anic material can be used as mulch. It is used to hold moisture, control weed, protect the bush, and give a finished look to the bed. Spread 2" to 3" of mulching material evenly around and between the plants. As the mulch decays and becomes incorporated into the soil, add new material. In winter, blanket the bud union with a very loose covering of mulch to protect the plant from drying winter winds. Uncover the bud union when all danger of frost has past.
Fertilizing Established Plants
Properly sustained nutrition insures healthy, vigorous growth, and disease-resistant plants. Fertilizers are classified as organic or inorganic (chemical). Organic fertilizers, such as aged manure, compost, fish emulsion, bone meal, leaf mold, etc., add many nutrients not found in chemical fertilizers. Organic fertilizers can be applied on a regular basis at any time during the growing season as their nutrients are released slowly.
Inorganic fertilizers, such as 10-10-10 or 5-10-5 in granule form are applied by spreading around the base of the plant and working into the soil at the rate of 1/2 cup to 1 cup for each plant. Liquid fertilizers, or soluble powders mixed with water, can be applied directly into the ground as per label directions.
It is a good idea to alternate organic and inorganic. The plant does not necessarily know the difference, but the soil will appreciate the long-term benefits of the addition of organic materials. Unless you plan to exhibit, your roses need only a regular monthly feeding from March through October. Although they may continue to bloom into the winter, do not continue fertilizing.
Roses will give you lovely blooms all summer long, year after year, if they are healthy. When the plants are stressed they turn their energy toward survival rather than beauty. Buy healthy plants. Reject those with abnormal swelling or discoloration on the canes or roots. If your rose bushes are planted out in the lawn instead of a bed, mulch for weed control. Do not run lawnmowers and weed eaters up against the canes as a damaged cane is an open door for pests and diseases. Avoid long intervals between watering. Have a neighbor water your roses while you are on vacation.
Keep the area around the bush clean and free of dead and diseased leaves and branches. (Do not put the debris in the compost pile.) Inspect your plants often and act as soon as you see a problem. Prune out any canes with cankers, discoloration, or sunken areas, cutting 1 or 2 inches below the infected area. Dip shears in a solution of rubbing alcohol or household bleach and water at a ration of 1 to 10, before moving to the next bush. If diseases or insects become a problem, use only those pesticides recommended by your Extension Office for specific problems and follow the directions exactly when mixing and applying chemicals.
The most common diseases are powdery mildew and black spot. Caused by fungi, they can be controlled with fungicides, but rarely eliminated entirely.
Powdery mildew occurs most commonly in spring and autumn when the days are warm and the nights cool. The leaves, buds and stems are covered with white or gray powdery coating. New growth may be stunted and curled and may drop off. The buds are malformed and fail to open.
Black spot is most prevalent when moisture remains on the leaves from overhead watering, long rainy periods, or heavy dew. The fungus over-winters in the canes and on infected leaves and reappears on otherwise vigorously growing plants in the spring and summer. Complete defoliation may even occur on susceptible varieties. Black spot looks just like the name implies--black spots (sometimes surrounded with yellow) on the leaves grow in size until the leaves drop off. When on the canes, the spots are reddish-purple.
For black spot and mildew, spray both the top and undersides of the leaves as soon as they appear in spring with the recommended fungicides. Continue spraying every 7 to 10 days throughout the growing season.
Another fungus disease, Botrytis blight, occurs during long periods of frequent showers. The flower bud fails