ROSE RAMBLER … 1.7.2016 …
Hello dear rose friends on the first day of the last half of this year and another cold/wet week here at Clonbinane where we are up to our eyeballs in bare-rooted roses and enjoying all the moments of sorting/labelling and packing your roses ready for posting and collection. The roses are ‘tucked in’ so if you happen to be going away just let us know and we’ll either pot your roses or hold them in the heel-in beds until you get back as late as August!
It’s been lovely to read emails about the excitement of planting new roses this season; this one is worth a giggle …
Of course, the roses will be fine in all this cold weather – the only thing some of you might need to check is that drainage is in order so they’re not drowning during extreme rain events – remember, roses do not like wet feet – most especially while they’re establishing new roots this winter!
GRA’S GARBLE …
Tomorrow is the start of ‘traditional’ rose pruning month – in the very cold zones, definitely wait until later this month or August. Pruning early or late has no influence on the flowering time in October/November, which is determined by weather patterns during September.
There’s no rush for pruning or for that matter, planting roses this winter … we’ve got months to get organised which is ideal for procrastinators like myself! I know that I’ll be planting my selection of this season’s new roses during August/September and still be pruning roses then too.
Q. What did the grape say to the elephant? Q. Nothing, grapes cannot talk!
Bare-rooted roses will still be available in our online store www.rosesalesonline.com.au until late August!
HOW TO PRUNE …
It is important to accept that you cannot prune a rose wrongly!!!
A 2m high rose bush that was cut back or pruned to 75cm last year can receive the same treatment any time now.
By inspecting and observing how each rose has grown over the past season you will see where the best stems developed and that gives one a lead – that is, to follow the strongest sap flow which is evident in good strong healthy stems and retain them while removing any twiggy older stems that have already been neglected by the bush.
Deciding how severely to prune back a rose is, to a degree, a very personal choice. The principle is that every remaining stem will sprout new growth. So, leaving lots of stems means lots of medium to short stemmed blooms, while reducing the amount of stems will produce more longer stemmed blooms.
Because roses are sun loving plants, meaning they need lots of direct light onto the leaves to encourage photosynthesis which produces food that is transported to the roots, removing stems that are growing towards the inside centre is ideal.
Q. What has a neck but no head? A. A bottle.
A FEW TIPS WHEN PRUNING ROSES …
- Sharpen secateurs/shears before you start pruning
- Wear protective clothing – especially comfortable, fitting gloves
- Prune one-half to two-thirds off each bush rose
- Tie down and trim lateral branches of climbing roses
- Remove all dead wood right to the crown – use loppers if necessary
- Pruning will enhance the flowering capacity – just DO IT and enjoy getting down and dirty with your roses this winter!
If all else fails and you want me to give you a very simple, easy to follow run down on pruning, come along on SATURDAY, 16TH JULY at 10.30am – bring your secateurs!
GIFT ROSES …
We’ve already potted lots of selected lines of roses ready to be beautifully gift wrapped, carded with your personal message and posted in the exquisite gift box for when you have an occasion when only a beautiful rose plant will convey your loving thoughts – these roses will be flowering in October/November and afford a lasting memory in the recipient’s garden …
A Modern Shrub Rose of extraordinary health and vigour as a pleasant reminder of the hero in your life! My Hero produces an abundance of classic, shining rose pink blooms which clothe the shrub over a very long flowering season. The petals are massed and have a rather old-fashioned look when the bloom is fully opened.
REMEMBER ME
A Hybrid Tea rose with a delightful confection of colours including burnt orange, amber and beige with burnt red edges. It is extremely healthy and robustly produces pale-green watershoots from the base which ensure the rose flowers continuously. In extremely hot weather, the flowers may be slightly smaller and the colour will be more intense.
MOTHER’S LOVE
Mother’s Love has beautifully long pointed buds of the palest pink with slightly deeper pink centres which may fade in the very hot sun. It is a very feminine rose with graceful branches often producing a single rose but very often a cluster of blooms. The perfume is charming.
IN THE NURSERY …
It’s been a busy time and finally, most of the general varieties of roses are here and being processed for posting. Due to very wet conditions, standards will be delayed even further – digging them in wet conditions causes damage to stems and can incur lasting devastating impact on the soil … please be patient! We guarantee you’ll be pleased with the quality of our roses when you finally plant them and enjoy them flowering in your garden for many years!