Help and advice with roses

HELP AND ADVICE

R O S E

A small bud appeared one day,
A rose was beginning to form.
A picture of beauty it did portray,
But rain was to be the norm.

The rose burst into full bloom,
With all its splendor and grace.
Fragrance filled the air like perfume,
And slowly drifted into space.

A cool breeze began to blow,
Darkness from a hidden sun grew deep.
Droplets of water begin to show,
As the grey sky began to weep.

Moisture collected the rose became heavy,
Its slender stem began to droop and bend.
One by one petals dropped to the levee,
As the rose gave way to the wind.

GROWING ROSES IN THE GOLD COAST AREA
Author: Robert Warren, Member of the Gold Coast Rose Society Inc;

SITUATION;
All roses require an open, sunny, well drained position, without competition from tree and shrub roots etc. Some shade during the day will still allow some reasonable plants, however full sun is desirable for best growth. In addition, plants are more susceptible to disease problems in shady areas. There are always problems with wind effects from time to time in this area, so some staking particularly of young water shoots will be necessary.

SOILS;
Properties close to the coast, usually have well drained soils. Whilst others, more inland may have silty clay soils with poor drainage. There is no mystery about growing roses in this area, but they have requirements like most plants, such as good drainage, good soil with adequate organic matter and an ideal P.H. of about 6.5 to 7. To ensure good drainage, construction of raised beds may be required. Most coastal soils here are acidic. Liming may be necessary. Roses can be grown in beds with other plants, but most serious growers do not. Roses are like shrubs, except that because of the nature of their growth, having relatively shallow root systems, they do not compete for nutrients as well as most shrubs. Existing soil can be improved by incorporating organic matter, such as compost or old manure etc, or by growing green manure crops. Soil can be imported, but there is a risk of nut grass, oxalis etc being present. These soils should be tested for P.H. and texture. A simple test of soil is to shake some up with water in a bottle and observe the results after a settling period of say, a few hours. This will give an indication of the texture (% of sand, silt and clay) Really, it is advisable to get a laboratory test of soils in new gardens, as well as the imported soil. Even experienced gardeners can benefit from these sources of information. Beds should be prepared well in advance of planting.

SELECTION;
Life is too short to grown any plants including roses, which we do not have some knowledge about. Why waste a year or more finding out by bitter experience? Colour, pest/diseases, growth habit, quality of flowers, does it perform well here on the coast etc? How do we find this out? Talk to other gardeners, visit gardens/flower shows etc. Join a garden club or specialist society. Sources of supply can be; supermarket chains, nurseries, mail order Rose specialists. Roses may be bare rooted in a dormant condition, or may be in containers. Rose plants held indoors, in warm store in poor light often produce premature shoots. So it is advisable to buy plants as soon as they are in the stores. Plants with premature shoots should not be purchased, as die back (stem canker) occurs when they are exposed to the elements.

PLANTING;
The distance between plants can cause problems, if overcrowded it is difficult to maintain them and it is said that disease incidence is magnified if plants are close together. Generally one metre apart for most plants is a suitable distance, however, some plants may grow tall and to about 1.5 metres wide. Good rose catalogues usually give some dimension indications, if there is any doubt about their habit. Old garden roses and modern shrub roses may become quite large and may require more room. With all roses be prepared for some transplanting in time, as some plants may become quite vigorous. Bare rooted plants should be planted straight away when received. Sometimes on the coast, they arrive in stores and nurseries in May. Normally they are planted in June/July. However, early planting does not cause any problems, unless the plants have produced premature growth, which may be affected if frosts occur (some coastal areas of course do experience frosts). Plants from specialist nurseries may arrive as late as August, hopefully still in a dormant state. There are theories about planting shrubs/trees as well as roses. If the soil is well prepared prior to planting, there is no need to provide fertiliser until the plant produces a fair amount of growth. Some people advocate the use of slow release fertilisers at planting time. Normally plants from containers are planted at the same height as in the container. Roses are one exception. Most Rose plants are propagated by budding, new growth arising from the budded area (the union). This should be set at ground level, this means that container roses should be planted deeper than when in the container, so that the union is set at ground level. The soil is not disturbed when planting from containers, apart from minor teasing of exposed fine roots. The roots of bare rooted plants are spread out over a small mound made at the bottom of the hole. Bare rooted plants may be soaked for a time in water prior to planting. Some growers recommend liquid hormones in the water as well.

