Past Tips Archive
February 2010
All About Roses book Have you seen the new Ortho 'All About Roses' book? It has been redone and is beautiful; chock full of wonderful photos and information about growing, planting etc. It is reasonably priced (I think 12.95) and I think quite a bargain for the amount of information included. Check your local stores or order it from the ARS website shopping on-line; you will not be disappointed! It is a great learning tool!
Submitted by Yvonne Brault
October 2009
Setting rose hips. After September 1st go through your garden and pull off the petals of your spent blooms. (Do not deadhead.) This will signal the plant to form rose hips and thus start the hardening off process. It's one way to tell the plants that winter is just around the corner!
Submitted by Bob Woodworth
July 2009
Gone to the dogs! Besides growing dozens of roses and belonging to the Greater Milwaukee Rose Society, I am a pet groomer and grooming school teacher. Needless to say, I have a lot of dirty dog hair. At last, I have found a use for some of it.
Bunnies and all lawn rodents are afraid of dogs. So, I stuff panty hose with smelly dog hair. Then I lay them around the rose bushes and the vegetable patch. It does spare them for 2-3 weeks. Then the panty hose needs more smelly hair. Deer are browsers from the ground up, so I hang them here and there on low branches. Better yet, also tie a white plastic bag with the panty hose. The deer think it's a warning white tail at night along with the dog odor.
Try to move the deer deterrents every 3 to 4 days. If possible, hang them at the entry points to your property where the deer enter. In time, if you are lucky, the deer will change their trail and avoid your yard. Any pet groomer will be happy to give you all the hair you need.
Submitted by Holly Patterson of the Greater Milwaukee Rose Society
June 2009
It's Show Time! June is quickly approaching, and that signals the start of the flower and rose shows. So, in preparation for the long-awaited day here are 12 tips to help you get ready.
1. Review the upcoming show dates and locations.
2. Make a list in ascending order of those you plan to attend and/or show. Mark your calendar.
3. Get a copy of the show booklet/rules as soon as available and read through it, twice.
4. If you have a question on the show rules, call a show judge now - instead of at the show.
5. Pencil in your entry ideas on the show booklet, whether horticulture specimens and/or arrangements, based on what is in your garden.
6. For the arrangement classes, find inspiration from the theme and design, flowers and line material available around the date of the show, a container, colors, etc.
7. Sketch your arrangement next to the class listing or on a separate sheet, along with listing the floral materials and items you plan on using.
8. Pre-register to get your Exhibitor number in advance of the show date to fill out the exhibitor tags with as much info as possible, along with your gummed address label(s).
9. For the American Rose Society shows: if you are a member and you grow them, show them and arrange them be sure and put AG on the Exhibitor tag, too, for eligibility for certificates and ARS awards.
10. Pack everything but the flowers a couple days before the show, including your "groomer's tool kit" too. Make any changes to your ideas now, or list alternatives.
11. Day of the show, double check: show booklet, exhibitor tags, tool kit, packed items, flowers and line material. Ready go!
12. Have fun!!
I wish you all the best of luck and great learning experiences. See you there!
-submitted by Margaret Anderson
May 2009
Preparing your tools for the summer! The temperature’s rising, it isn’t surprising. Your roses will be blooming soon. Are your tools ready; sharpened, oiled? Do you have new gloves for this season? Do you have your fertilizer ready? Yes to all of that? Aren’t you forgetting something?
When you cut your roses to brighten your home or to take to a show, you will be using your favorite vases, tubes, tubs, milk cartons. But are they clean and ready to be used?
We often think about the things we use out in the garden but rarely do we give a second thought to the things we use in the house. It’s time to clean them up.
A mild bleach solution is a good starting point. Make sure you have some good rubber gloves at the ready. Mix household bleach with water as a 10:1 ration. That’s ten parts water to one part bleach. Fill each of your containers and let it sit a few minutes. Scrub the container well with this solution using a bottlebrush. Rinse it well and if you have the room, run your containers through the dishwasher. Your glass vases and most ceramic containers can tolerate a gentle cycle on the home dishwasher.
