Roses

AUTUMN

Autumn is officially here but with temperatures around 30C each day it still feels as though it is summer. The long extended warm period, all the way from late September, well into March has been excellent for the displays of roses seen in the local area. Of course it has meant the need to provide sufficient water but with deep watering in the morning there has been less opportunity for fungal diseases to take hold. That changes as temperatures cool and autumn rains provide humidity for Blackspot and Mildew start to appear. Mancozeb is a good choice of prevention and treatment at this time of year.

Provided that bushes were given a good trim at the end of February, given Sudden Impact for Roses followed by several deep watering’s, there should be a nice display in your gardens by Easter, despite it being late in April.

As the last of the summer blooms die, just trim off the dead flowers and a small amount of the foliage. Do not winter prune until the middle of June. Removal of the spent flowers plus dead foliage will prevent fungus and rotting extending into the stems.

April really is the beginning of the rose growers year when we remove those that have not performed recently, dug them out and removed any ‘Rose Sick’ soil, replacing it with new soil and compost that has not had roses planted in it for at least two years. Its also time to obtain catalogues or visit nurseries to select replacement roses. It is important to take note of the expected height when they reach their maturity,