ROSES GROW ON YOU

By Jean Vernon1

Think of a plant that most gardeners have in common and the chances are you’ll come up with roses - almost every garden in Britain will have at least one plant. The problem with roses is that they often are troubled with a variety of pests and diseases, and it’s not always the plant’s fault.

Roses need plenty of tender loving care to help them perform to their full potential.

Good soil, rich in organic matter is a great place to start. Roses are quite heavy feeders so if they are starved of nutrients or trace elements then they are quite quick to show problems and signs of stress. A well-balanced rose feed will replenish used resources and supply everything your plants need for strong and healthy growth. A good mulch around the plants will help to reduce weeds that will compete for food and nutrients and retain vital soil moisture, and as the mulch breaks down it will increase the organic content of the soil, ultimately feeding the plants.

Poor pruning can lead to the build-up of disease in any shrubs, but roses are particularly susceptible. Chafing stems that rub and damage each other can allow fungal diseases entry to the plant. Old dead stems can rot and increase disease potential.

Early spring is a great time to rejuvenate established roses by accurate pruning, taking out the oldest stems first to encourage healthy new growth and removing stems that are crossing each other. Aim for an open structure to allow good air flow between the stems.

Fungal diseases such as rust, black spot and mildew are common problems on some roses. If your plants are usually affected, don’t wait for the tell tale signs, use preventative measures. Use a suitable systemic fungicide early in the season before the problems emerge. Remove and destroy any affected material and ensure that all leaves are removed from the area in the autumn to prevent spores overwintering in the vicinity. Gardeners that experience severe problems may find that improving the feeding and care regime will reduce the incidence of these problems but if not they should replace existing plants with new varieties that are disease resistant, but you.

Natural attack

Where nutrients become unavailable, or locked into the soil at specific high pH levels you could treat your roses to a sulphur tonic, which will lower the pH level and unlock the nourishment. This will boost growth but also has the added benefit that sulphur is the natural enemy of blackspot and powdery mildew.

Banish bugs

Bugs of many sorts also love roses. From the very first bursting buds in spring, right through to high summer, roses succumb to aphids, caterpillars, leaf miners, leaf cutter bees, leaf rolling sawflies and other six-legged pests. Many of these roses will tolerate and indeed leaf cutter bees should be considered a privilege rather than a pest, despite the unsightly damage. Where pests are a problem and instant results are required, first identify the pest and then employ a suitable pesticide ensuring that is recommended for use on roses. Use responsibly, choose products that will not affect ladybirds, bees, hoverflies and lacewings and spray after dusk to avoid garden friendly bugs.

If possible resort to chemical free solutions such as encouraging birds, insects and wildlife into the garden to deal with pest explosions. Hoverflies and ladybirds will make short work of aphids, birds will take caterpillars and bats will devour a wide range of flying pests.

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