Question: I just moved into a house with 6 really tall rose bushes (6-8 foot tall). How is the best way and when is the best to prune them back to manageable height?
At first I might trim them back by as much as half. Normally one-third is the rule.
When plants are trimmed, the diseased parts are removed, and pruning roses involves doing just this, as well as maintaining the shape of the plant. Keep the stem of a rose healthy with help from an urban horticulturist and gardening adviser in this free video on growing roses.
Question: I am a new rose planter and I’m not sure what is meant by cutting my roses back to the next bud?
A rose bush always has a dormant bud below the stem. Cut 1/8th of an inch above this bud. The rose plant will normally branch or bush out in this direction.
Rule of Thumb: The width of your pinky finger nail is about an eighth of an inch.
When buying flowers for a garden, choose varieties that will thrive in the garden atmosphere, whether it is shady or sunny, and select healthy-looking, dark, vibrant greenery with a good root structure. Choose the healthiest-looking flowers to start a garden with advice from an experienced horticulturist in this free video on gardening.
Question: Roses are such beautiful flowers that it might be nice to grow them in my yard. The ones that appeal to me are the type you can pick and put into vases to display in your home. Where is the best location to grow roses and what preventative measures can I take to grow healthy ones?
Roses, like many flowering plants, bloom their best when planted in an eastern setting. This early morning sunlight helps to dry off the foliage which will cut back on the powdery mildew and black spotting that plague roses. A good drainage area is also a requirement to prevent standing water. Build rose beds for ease in care and maintenance. Spraying with a rose fungicide every two weeks will help with the black spotting fungus. When pruning make clean cuts one-eighth inch above another bud in the direction in which you want the plant to branch out. During the growing season, fertilize lightly once a month. Through good maintenance and care,
your home’s rose bouquets will be outstanding.
Question: Black sooty mold grows on my citrus and gardenia. Is this a problem?
Black sooty mold is a red flag indicating insects that feed and excrete on the leaves of your plants. It sometimes has a varnished appearance to the leaves, followed by the black mold that grows on the honeydew made by the excretion of the insects. Try spraying with a soapy water solution (1 tsp. mild detergent to a gallon of water) or use Neem oil according to label instructions.
Gardeners with limited landscape time find perennials a particular blessing. After all, they have to be planted only once, and require considerably less care than annuals. Too, in general, perennials are more convenient and are more adaptable to local conditions than their annual pals. Even perennials that are damaged by frost will emerge the following season, often with larger and more abundant blossoms.
Not only do perennials offer a variety of appealing flowers, but their foliage can also be more interesting in shape, size, and color than annuals. To improve the overall appearance of your landscape and to ensure year-round color, you should include
an assortment of perennials in your annual beds.
Separate beds of perennials, however, can be breathtaking, permanent, “easy” spots in your garden. Here, hand weeding, watering, and insect and disease control will be much less taxing on your time than annual beds.
DRAINAGE TIPS
Just because perennial beds are easier to care for doesn’t mean they don’t have to be carefully planned. Perennials, as a rule, should be planted in well drained areas. If your landscape doesn’t offer optimum drainage conditions, it’s a good idea to plant your perennials in raised beds, which encourage drainage and delineate landscape areas.
SOIL ENRICHMENT
Soil enrichment is just as important for perennials as it is for annuals. In fact, it’s even more important, since a perennial bed, unlike an annual bed, won’t be reworked every season. You should give your perennials added nutrients before you plant them, especially if you’re planting them in your landscape’s existing soil.
WATERING TIPS
Watering, too, is crucial to your perennials’ continued good health. Most need a good, weekly watering; in fact, I’d advise giving these perennial beauties 1⁄2 inch of water twice a week to ensure that their thirst is quenched.
MULCHING
Perennials benefit greatly from mulching, which makes a flowerbed more attractive, discourages weeds, inhibits soil erosion, and helps conserve moisture in the soil. Cypress or pine wood chips, leaves, and grass clippings are excellent mulches. For perennials that are dormant in winter, mulching in late October and November is recommended. Some gardeners call this practice “putting the perennials to bed for the winter.
A list of perennials can be found here.