CULTURE - A BRIEF SUMMARY;
As stated previously, Roses are like shrubs to some extent. Differing, in that most are producing flowers over a long period, with subsequent surges of growth following the removal of spent flowers (continual pruning taking place). Therefore they require fertilising during the year to sustain strong healthy growth. Slow release fertilisers make it easy to provide a regular supply of nutrients. For most gardeners this should be sufficient. Specialists, or what we might call fanatics, have their own ideas - some mix their own fertilisers. One point to be made is that too much Nitrogen encourages soft growth, more susceptible to fungus diseases (particularly powdery mildew). There is much talk about extra Potassium requirements, and even a supply of silica. Also foliar fertilising etc. Good Roses can still be produced without getting too obsessed with all this. Beds should be mulched to retain moisture in the soil, and to reduce weed infestation Lucerne hay mulch is recommended by most growers, for several reasons.

Water requirements of roses is a controversial topic, especially in droughty periods. The hand watering of roses, as with turf and other plants, encourages roots near the soil surface. Then, extremes of heat may affect the growth and health of the plants. Perhaps we water them too much when there are no restrictions? If hand watering is to be carried out, repeat the watering cycle several times so that the water can soak in a deeply as possible. A soil moisture meter is a good investment (not that expensive). Pest and disease control is necessary to produce good roses. Black spot, Anthracnose and Powdery mildew are the main disease problems here.

P.R. NO! NOT PUBLIC RELATIONS but Preventative Regular spraying is essential. The season and the weather appear to be the key, e.g. if foliage is wet for more than seven hours, it is susceptible to Black Spot (don't water foliage at night). Apply cover sprays early in the season and frequently, if wet conditions are experienced. The fungicide Copper Hydroxide controls Anthracnose as well. Also in dry periods Powdery Mildew seems to be more prevalent.

Pests such as aphids, mites and caterpillars cause problems, again relevant to the season and the weather. Everyone would like to eliminate them without using chemicals. It is easier for those with small plantings, than for those with a considerable number of plants. Combined sprays available at most stores may fill the need for those with small plantings. Organic sprays, oil sprays, sodium bicarbonate etc and release of predatory mites can be tried. Some small scale infestation of pests can be tolerated, with natural predators almost keeping things in check. When epidemic proportions are reached and plants become badly infested and affected, drastic measures are required. There are so many chemicals on the market the choice is yours. Try not to use the same chemical all the time, as not only pests build up resistance but so do the fungus diseases. Also try not to use chemicals which will kill the natural predators, especially the predatory mites if you have them.

ROSES ARE RESILIENT - IF NEGLECTED A LIGHT TRIM, SOME FERTILISER AND WITH SOME DISEASE AND PEST CONTROL MEASURES, THEY WILL SOON REWARD YOU.

SOME RECOMMENDED ROSES FOR OUR CLIMATE

"So if you want to live again, try digging in the soil
plant yourself a rose bush and triumph from your toil"

* Denotes Fragrance

The listed Roses are available at most good nurseries such as Swane's, Treloar or Trewellyn Nurseries

Hybrid Tea Roses

Aotearoa *; Soft pink, rather tall and not over vigorous. Takes at least two years to show its best. Has a white ‘sport’ called Full Sail. Both have a good disease resistance, probably as good as any. Very fragrant.

Baronne de Rothchild; A large formed high pointed rose of light red with silver reverse. Very hardy, easily grown plant of medium height. Forty petals of strong perfume.

City of Newcastle Bicentennial; The best red rose to grow here on the coast. Pure red and highly fragrant. The flowers have great substance and even on the hottest day here in summer they do not burn. Flower production is good. Disease is not a factor but this one is hard to find. It is sought after and those in nurseries are sold out quickly. It pays to go to the grower in winter and order through the mail.

Double Delight *; .White with a red edge on the petals. Very fragrant. Quite tall and spreads a little, but still worth growing. Has some disease problems but not enough to eliminate it from growing in this part of the world. Every nursery has this rose and every garden should have one as well.

