Introduction to Rose Care Matthew J. Orwat Extension Agent I- Horticulture UF / IFAS Washington County Extension
Rose Classes Many different classes + / - 23 in all, different people come up with different numbers How can the average gardener make sense of this? Which ones should you grow in Northwest Florida? (will answer later) Let s take a look at the most common classes
Rose Classes Common Old Garden Rose Classes Damask Gallica Alba Centifolia Bourbon Tea China Hybrid Perpetual Noisette Common Modern Rose Classes Hybrid Tea Polyantha Floribunda Grandiflora Miniature Shrub???
China roses Originated from ancient Chinese varieties depicted in art over 2000 years old Brought repeat blooming characters to European Roses through extensive breeding in the 1800s Very free flowering Grow extremely well in hot climates and are very disease resistant Most should do GREAT in Florida! China Class
Tea Class Tea Roses Originated from roses brought from China in the 1800s (R. gigantea) Named for their scent like dry tea leaves Historically widely grown class throughout the deep south Wonderful for Florida make large free flowering shrubs Cold tender - Cannot live north of zone 7 Most in class would make PERFECT garden and landscape shrubs in Northwest Florida
Tea Class Tea's and "Tea-Noisettes" originated around 1837 with the introduction of the rose Adam, considered by many to be the first Tea rose. They are derived from crosses between Rosa gigantea and forms of Rosa chinensis (Parks Yellow and Hume's Blush). These early hybrids were then crossed with Bourbons and eventually Hybrid Perpetuals. Repeated breeding with Hybrid Perpetuals lead to the development of the Hybrid Tea class.
Noisette Class Noisette Class Started in the USA in the early 1800s Plants can be large bushes or vigorous climbers Easy to grow in Florida and free flowering!
Modern Rose Classes Polyantha Class originated in the 1880s by breeding R. multiflora hybrids with other classes Low growing (usually) shrubs that are easy to grow. Very free flowering Usually disease resistant Most should do well in Florida
Modern Rose Classes Floribunda Started in the 1920s Derived from Hybrid Teas and Polyanthas and are kind of middle ground between the two Very free flowering small shrubs Some do well in Florida
Modern Rose Classes Hybrid Tea Originated in 1867 with the introduction of La France Dominant until 2000, with intro of Knockout series Some varieties hard to grow, others very easy to grow Usually free flowering
Modern Rose Classes Shrubs Catch all Array of roses from very small to very large Many are great garden plants for the landscape
Climbers, Groundcovers Another Catch all Some repeat blooming, some once blooming Will cover a house, or just a mailbox Several may be trained to cascade down grading walls or embankments Several great performers for the deep south.
I Want A Rose Garden Start with site selection You need at least 6 hours of sun Well drained soil rich in organic matter Irrigation is needed for part of the year Good ventilation is essential to limit fungal disease If these are not met you will need to make changes such as
Site Selection and Preparation Build A Raised Bed if soils are poor. You can use a variety of materials such as landscape timber, stone, plastic border With proper soil amendments: A good rich soil mixed with organic matter amendments such as compost and manure. Install drip irrigation. Individual watering is too much work and sprayed water will promote fungal disease 1/3 of budget goes into prep work If you prep well and plant the right varieties rose gardening is not too much work!!!!
