Sunday, September 20, 2009

Look After Your Roses Like A Treasure


Roses are considered to be the representation of love.From time immemorial, roses have adorned the likes ofkings and queens. Even for the commoner, the rose wasthe moment when he transcended his commonness toaspire for the higher plains.


So, the demand for roses has always been good. Rosegardening thus has been in vogue throughout thehistory of the civilized world. To get a good harvestof roses, you have to look after the garden at alltimes of the year.


Fungal infection is very common for every breed ofrose. In summer, fungus usually appears on the rosepetals and black spots also seem to appear on theflowers. Insects like red spiders are the maintroublemakers as well.


Normal utilization of chemicals controls the majorityof these infections as well as of the sucking andchewing insects. But some insects are also beneficialto your roses.


You can prevent your roses from any type of insectsthrough a lime-sulphur spray in early spring followedby a regular regimen of fungicide every 10 daysbeginning in mid spring. Remove all the infectedstems, leaves, or canes and discard them. You have tocontinue this program until the rust is gone.


In a word, your roses should be fertilized regularly.If you have planted your roses right now, you canbegin fertilization after the first time it blooms.Otherwise, while your roses are blooming, they can befertilized every two or three weeks. It is also goodto remember that chicken manure is great for roses.

New Rose Gardening Checklist


The most important factor while planting your roses isto check the pH balance of the soil which stateswhether the soil is acidic or alkaline. The soil testwill determine what compounds are to be added to thesoil while preparing the flower bed.


Once the soil texture is ascertained and the soil isready, it is time to purchase your rose plant. Thisstep is crucial and there should be no compromise onthe quality.


Whether you choose from a plant grown in a pot or abare root plant which is dormant, the quality shouldbe the best. It is said that healthy plants which aredormant give a better bloom than those with long newshoots.


Again, though early spring is considered to be theideal planting season for the roses, it is better tocheck from a well-known local nursery.


A well-cultivated soil makes planting easy and smooth.The roots are soaked for few minutes and the brokenroot-ends need to be pruned. The roots should never bekept exposed to the air which may end up in drying theroot fibers.


The hole should be approximately one inch in width anddepth enough for the roots to spread out. You shouldrefill the hole till three-quarter and water the plantthoroughly.


Once the water gets soaked properly, the hole has tobe filled fully and the soil is made firm around theroots. The planting procedure is same for pottedplants where the pot has to be removed and theplanting continues from spring to fall.

The Pitfall of Rose Gardening


You might feel your rose gardening ventures arethwarted at every step - what with the hard winterswreaking havoc on the tender roses. Then the strongsummer heat with the blistering sun and monsoon rainslashing down on them, you might wonder why you botherat all. Well, there is more bad news.


Rose Gardening Fungus - This white, powdery mildew isdeposited on the top and bottom of leaves and stems.It corrodes the growth of the plant and ultimatelykills the flowers and stems.
Rose Garden Rust - This is an orange powder whichappears on the underside of leaves and has the samedetrimental effects as rose gardening fungus.

Rose Garden Black Spots - As the name suggests, theseappear as tiny black spots on the leaves and the stemsof your rose plants. If you ignore these, they justmight destroy your rose garden in no time at all.


Rose Mosaic Disease - This appears like an intricateyellow-green mosaic pattern and is amongst the mostdeadly rose viruses that can affect your plants.Apparently, there is no viable treatment for thisdisease.


If you are aware of these pitfalls then you are alsoarmed with valuable knowledge. There are severalsolutions and remedies for such rose gardeningproblems.


The first step is to know the problems. If you areaware of the possible issues then you can also takepreventive steps to solve the problems. So take heart,read more articles like this one, and your rose gardenwill never face any pitfalls.