Your containers will be fresh, clean and sparkling. Your roses will survive longer when cut and your home will be beautiful!
-submitted by Bruce Barr
April 2009
Weathering the winter with thoughts of spring! The upper mid-west does not give up winter weather easily. We are ready for spring and gardening but the freeze thaw cycle and howling winds generally leave trips to the garden for another day. So what’s the anxious, ready-to-go rose gardener to do? Here are some ideas:
· Take an inventory of the regular supplies you use during the growing season. Wilt Pruf, Fungicide, Messenger, Organic fertilizer, Chemical fertilizer or any other supplies you use regularly. The garden centers will be quiet at this time of year, but their new stock of supplies are on the shelves. Having these items on hand when the time is right for use is a wise position.
· Print out a yearly calendar or dig out the 2009 calendar your niece gave you for Christmas and pencil in a regular schedule of preventative maintenance according to the recommended time intervals. Plan to follow through with action when needed.
· Find your Felco rose pruners and purchase a new blade and replace the old one. And while you are on that job, purchase a bottle of Elmers Glue- not the water soluble school glue. Then when the weather is just right, you will be ready to go outside to prune and seal the canes against cane borer insects.
· When the weather seems right in your area (above 40 degrees) mix and spray Wilt Pruf or a similar product that is an anti-dessicant. Spring winds may cause additional cane loss in our brief growing season.
· Follow up with a local Consulting Rosarian by email or phone for specific recommendations for your area.
-submitted by Elena Williams
February 2009
A reliable spring showing of color A tip I recommend to increase the "wow factor" of your yard, without too much work, it to include a hedge of reliable old garden roses right along the street. In our climate, I use Galica roses for color - you can't beat the dark and vivid colors they provide. Galicas are also hardy right through zone 4 which will come in handy for this year! These roses will bloom once over a 5 week period from early June through early July, thus missing the Japanese beetle season completely. The sheer number of blooms will be amazing once the bushes are established, which takes about 3 years. For the darkest of winey reds, I would recommend 'Tuscany', 'Tuscany Superb', 'Cardinal de Richelieu', 'La Belle Sultane', and my favorite 'Belle de Crecy'. If you are after some real unusual flowers plant 'Camaieux' (striped), 'Alain Blanchard' (spotted), or 'Desire Parmentier' (vivid pink). If you want a softer pink, you can't beat 'Duchess de Montebello'.
Another group of old garden roses who have proved their hardiness are the Albas. In lighter colors, the best include 'Great Maidens Blush', 'Celestial' and 'Alba Semi Plena' for that 8-foot tall hedge you have been planning, or 'Konigen von Danemark' and 'Felicite Parmentier' if you want something more in the 4-foot range. 'Felicite Parmentier' is the most fragrant rose I have in my yard, but it is a big more winter tender so I try to give it more protection by burying it with snow. In addition to having living pieces of history in your yard ('Tuscany' dates back to 1500) you will have some easy care fabulous bloomers. Get a book on Old Garden Roses and get hooked!
-submitted by Kim Loomis
January 2009
Getting your gardening fix in the winter. Holy Sub-zero Batman! Hopefully your roses are protected by all the winter snow. If you have any areas where the wind is displacing your snowcover, be sure to shovel more on as needed. Remember to give the potted roses you have stored in the garage/barn/shed a little drink once monthly or shovel snow on them as well. Just a cup or 2 of water is all that's needed. What else to do while the north wind is howling? Plan, read, shop, order!
Plan new garden areas or plan to redo old ones. I have some spots that I will dig up entirely this year and start over. Some work, but a fresh palette will be its own reward when spring planting starts. Plan new color zones or which perennials to plant where to coordinate and look great with the roses. Plan to make use out of a previously wasted space in the garden or yard. As long as it has 6 hours of sun, and good drainage, it will do for the roses! Plan on attending the Mid Winter meeting in Wisc. Dells March 20-22, 2009. See the info under announcements on the home page.
Read everything you can about growing, showing, whatever your favorite things are. I still learn something new whenever I read old ARS magazines or rosebooks I have looked at previously. Or maybe I am just reminded of what I should be doing!
