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WINTER

Good garden sanitation helps prevent fungal diseases next year. Pick up fallen rose leaves and cut off any leaves remaining on the bushes.

Remember to water if the weather is very dry and the ground is not frozen. Water-stressed plants are more likely to suffer winter damage.

Continue to check for diseased or damaged canes. Remove cankered wood and canes infested with cane borers. Both can winter over if not removed and will cause winterkill of the canes.

Winter protection should be on now but it is still not too late if you haven’t done it yet.

Consider a soil test if you haven’t done one in a while. Contact your County Extension Agent to obtain boxes for samples and instructions. (Roses prefer 6.5 pH.)

Be sure to stake taller bushes that you don’t cut back (such as shrub roses) in order to prevent swaying in the wind, which can loosen the plants’ roots and create air pockets. These air pockets can lead to cold damage of the roots and improper uptake of water.

Also, make sure all long canes on climbers are tied in but don’t shorten any canes or cut back laterals until spring.

It’s time to order bare root roses for March planting.

If there has been normal precipitation, check the drainage in your beds. If they are soggy or prone to areas of standing water, you may need to add more organic matter to improve the tilth of the soil.

Consider an application of lime-sulfur spray (fungicide for dormant trees and plants) on a warm day in early February. Unlike most fungicides, which protect leaves, lime-sulfur seems to inhibit sporulation of overwintering fungal diseases. But be careful where you spray. The “rotten eggs” smell persists for some time so you don’t want to use it on plants near entryways or well traveled paths. Don’t use it if the plants have started to put out leaves, as it will cause damage to them. You may use dormant oil instead of the lime-sulfur.

Clean and sharpen your tools.

SPRING

Plant bare root roses from mid to late March. Hill them with soil to prevent the canes from drying out while the roots are establishing. Gradually remove this in April as the weather warms. If you buy potted roses, wait until April to plant.

It’s not too late to move dormant rose bushes. Dig with a generous soil ball and move into an amended hole. Water in and cover with a mound of soil as you do with new bare root roses.

Begin removing your winter protection on established roses the last week in March.

Start pruning about April 1^st. Cut out all diseased or damaged wood. Remove any twiggy growth and growth in the center of the bush. Remove crossing canes. Prune according to the type of rose you have and floral display you want.

Remember to bag all rose prunings. Don’t compost them.

Seal every pruning cut with glue or shellac to prevent saw flies from laying eggs in the newly cut canes. (When the eggs hatch, the larvae bore down into the cane.)

Feed as soon as the pruning is finished. The roses are ready to break into new growth and feeding will insure that the new growth is strong and vigorous. Remember: water, feed, water.

When you have finished pruning and feeding, it is time to start your spray program.

If you put down new mulch now, don’t put it on the bud unions. You want to encourage new basal breaks by allowing the sun and warmth to reach the crowns.

When: In this area, pruning should not be started until the last week of March. Though you will be tempted to do it earlier, wait. Pruning encourages the new growth to start and this area is known for fluctuating spring temperatures. If you prune too early, your new growth may get frosted. Even though some new growth will begin early in March, most of that new growth, high on the cane, is being fed by the dextrose in the canes, not the roots. Frost damage to this will not effect the vigor of the shrub. You can, however, begin removing the winter protection about a week before pruning. Do this gradually, preferably on cloudy days, being careful not to damage new basal breaks.

Why: We prune to remove dead, diseased, and weak growth and to remove crossing canes, which will eventually cause damage to other canes. We also take out the oldest canes to encourage more productive new ones. We also prune to control growth, to shape the bush, and to encourage new growth.

How: How you prune your roses depends very much on what kind of roses you have. Repeat blooming climbers are pruned differently than once blooming ones. Shrub roses are pruned differently than hybrid teas. It’s very important to know what type of rose you’re dealing with before you start. This said, some basics apply to all types of roses.

1} Carefully examine the bud union or crown for crown gall and remove any you find.

2} Remove dead or diseased wood, cutting back to healthy tissue. Do this even if it means removal of the entire cane. When you make a cut, examine the pith. If it is still discolored, cut again until you find firm, white wood. 3} Cut back crossing canes to where that remaining is clear of the other canes. 4} Remove twiggy growth flush with the side of the cane that produced it. Don’t leave stubs. 5} Remember to examine the plant carefully before you start pruning and then examine each cane carefully before deciding whether or where to prune. 6} Seal all pruning cuts with wood glue or shellac. 7} Clean up as you go along. Don’t leave it for later. 8} Don’t forget to clean up all stubs on the bud union. Cut them flush and clean. This is essential to the vigor of the plant.

