I believe, from the bottom of my heart, that roses are the closest thing to utter perfection that one can find in nature. Their sweet scent, delicate shape and lustrous green foliage bring me great joy and satisfaction.
I was introduced to the beauty of roses almost by accident. I was planting a garden at my girlfriend's house and due to the constraints of poverty I was in college, we were limited to a $50 plant budget for the whole yard. Always looking for a bargain, I snatched up a bare-root rose that was on sale for a buck-fifty and unceremoniously plunked it into the ground at my girlfriend's house.
But lo and behold! This poor overlooked "grade B" bargain-bin rose, filled with gratitude upon being saved from the Dumpster, thrived and flourished! It grew about a foot a week and bloomed continuously, rewarding us with large spicy-scented red and white blooms. I fell so in love with that rose bush that I think my girlfriend was a little jealous of my attentions.
That first rose bush started me on a love affair with roses that has lasted for 25 years. But don't get me wrong; I am also well aware of their drawbacks. Roses are the favorite of sucking insects, grazing herbivores and virulent mildews, and if neglected, can become scruffy, scraggly tangled masses of thorns that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.
Proper rose selection, placement and spacing, and climactic considerations are all very important when planting a rose garden. It is best to consult with a knowledgeable nursery person about roses that will be disease resistant and will do well in your area. Roses need very good air circulation and will suffer if planted too close together or are crammed into some tight corner.
But the key to growing beautiful roses is in the pruning, and I cannot stress it enough.
Roses are like humans or pets:"¦ give them proper attention and care, and they will amply reward you. Some people claim that roses require "too much maintenance" I believe this to be a fallacy. A rose garden of 10 or so roses may require an average of 15 minutes a week, or less time per day than it takes you to brush your teeth and comb your hair. A nip here, a cut there, a little bit of shaping is all it takes.
This time of year, however, one needs to set aside a couple of hours for a major pruning session. Chances are that just about now your roses are a bit of a sorry sight, devoid of most leaves with perhaps a few leftover moldy flowers hanging limply here and there.
| Get yourself a good-quality set of pruning shears that are very sharp, a pair of gloves and, remember, timidity is not a desirable trait for the rose pruner. My philosophy, when it comes to pruning roses, is that you have to be cruel to be kind. Don't be afraid to cut back your roses hard. |
At the onset she told me " I don't want to see a cane longer than 12 inches!" At first I was reluctant to follow her directions, thinking that perhaps she was being too severe. She would frequently emerge from her house to urge me on and correct me if I was being too meek. By the time I was finished pruning to her specifications, each one of her rose bushes was reduced to a cluster of 3 or 4 canes stems not exceeding 12 inches long.
Well, the next summer that lady's rose bushes were absolutely glorious! My own rose bushes, which I had been reluctant to prune as vigorously as hers, paled in comparison. Each of her roses sported shiny dark foliage topped with many, many blooms. The reason for this is that most roses only bloom on this year's wood, meaning that all the growth that you leave from last year will not support blooms in the upcoming year.
The other important thing to remember when pruning roses is always prune to an outside bud. A bud is the little swelling on the stem of a rose from which new branches will grow. If you make your cut just above this bud, you encourage your rose to grow in that direction. A well-shaped and healthy rose is cup-shaped: open in the middle and growing upward and outward. Finally, each cut should be at a 45-degree angle sloping away from the bud.
The primary cause of black-spot and powdery mildew on roses is poor air circulation around the leaves. If your rose bush is well pruned and open in the middle, the roses will bloom more prodigiously and will be healthier and happier!
Dave Walzer is the owner of Earth Art Landscape Design. Contact him at 335-2801.
If you're buying roses
Chris Rabe, the chief consulting rosarian for the Monterey Bay Rose Society, offered these suggestions for easy modern roses for the Monterey Peninsula.
Pink or pink blend
Tournament of Roses, Secret, Duet, Great Century, Fame, Gemini.
Red or red blend
Olympiad, Ingrid Bergman, Nicole, Perfect Moment, Reba McEntyre, Crimson Bouquet.
Yellow or gold
Helmut Schmidt, Sunflare, Easy Going, Gold Medal.
Apricot or orange
Jusy Joey, Apricot Nectar, Sunset Celebration, Gingersnap, Artistry.
Mauve
Heirloom, Stainles Steel, Lavender Pinocchio, Barbra Streisand.
White
Iceberg, Pascali, French Lace, Sally Holmes, First Kiss.
Climbers
Sombreuil, Altissimo, Berries 'n' Cream, Fourth of July, American/PearlyGates.
Rose-pruning clinic
A free rose-pruning clinic will take place Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. at Alladin Nursery, 2907 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville. Pruning practices for different varieties of roses, rose growing and care, and new 2007 rose introductions will be discussed.
You might want to join the Monterey Bay Rose Society,which meets the last Friday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Aptos Grange Hall, 2555 Mar Vista Drive, Aptos. Call 722-7958.
pruning tips
The Monterey Bay Rose Society has advice for pruning roses. For complete information on trimming different types of roses and other general care information, contact them at 449-7313, Here are some of their suggestions for pruning roses:
- Examine the rose for sucker growth (any shoot that grows below the bud union). If suckers are present, dig down and pull them out from the root.
- Remove dead wood and broken or diseased canes. Prune ¼ inch above an outfacing bud, 2-3 inches below the damage.
- Prune away weak or spindly canes, leaving the stronger ones to grow.
- If canes are crossed or badly congested, remove the smaller, weaker canes, leaving the newest ones to grow.
- Carefully prune the remaining canes to maintain a rounded form. Again cut just ¼ inch above the nearest outfacing bud, selecting the height you desire. All canes should be pruned to encourage further growth.
- After pruning, paint the cut ends with commercial cane sealer, white household glue or clear nail polish to protect canes from borers and disease.
David Walzer has these tips:
- Always prune to an outside bud. A bud, or eye, is the little swelling on the stem of a rose from which new branches will grow. If you make your cut just above this bud, you encourage your rose to grow in that direction.
- A well-shaped and healthy rose is cup-shaped: open in the middle and growing upward and outward.
- Each cut should be at a 45-degree angle sloping away from the bud.
