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How To Grow And Care Established Roses

If the winter soil mounds are left around old rose plants until early April, small shoots begin to develop under the protective soil. The danger in this is that the shoots may be broken when the hill is removed and the already growing plant will be set back if a late freeze occurs.

To avoid this, first remove the winter cover of mulch about March 1 to 10. About March 22, unhill plants. This procedure keeps plants dormant longer and so prevents them from developing shoots until danger of a freeze is over depending on your location. Then, when warm days come, buds swell or break and plants grow without interruption or setback.

After unhilling we apply a dormant spray to canes, soil surrounding plants, lawn area near beds and nearby shrubbery. About April 1 to 10, plants are pruned. Immediately after, the cane ends are protected by a pruning paint. Soil is given a shallow cultivation, bed borders are trimmed and name markers checked and placed by each plant.

A spraying program is carefully timed and depends on rain and dew-fall. Foliage is protected by spray at all times and, therefore. little trouble with blackspot should occur.

Late in May, place a mulch of 1 to 2 inches deep over all beds. This helps to preserve moisture, holds down weeds, reduces cultivation and improves the appearance of the beds.

During dry weather, plants are watered freely with a soil soaker and water wand. During hot summer days, plants are watered overhead occasionally to clean the foliage. Syringing is, of course, immediately followed by a spray before nightfall.

Hybrid teas and polyanthas are pruned high in summer. Perhaps this method of pruning does not produce large individual flowers but it does produce more continuous bloom and color and that is what you want.

Growth is left high, when plants are prepared for the winter, because of the food value in leaves and canes and because the garden looks better this way throughout the winter.

Each plant is thoroughly covered with a dormant spray after dead and twiggy growth has been removed and then, to keep plants from being buffeted by winds and to facilitate work around them, the canes are bunched together and tied.

Plants are hilled around the base for the winter with soil 8 inches deep. Then a hay mulch is placed between them.

Climber plants are hilled also and after the winter holidays, a screen of Christmas and Chinese evergreens are placed around each one to protect it from wind and sun.

The fact is that maintenance has not been difficult because of an orderly schedule. This makes growing Roses fun and extremely gratifying. The Queen of all Flowers and the universal love of this Queen inspires us and makes it all seem worthwhile.