Hybrid Teas & Grandifloras: After you have removed dead, diseased, crossing and twiggy growth, take out the oldest canes completely if you will have enough left. It is best to start the bush out each year with 3 to 4 good canes. (Don’t leave more than 6 if you have an abundance of good canes and can’t bear to cut so many.) Prune these canes to 8”-12” above the crown for fewer but bigger and better roses; prune to 12”-24” for more but smaller roses. The basic rule in pruning a cane is always to cut to a vigorous bud that points in the direction you want your new shoot to grow, usually an outward pointing bud in hybrid teas. Your choice of buds is the major determinant of the shape of the new growth. Whichever bud you choose, always cut at about a 30-degree angle across the cane, ¼” above the bud, angling down from the bud.

Floribundas: Prune as for hybrid teas but leave 5 to 7 canes per bush at a height of 18” to 24”. Canes may be smaller and branching, unlike hybrid teas.

Miniatures: Prune at 6” to 12”, depending on the variety. Leave 5 to 7 canes per bush if possible. Theses will also be more branching than hybrid teas.

Climbers: The basic consideration in pruning climbers is that non-recurrent types should be pruned after the spring blooming period while recurrent bloomers are pruned at the same time as hybrid teas. In pruning climbers, after taking out the dead and diseased canes, take out the oldest, leaving 3 or 4 of the strongest and best of the younger canes. Canes being removed should be taken out all the way back to the crown. Don’t leave stubs. If you are removing a very long cane, cut it out in pieces, starting at the top to avoid damaging remaining canes. Don’t prune the tips of the remaining canes but prune back the lateral canes arising from the main canes to 3 to 5 bud eyes. If you need to reduce the size of the plant, choose a strong lateral to become the growing tip and cut out everything above it. Since this lateral is now your growing tip, don’t cut it back as you do the remaining laterals.

Shrub Roses: Here again the main consideration is type of rose involved. For repeat blooming shrubs, remove only the diseased or damaged canes, unless the bush is growing too thickly. Thin by cutting back some of the canes all the way to the bud union. If the bush needs shaping, you may cut the canes back to a growth bud but don’t remove more than one third of the length of the cane. For once blooming shrubs and old garden roses remove only the dead, diseased or damaged wood in the spring. After flowering is complete, shape or thin the bush, again removing no more than one third of the height of the bush.

SPRING TASKS

Just a few notes on some of your other spring tasks:

Fertilizing: Each rosarian has his or her own fertilization regimen. Whether you use organics or not, your first fertilization should include 10-10-10 (1/2 to 3/4 cup per bush). Why? Because organics and slow release fertilizers are activated by warm soil temperatures. Without the immediate availability of the 10-10-10, the new growth on your roses may lack sufficient nutrients. (I also put down Osmacote, Epsom salt, and alfalfa meal or Roots at this time as well. But follow your own program.)

Spraying: After pruning and feeding, you should apply the first spray of the season. You should not have to use insecticide for this spraying, only fungicide. Determine whether your fungicide requires a sticker-spreader. (Daconil needs one; Funginex does not.) Remember to alternate at least two products during the year to prevent the development of resistance. If you do find you have an overabundance of aphids in the early spring, a simple application of insecticidal soap should do the trick until the beneficial insect predators arrive on the scene.

Planting Bare Root Roses: If you are planting bare root roses this spring and didn’t prepare the holes in the fall, you must do that first. As soon as you can, dig a hole about 24” in diameter and 18”-24” deep for each bush and put the soil on a tarp or in a wheelbarrow. Your soil mixture to go back in the hole should be 6 parts earth from the hole, 2 parts compost, 1 part well-rotted manure, a handful of dolomitic limestone and 2 handfuls of super phosphate. Mix well and refill the hole, leaving a mound of soil to allow for settlement.

When your roses arrive, keep them cool and moist until planting time. Soak them overnight the day before planting. Prune out any damaged canes and roots and shape according to the pruning guidelines for the type of rose you have. Dig the soil out of the prepared hole and then put some back into it to form a cone. Spread out the roots over the cone of soil. Fill with the remaining soil packing it gently with your hands. The bud union should be at ground level. Water well to eliminate air pockets.

