Advice on Rose Care and recognise Rose Pests and Diseases.

Rose Care

Rose Care covers all types of roses and starts from the moment the rose bush is planted during the dormant season.

Roses should be top dressed with organic matter. Well rotted Farm Yard Manure or stable manure is the best, (but hard to find these days).

Next best to FYM is garden compost or leaf mould, but I suppose the most convenient is bark chippings. All these types of mulch will keep the soil moist during the summer months and help to keep down the weeds.

After pruning in the spring rose care continues by firming in any roses with your heel, that have been loosened during windy weather, being carefull not to damage any of the plant roots.

Top-dress the ground around the plants with a rose fertilizer and fork in lightly. A top-up mulch over the rose bed will keep every where looking tidy.

Another application of rose fertilizer just as the buds are showing colour should be spread around the base of the plants.

Rose Care continues during the summer months by watering the plants during periods of draught, especially during the first year after planting.

Keep down any weeds by hoeing regularly, and remove any dead flowers after the first flush, this will help to ensure a second crop of flowers later in the season.

Climbing and rambling roses should be tied-in on a regular basis while the ends of the shoots are still malliable.

If climbers are grown against a wall then these should be trained on horizontal wires to stop the shoots from going straight up and to help develop flower buds.

The same method can apply to ramblers if grown against a trellis or tied in a circular motion if attached to a pillar.

Rose Pests

Roses are pretty hardy plants, but there are just one or two rose pests to watch out for which can be kept under control with a little persistance.

Aphids i.e. Greenfly and Blackfly infest the stems, buds and leaves, checking the growth and leaving the plants sticky and covered in sooty mould.

Spraying with a proprietory insecticide as soon as the pests appear and throughout the growing season will keep these pests in check.

Other pests which are usually not as troublesome are caterpillars, thrips, leaf hoppers, chafer beeles, frog hoppers and leaf cutter bees.

Rose Diseases

The most noticable rose disease is Black Spot, this is recognizable by the black or dark brown spots upto 1.5 cm in diameter, the affected leaves eventually turning yellow and dropping off the plant.

In severe cases the whole plant may become completely defoliated.

The disease overwinters on fallen leaves so good garden hygiene can help, also varieties resistant to blackspot can now be sourced from different growers.

Spraying regularly with a systemic insecticide can also help to stem this rose disease.

Die Back can be caused by hard frosts but is also exaserbated by bad pruning i.e. not cutting back close enough to a living bud using a sharp pair of secateurs. Fungii entering the wound can also make the situation worse.

Powdery Mildew forms a white coating on leaves and stems and mainly attacks climbers. In winter a grey, felty fungal growth can be seen on the stems.

Mineral Deficiencies can cause discolouration of the leaves and poor growth. Roses require feeding with potash to ensure strong plants and good flower colour, butthis can lead to a magnesium deficiency especially on sandy soils.

Old leaves are effected first showing yellow mottling and a browning between the veins.

Rust appears as bright orange patches in spring upto 2 cm long on the stems and leaf stalks. In summer this spreads to the leaves turning black in autumn. Leaf drop or even death of the bush can occur.

IMPORTANT
When using Pesticides / Insecticides always follow the instructions to the letter. Not only can you damage the plants by adding that bit extra, (just to make sure), but you are also risking your own health as well. So be careful.

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