Shop for your new rosebushes while the selection is good. The rest of the country will be planting soon and the sooner you get your order in the better selection you will have. If you wait until later, you may be out of luck. There are several local societies selling roses (see the announcements). so patronize your local groups--it will raise funds for the society and give you a price break compared to ordering them from the rose grower.
Order not only your roses but any supplies you will be needing for the growing season. It is very convenient to have something on the shelf at home when you need it, rather than have to order or run to the store. Make sure all your tools are in working order and repair or replace as needed.
Stay Warm!
-submitted by Yvonne Brault
October 2008
It's that time of the year to winterize, or at least begin thinking about it.
1. Gather your materials that you prefer like rose collars, leaves, chicken wire, etc. Dig those trenches if you like to bury your bare root roses. Cover the trench for now with a piece of plywood or something similar, but at least the trench will be ready. One year I did this too late and the top of the ground was already freezing! I always spray for fungus prior to any winterizing. Some people have good luck with Wiltpruf also but I have never used it.
2. Talk with fellow local rosarians and see if there are any new methods anyone is recommending. I heard of one this summer that I am going to try. For roses grown in pots, apparently there has been some success with not removing the rose from the pot. Simply lay the rose pot on its side on top of the ground, rose and dirt and all. Pack the roses in pots tightly together into a mass, one layer deep and in a rough circle. Then take bags of leaves and surround the roses with an insulating layer of 1-2 bags thick. Also place a couple layers of bags on the top of the roses (or any other insulating material you can find, like bags of mulch, bags of potting soil, etc.). What you have left is well insulated rose pots that don't require unpotting now and repotting in the spring. I am going to try this method this year and will let you know how it worked for me. What is crucial is to pack the leaves in tightly together and don't forget to put mouse killer inside the circle.
3. Don't do any of your winterizing too soon. Let the roses harden off well. It was 83 degrees here yesterday and I'm not ready for any of this yet. I prefer to wait to winterize the bushes in the ground until the top of the ground is starting to freeze. I love to use collars for winterizing and the only thing I will do before the ground freezes is to cut off the canes at 18 inches tall when it gets colder and put the collars in place, snugging them into the dirt well. Be sure to mound up some dirt or mulch over the crown of the rose bush to further protect it, and this is best done before you place the collars on. I do not place the leaves in the collar until the ground freezes, and then I place handfuls carefully around the inside of the collar, all the way to the upper edge of the collar. If you want to do something now, clean up any debris, diseased leaves, etc. from the base of your plants.
4. For those of you that tip your roses, my hat is off to you! i do not have the time or the energy (or the knees) for such work at this time of the year. If anyone has any other tips to share, let me know. Thanks and happy fall.
-submitted by Yvonne Brault
January 2008
Don't forget your roses under all that snow! Be sure to keep an eye on your winterized roses even though it is the dead of winter. Make sure that cones, collars, leaves, etc. have not blown away and replace if necessary. If snow melting is a problem, shovel snow from areas where it is in the way and add it to the top of your garden roses for more insulation or add a shovel full to the rose pots you have in the garage, etc. Be sure to give some water to roses that are sheltered in the garage or basement. I have been told by several people that just a cup or 2 of water per month is enough to keep them from totally dessicating. My garage was too big to adequately overwinter roses there--they dried out-- but maybe more of you out there have had better experience and would like to share yours. If so contact me.
Also, don't forget to get your rose orders in early if you haven't done that yet. Don't wait to order until spring or the suppliers will already be out of the best ones! Several clubs are selling--support your local society! (See the announcements.)
Stay warm and curl up with your favorite rose book. I got a new one for Christmas that I would highly recommend--The Ultimate Rose Book, by Sterling Macoboy with Tommy Cairns, editor, 2007 (new edition). It's fabulous! Hope to see everyone in Wisconsin Dells for the midwinter meeting.
-submitted by Yvonne Brault
March 2008
Spring is almost here! Did we really have a 51 degree day the other day or was I dreaming? Can roses be far behind? Continue to keep things covered and check on your bushes regularly. Keep shoveling snow on them as the snow continues to melt, check that covers and leaves are still doing their job, etc.