Protect the new bush by mounding at least 8” of soil over the canes. Also, place an inverted paper grocery bag over the plant securing it with soil or landscape fabric pins. The purpose is to prevent the canes from drying out while the roots are getting established and the new growth starts. Remember to water the roses on a regular basis.

Keep the roses covered for about two weeks then tear off the tops of the bags to allow in air and light. After about another week if the new growth had started and is green, remove the bags and start removing the soil using your garden hose. Do this gradually over the course of several days.

Keep watering but don’t fertilize. Spray as you do your other roses. You should have blooms by the first of June.

Thumb Pruning: When new growth is underway in early spring, the plant has a tendency to push growth from numerous bud nodes. With your thumb or finger, rub off those poorly located or unwanted ones. When you have two or more growth points from a single node, rub off all but the strongest. This helps shape the plant and conserves the plant’s energy for the best located new shoots. Thumb pruning can also be used to prevent growth into the center of the bush.

LATE SPRING

This is the ideal time to plant potted roses. You should not remove the bush from the pot before planting or you will lose much of the new root growth. Follow this procedure: (1) Dig the hole. (2) Amend the soil as you would for bare-root roses. (3) Place the pot in the hole to check the depth. You will be planting with the bud union at ground level, no matter how the rose was potted. (4) Prune out any weak, dead or crossing canes and remember to remove any stubs left on the bud union. (5) Cut the bottom off of the pot and, holding your hand under the bush, carefully place it in the hole. (6) Cut the remaining portion of the pot lengthwise and gently remove it. (7) Fill in the soil around the plant and water. (8) Keep newly planted roses well watered throughout the summer but don’t fertilize as you do your other roses. (9) You may feed them lightly with a water-soluble, complete fertilizer (such as MiracleGro) in late June, but not before.

Now is also the time to do a follow-up pruning. Some canes pruned last month will be showing signs of canker or die back. Cut them back to healthy wood and seal. Remove any twiggy growth from the center of the bushes to improve air circulation. Thumb prune as necessary. Thumb Pruning: When new growth is underway, the plant has a tendency to push growth from numerous bud nodes. With your thumb or finger, rub off those poorly located or unwanted ones. When you have two or more growth points from a single node, rub off all but the strongest. This helps shape the plant and conserves the plant’s energy for the best located new shoots. Thumb pruning can also be used to prevent growth into the center of the bush.

Continue your preventive spray program; remember to alternate fungicides to avoid immunity. Remove any leaves that show signs of disease. Remember, it is much easier to prevent fungal diseases than to cure them.

If you feel your roses aren’t all they could be, consider adopting a different fertilization program.

Monitor for blind growth (a shoot that will not produce flowers). If you notice canes that don’t end in a terminal bud, prune the cane back to a five-leaflet leaf. If a new shoot with a bud doesn’t develop, then the only solution is to remove the cane entirely. Cool nights will likely cause a high incidence of blind growth.

Keep mulch away from the bud union to encourage new basal breaks.

Water. The healthiest roses are a result of lots of water. Remember to avoid getting water on the leaves. Also, water before you spray to avoid damage to leaves and water before and after fertilizing.

After the first flush of bloom, remove the bottom leaves on the rose bush up to about ten inches. This is done to prevent blackspot spores from splashing up from the soil. This also allows more sunlight to reach the bud union, encouraging basal breaks.

Enjoy your first blooms!

Now is the time to mulch beds heavily to keep the roots cool and conserve moisture. Four inches is about the minimum during the summer heat. If the temperature is consistently above 90 degrees, water deeply three times per week. Roses need at least a gallon of water per week per bush but they can use 8 to 10 gallons a week! This is the only way to maintain bloom production in very hot weather. Pay special attention to newly planted roses.

Continue with your summer pruning. Remove all unproductive, twiggy growth as well as any canker or dieback. Keep the center of the bushes open to improve air circulation and remove any crossing canes. Don’t forget to seal every pruning cut with wood glue or shellac.

Keep the bottom leaves cut off up to about ten inches to help prevent blackspot. (The spores are carried from the ground to the underside of the leaves by splashing water from watering or rain.)

