  Spray with ROGOR  LEBAYCID or CONFIDOR.

**REMEMBER THAT WHEN USING ALL CHEMICALS, EXTREME CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN **

Any problems - just call into you local GREENGOLD nursery and we will help you.  Roses are very rewarding plants to grow, and you can have great success with them providing you follow the steps outlined in these notes.