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| Norma A. Boeckler - yes this is a painting. |
I am just going to briefly note some things about the care of roses. The best thing most people can do is stop the toxins and prune a lot more.
Planting Roses
Either roses are in pots or they arrive bare root. I am keen about soaking plants in rainwater for hours, even overnight, before planting.
Pruning is always good for roses. I prune the roots and the canes when planting. The ones I pruned the most also popped their leaves first. Listen up - roses love to be pruned. They go to sleep when not pruned.
They are thirsty for water, so newly planted roses should have their canes watered every other day or so, every day if windy.
Listen up! - Do not fertilizer roses with that garbage they sell in hardware stores, gardening centers, etc. That green grainy stuff has little long-term effect and does a lot of damage to the balance of God's Creation. Mulch will be pulled down by soil creatures, and they like leaf fragments, compost, wood mulch, newspaper, and cardboard. Newspaper held in place by wood mulch is useful and attractive.
The War Against Aphids and Chewing Pests
In my garden, aphids go for the white roses and Peace first of all. I leave them alone, because the beneficials will feast on them and set up a happy household nearby. They are not fast to arrive, but they do their jobs. Later the same roses will be almost damage free.
Listen up! Insecticides and fungicides are banned from Creation Gardens. They wipe out beneficial life above and below ground.
Birds, spiders, and toads are assets for the Creation Gardener. They are like military specialists, each group having their own specialty. A lack of toxins and an abundance of food, shelter, and water will favor all the good creatures. The birds sing for joy when I enter the front or back. Either I will feed them or water the plants to help them bath and search for worms.
Continuous Pruning - Continuous Growth
Some people really need to study John 15. Nothing grows on dead wood and blackened stems. Dead wood is not neutral. It drags down the vitality of the bush. Summer means continuous harvesting of roses and pruning the dead wood. Cutting a rose bloom or a bud means the plant will grow above and below for new ones. Leaving them alone means letting them go to seed and go to sleep.
Listen up! The flowering branch is cut to make it even more productive. The dead wood is cut off and thrown away. KnockOut roses especially respond to pruning. Cut 30% away, that growth will be back quickly with dozens of blooms.
Look for the Death Star - the empty bud with the petals fallen away. That means the rose is done blooming ready to form a hip, a seed pod. KnockOuts are so prolific that Death Stars are all over the plant. Cut them off short, cut them off long, snap them off with fingers.
Roses Are Not Members of the Cactus Family
Listen up! Roses need a good watering at least once a week. I do not just water the base, but give them a good shower as well. Falling petals will give away spent blooms, something to prune away later when the plant dries. Do not prune wet plants.
I Do Not Treat for Blackspot and Never Worry about It
My roses are almost free of blackspot. If I have some ugly leaves on the ones for the vase, I cut them away.