Repeat-blooming Old Garden Roses and shrubs (including English Tea Roses) may be cut back by a third if needed and fed again to encourage more fall bloom. Thin out any old and unproductive canes all the way to the ground.

Continue your regular fungicide spraying but on days when the temperature is expected to be over 85 degrees, spray in the early morning or late evening to avoid leaf damage. Remember to water the day before you spray and to alternate your fungicides.

Continue deadheading, disbudding, and thumb pruning of multiple bud eyes.

Don’t feed any granular fertilizer containing nitrogen after August. Liquid fertilizers (Miracle-Gro, Peters, etc.) and fish emulsion are still recommended.

Control spider mites by using a water wand to spray the leaf undersides. If the problem persists, use Orthonex, which contains the miticide Vendex. One application should work if you follow up with the water wand treatment about a week later.

Thrips are a real problem in some years. Spray with Orthene and don’t forget to use a sticker/spreader. If the problem persists, spray again in 4 weeks.

Japanese beetles are regular summer problem. There are multiple approaches to this pest. Some rosarians simply abandon their roses to the beetles and wait for fall. Others resort to handpicking. Using this approach, you may knock the beetles into a container of soapy water and then dispose of them elsewhere. Don’t crush them as this can release pheromones, which will attract more beetles. Handpicking is best done twice a day, in the morning and then again in the evening. Beetle traps are problematic. Opinions are split as to whether or not they do more harm than good. If you decide to use traps, be sure to place them downwind and at least 100 feet from your roses. Empty them often. As for chemical control, for years Sevin was the standard treatment. However, not only is Sevin highly toxic to bees but it also kills the predators who keep mites under control. Regular spraying of Sevin virtually guarantees a spider mite infestation. For those of you who are unwilling or unable to handpick or who are unwilling to abandon your roses, there is a compromise solution. If you spray only the buds and blooms with Sevin, you can generally avoid the mite problem. Don’t mix the Sevin with your fungicides. Use a separate spraying and remember to use a sticker/spreader. For those of you who don’t have that many roses or who don’t want to make up a separate spray, Sevin is now available pre-mixed in a pump bottle and contains a stabilizer so that you can use as little as you need and not have to dispose of the remainder. Spray Sevin every 3 to 5 days as needed.

Most importantly, enjoy your roses. Spend time just looking at them; cut some for the house or a friend. And, of course, don’t forget to stop and smell the roses!

Keep picking off those Japanese beetles. They’ll be gone soon.

Maintain your watering schedule. This is very important at this time of year, as stressed plants will sustain greater winter injury.

No more high nitrogen fertilizer this year but bi-weekly liquid feeding is fine and will promote more blooms this fall.

Don’t forget to seal your pruning cuts. The sawflies are still out there.

Maintain your fungicide spray program until a really hard frost. Warm days and cool nights encourage blackspot and mildew.

Stop deadheading in October so the bushes can ease into dormancy.

Tie in the long new growth on climbers before the fall winds come.

Put down a fall feeding of phosphate and potash in late September or early October to aid in winter hardiness.

Add organic matter to your beds if you haven’t done so yet this year.

Enjoy a beautiful period of fall bloom. Healthy hybrid teas, minis, and floribundas always produce their best flowers at this time of year.

The idea behind fall fertilization is to harden the rose canes to aid in winter hardiness and to provide reserves of nutrients to encourage strong spring growth. Fall is also the best time to improve the health of your garden soil.

The usual formula for fall feeding is half Triple Superphosphate (0-46-0) and half greensand mixed together and applied at the rate of ¾ cup per bush. As with all fertilizer, water before you feed (preferably the day before), scratch in the fertilizer around each bush, and water again. You may also scratch in compost with the fertilizer, which increases bacterial action thus making the nutrients more readily available to the plants.

Phosphates: Be sure to get Triple Superphosphate (0-46-0) rather than the regular Superphosphate (0-20-0) which is a chemical formulation of phosphoric acid. Steamed bone meal (2-25-0) may also be used but is more expensive. Make sure that the pH of your soil is not much below 6.5 or the phosphates will be tied up in the soil and unavailable to your plants.

Potash: The source of potassium recommended here is greensand. This is a natural material mined from deposits of glauconite. These deposits are of marine origin and are composed primarily of iron-potash silicate. Other trace elements normally associated with seawater are also found in greensand. In the past, we suggested muriate of potash (0-0-60, potassium chloride) or wood ashes (0-2-6). These will work but must be used lightly or the high salt content will burn the roots.