Have you made your reservations for the District meeting yet? I hope you will all join us for the meetings and arrangement seminar. (See registration info in the announcements.) Bruce and Lois Ann always do such a wonderful job at teaching us arrangements! Also think about taking the consulting rosarian test ( but I'm not sure if it may be too late to do this now, contact Diane Sommers if any questions). Join your rosie friends for an educational and good time in the Dells.
Get those rose orders in if you have not done so yet. Remember the local club sales and support your local society. Don't forget to stock up on your favorite fertilizers, mildew preventers, fungicides, etc. Go through your old stock and make a list. Order them from your local club if they sell, or from your favorite supplier. Find, sharpen and clean all your tools now. Dig out your exhibiting tool box and check that you have enough foil, tools, rubber bands, Q-tips etc. Don't forget to stock up on ARS entry tags at your local meetings. Attach your address labels (on both portions, upper and lower) now so they are ready for that first show. Go through your closet or cupboard and find and wash your arrangement containers. Better yet, buy some new mini containers from the Gateway Rose Society at the District winter meeting in the Dells! THE POINT IS--DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN NOW TO GIVE YOU MORE TIME IN THE GARDEN WHEN THIS WINTER FINALLY ENDS! You will be happy that you did when that first rose show comes along and you find yourself prepared and organized.
One last tip, speaking of arrangement containers. I have found that one of the most successful places to find arrangement containers is junky antique shops (not the fancy ones with the high price tags), resale shops, etc. I can usually find some kind of container for just a few bucks. It doesn't really matter if there is a chip, discoloration, etc. if that part will be hidden by the arrangement anyway. Just make sure it doesn't leak. I make stops at my favorite places a few times a year and that is plenty to keep me well supplied.
July 2008
Beware of invasive weeds! After suffering a flood both last August and again in the beginning of June, I was delighted to see that most of the roses in the ground have survived well enough. Some of the coating left on the leaves after this latest insult dried to a powdery brown residue that was quite unsightly but actually did seem to provide some protection from blackspot and downy mildew. Also, I think the top of the ground under the bushes was effectively sealed off and the fungal spores were buried beneath the 3/4 inch dried layer of mud/cow manure.
Anyway, the first time my roses were sprayed this year was yesterday and I was actually pleasantly surprised by the lack of disease. HOWEVER, it is clear to me that the organic fertilizer provided by the flood fertilized the weeds so well that I have a tremendous new problem. The weeds are THRIVING. I have creeping charlie and bindweed everywhere. The bindweed thrived particularly well since the mulch washed away in the flood.
One of the best organic controls for bindweed is to block the light and thus stop the roots (which run both horizontal and vertical in the ground) from shooting a new plant up. This requires a good 6 inches of mulch, black fabric, or both. Unfortunately, I have found that even blocking the light in the bed does not guarantee that the bindweed will not spring up right next to the crown of the rose, which is has done to a lot of bushes. Constant vigilance and pulling is the only method once you have bindweed next to the roses. If you keep getting rid of the green plant, eventually you will "starve" the root system and eventually it will die, according to the experts.
But you have to remember that every time you fertilize the rose you are fertilizing the bindweed too. It is a never ending battle. The last resort would be to remove the rose bushes and plant elsewhere. Then cover the dirt and let the root system die off, sometimes requiring 3 years. THE BEST THING TO DO IS NEVER LET IT GET GOING IN THE FIRST PLACE, and NEVER LET ANYTHING GO TO SEED. I have also had some problems with picker weeds that have a long tap root and also grow by horizontal root spreading. I have picked and dug out the roots as best as I can and that does seem to help quite a bit. I also have some problems with a malva that grows obnoxiously but the tap root removal works well.
The bottom line is: BE VERY VIGILANT AND GET RID OF THE PROBLEM BEFORE IT GETS WORSE. IF YOU MUST RESORT TO CHEMICALS, ROUNDUP SOMETIMES WORKS. Just remember not to spray any weed killer on any part of the roses and to safeguard against any drift. Do not spray when it is windy and use all of the manufacturer's safety guidelines.
-submitted by Yvonne Brault
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