Irrigation Drip works best (reduce disease pressure Summer: 1-3 times per week, depending on rainfall Winter: Once every two weeks depending on rainfall Spring: 1 or 2 times a week ALWAYS ADJUST BASED ON RAINFALL AND OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE CHECK THE SOIL WITH YOUR FINGER A GOOD 2-3 inch MULCH layer is essential for reducing irrigation needs Image credit Dan Culbert More irrigation might be needed during the establishment phase
Remember BMP s: Right Plant Right Place Choose the Right Size. How Much Space Do You Have? Do Not Crowd Is it resistant to disease? Can it withstand insect problems? Will it tolerate heat and drought? Many roses make great landscape shrubs and answer yes to these questions Texas A&M Tested roses are Earthkind New Program at UF IFAS is testing roses using similar methodologies
Fungal Disease Problems There are three most common fungal diseases in Florida Blackspot Powdery Mildew Cerscospora Use preventative measures Treat with fungicide as needed: follow label directions Contact Control: Such as Daconil / Mancozeb Systemic: such as propaconizole (Honor Guard) Some roses are resistant and don t develop bad infections
Insect or insect-like Pests Aphids Thrips Chili Thrips Spider Mites Rose Cane Borer Many insects can be successfully managed with dormant oils, insecticidal soap or forceful streams of water. More on third webinar in series
Fertilization Get a soil test Review: N P K http://soilslab.ifas.ufl.edu/ 8-8-8 or 8-0-8 with micronutrients Magnesium sulfate (Mg poor soils) Slow Release Fertilizers are excellent, especially for sandy soils (minimize leaching by spoon-feeding the plant) Commercial (chemical) or organic (compost and manure, blood meal, bone meal) Or, a combination of both. Roses love compost, manure, especially mushroom compost
Proper Pruning It is important to prune your roses every February in Northwest Florida: Near the coast & central FL: February 1; Near Alabama state line: February 15 South FL, January Different cultivars need different levels of pruning Some just tip removal, some 1/3 and some 1/2 + Deadheading = removal of spent blooms Needs to be done regularly throughout the growing season to ensure repeat bloom Once bloomers: prune after spring or summer bloom
Rose Pruning Shears First Step: Get correct pruning shears Bypass type, not anvil type Anvil may crush the cane
Disinfect shears Disinfect shears with a 5% bleach solution between gardens. Do this between bushes in all public gardens and your own garden if you suspect contamination Failure to do so could cause the spread of Crown Gall bacteria (Agrobacterium tumefaciens), stem canker (Coniothyrium fuckelii)
Proper Timing It is important to prune your roses every February Near the coast: February 1; Near Alabama state line and Alabama: February 15. Once Bloomers? After spring bloom Climbers? Don t do too much until after spring bloom even for repeaters as they produce most flowers at first flush Pruning too early could cause early break in dormancy Pruning too late will delay bloom unnecessarily Roses will bloom 35-60 days after pruning depending on the type. Generally Miniatures and Chinas will bloom frist after pruning, followed by Teas, Floribundas, Hybrid Teas and other OGRs
Steps to Successful Pruning Look at entire plant structure
Steps to Successful Pruning Remove old or dead wood Non-productive Remove diseased wood Canker Cane Blackspot Rose Cane Borer
Steps to successful pruning Remove rubbing or crossing wood This type of growth is entry point for disease Choose one: You can t keep both
Steps to successful pruning Open up the center of the plant Allows for light penetration Air Flow Vase shape is best Image courtesy Beth Bolles Escambia Ext.
Steps to successful pruning Cuts should be made Outward facing bud 45 degree angle Image courtesy extension.umn.edu
Always seal cut
Steps to successful pruning Remove overly small or weak, spindly growth at larger juncture Most Cases: Shorten growth between ¼ to 1/3 Some Shrub, old garden, Polyantha and miniature roses do not need much pruning Many Hybrid Teas need a more severe pruning than described here Climbing Roses? Rita Moore will take over to explain that end
Pruning: Before
Pruning: After
Container Gardening with Roses Start with a 5 gallon pot Easily adaptable to different gardening and landscaping situations Gardeners can use many different sizes, shapes and materials Must NOT be indoors long-term Use 50 /50 Peat-Perlite mix or other soil-less media Slow release fertilizer is good for container culture Re-pot every 3 years, not necessarily larger pot, but lift out and add new soil.
Container Gardening with Roses Can be combined with annuals such as lobelia, sweet alyssum, or viola (johnny jump up) Miniature roses make excellent container plants Many different colors and varieties are available http://www.freestockphotosclub.com
Container Culture Make sure the container is large enough Add companion plants for contrast: I mentioned flowers previously, but herbs such as sweet marjoram or lemon thyme work well also Fertilize with a balanced rose food: follow label directions Quickly remove spent flowers down three nodes, cut directly above the node at an angle
Container Culture Trim lightly, or deadhead about once a month to encourage a heavier bloom Might need to grow three plants to choose the one with the most open flowers if you want to always have a plant in bloom in a certain location There are several mail order suppliers of miniature roses that have huge varietal selections, and will quickly ship healthy live plants.
www.helpmefind.com/roses
Next Seminars Cultivar Selection: Right Plant, Right Place for the Right Person IPM: Identification and Integrated Pest Management for rose pest and disease problems
Enjoy your roses!!!!! Thanks for listening