Compost: It is impossible to maintain a bed for years without the addition of organic matter. Organic soil amendments are especially effective when applied in the fall. Compost, aged or composted manure, shredded leaves (except maple), peanut hulls, and old straw are all excellent soil additives. An inch or two of one of these {or a combination} spread on your rose beds will make a huge difference to the health and rate of growth of your roses. If the mulch on your rose beds is about two inches deep or less you can spread the amendments over the mulch and work them in with a pronged cultivator. A new layer of mulch can be added later. If the mulch is deeper, it should be removed and the amendments scratched into the soil before it is replaced. With the addition of organic matter, the soil pH will fluctuate less, the water holding capacity of your soil will be greater, your fertilizers will work much better and soil aeration and drainage will be improved. That’s a lot of benefit from a little work!

LATE FALL & EARLY WINTER

Maintain your spray program until the bushes go dormant.

If you haven’t had a killing frost yet and still have blooms in your garden, cover the buds with paper lunch bags if frost is expected. You may be able to extend your season a few weeks this way.

Water if the weather is very dry but not as much as you do when the roses are in active growth.

Remove fallen leaves from the rose beds. Spores will winter over and be ready to spread disease as soon as warm weather comes. Also, cut off any remaining leaves on the bushes once they are dormant. Remove any canes showing canker or other signs of disease.

It’s not too late for a fall feeding of phosphate and greensand if you haven’t gotten around to it yet.

Climbers and ramblers should be tied in so they don’t blow around during the winter.

November or December (if the ground is not frozen) is the ideal time to prepare holes for spring planting or to make new beds.

Early December is the time to move established rose bushes. Be sure to give them extra winter protection and plenty of water.

Put on your winter protection around mid-December.

If you are putting in any new plants in the spring, the work you do this fall will largely determine the strength and health of your new plants. The planting environment (hole) you prepare for your new bush will influence its growing ability for the next few years. You should also prepare sites where a rose has been taken out and will be replaced in the spring. You still prepare the hole as though it had never been planted before. Holes prepared this fall have time to settle over the winter and you’ll already be well on your way when the time comes to plant. If you wait until spring, you may find the soil too wet to work with or to plant at the appropriate time, not to mention the myriad of other tasks you’ll be doing in the spring.

Your winter protection should be in place in December. At that time, not before, trim all rose canes back to hip height and take out crossing canes. Remove all leaves left on the canes, pick up all fallen leaves, and clean up the rose beds, if you haven’t done so yet.

There are various types of winter protection. The one you choose will depend on the amount of time you have and the location of your roses. Each property and each area of a property has its own microclimate. Roses grown in a sheltered area in the city well need less protection than those grown in an exposed area out in the country. You know your garden better than anyone else does so you must decide which method to use. Remember, although some winters here are very mild, that is not always the case in this area. Winter protection is worth the effort and is especially important for any new roses you planted this year.

Minimal Protection. The simplest form of winter protection is good layer of mulch around the bush or, preferably over the entire bed. All of the methods mentioned below work even better if your roses are well mulched. Mulch helps to insulate the ground from temperature fluctuations. Many rosarians put down their new mulch in December in order to have 4 to 6 inches for the winter. Make sure the mulch is covering the bud unions.

Moderate Protection. There several methods that fit into this category. The first is to place 8 inches of soil on the bud unions. You need to use soil from another part of the garden or in bags. Don't use what is around the roses or you may disturb the roots. Another method involves making collars from newspaper or wire, placing them around the bushes, and filling them with leaves (preferably oak but under no circumstances maple) or mulch.

Maximum Protection. With this method you will have to cut the roses back further in order for them to fit into your chosen cover. Line a bean basket (obtained from an agricultural supply house) with newspaper and fill it with crisp oak leaves and place it over the entire rose bush. Place a brick or stone on top of the basket to keep it from blowing away. The baskets remain until mid-March. The alternative to baskets is Styrofoam cones, aptly called “rose cones,” which can be obtained from garden supply stores or by catalog. You will have to put some additional ventilation in them for use in our area but you can dispense with the newspaper and leaves. A 1½ in hole should be made toward the top. These cones should only be used in our area where the roses are particularly exposed.