Fiona’s Wish; Named to honour the well known heart patient Fiona Coote. A strikingly classic hybrid tea rose. The strong colouring of cherry red petals are perfectly contrasted by the pale yellow underside

Moonstone; White with pink edging, rather tall. Probably as tall as 1.8 metres after two years. Great rose for exhibition. One of the parents, Lyn Anderson is very tall and not recommended unless it is used as a climber. The colour combination is similar but the flowers of Moonstone have more substance. Does not seem affected to any great extent by disease. Very slight fragrance.

Perfume Delight *; Deep pink in colour, the fragrance is superb. One of the best. Tall, about 1.8 to 2 metres but remains under control. Produces beautiful flowers continually on long straight stems. Disease is not a problem.

Princess de Monaco; A strikingly beautiful rose of ivory edged pink with excellent form, with 30 unfading petals. Growth is vigorous and upright and the green foliage is of great hardiness.

Signature; . Long pointed buds of deep pink in classic hybrid tea form. The high-centred blooms of pink and cream are carried on long stems. Medium to tall bush with dense, dark green foliage.

Tickled Pink; One of the prettiest pink roses around and one of its parents is Queen Elizabeth It is the first rose to get powdery mildew in our garden, but this serves to indicate that spraying needs to be carried out. It is not a problem though, as in all other departments it does well. The flowers are of great substance and are not affected by heat. It grows to about 1.2 metres does not take up much room and has a spicy fragrance. Not that easy to find but it is still available.

Touch of Class; Unusual shade of pink/orange and the flower shape is unique. A very attractiveflower and a tall grower in this climate - 1.8 metres at least. Tough as they come to disease. A vase of these is spectacular. Very little fragrance. .

Cluster Flowered / Floribunda Roses

Gold Bunny; Brilliant yellow flowers that are produced all over the bush all season. Vigorous but not really any problems. Disease resistance is good, has a little fragrance.

Iceberg; This one comes in a variety of colours from white through pink shades to burgundy and all except ‘Burgundy’ are worth growing Burgundy Iceberg grows w4ell but the flower colour goes to a ‘dirty’ maroon very quickly. The others are very vigorous and produce masses of flowers. They have little perfume but a rose, when in flower, is noticeable from a long way off. Almost disease free.

Margaret Merrill; White flowers which are larger than most floribundas. Very fragrant and not susceptible to disease in this climate. A rose that spreads a little so it needs a bit of room to move. Well worth growing as it always looks healthy and produces masses of fragrant flowers. As good as Iceberg.
Margaret Merrill; White flowers which are larger than most floribundas. Very fragrant and not susceptible to disease in this climate. A rose that spreads a little so it needs a bit of room to move. Well worth growing as it always looks healthy and produces masses of fragrant flowers. As good as Iceberg. .

Seduction; This rose has a beautiful colour combination of white with shades of pink towards the outer edge of the petals. No fragrance. It looks great when many are planted together. It is not tall but spreads a little. It is not affected by disease or the head of summer. Probabably the best floribunda in o7ur garden for ‘looks’ and flowers continually. Easily obtained from nurseriews as it is very popular. It has a climber cariety but the climber is less vigorous than most. The only drawback is the many thorns which are extremely sharp and hooked.

Modern Shrub Roses

Golden Celebration; Very large deeply cupped flowers of rich golden yellow. A very good shrub of ideal rounded habit of growth with dark glossy green foliage. Exceptional fragrance. 1.5m tall

Heritage; One of the best David Austin roses. Flowers are medium sized of perfect form, prettily cupped in shape and of a soft pink colour. Flowers repeatedly and regularly with a strong fragrance. The growth though relaxed at first, soon builds into a good bushy shrub. 1.2m.

Jubilee Celebration; Named in commemoration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee. It is one of the finest David Austin Roses introduced so far. Large domed flowers are of a lovely rich salmon-pink with tints of gold on the underside of the petals. Each bloom being elegantly held well above the foliage and are produced with exceptional freedom and continuity. Fruity rose scent with hints of fresh lemon and raspberry. Vigorous, healthy growth. 1.2m tall x 1.2m wide

Jude the Obscure; Very large, highly fragrant flowers that are incurving. Colour is pale yellow to apricot. Very strong, healthy growth that repeats well. There are few more magnificent roses than Jude The Obscure. 1.5m tall x 1.2m.

L D Braithwaite; The flowers open wide and slightly cupped and are of a brilliant crimson. They are produced freely, with exceptional continuity over a long period and have a good Old Rose fragrance. 1.5m.

Molineux; The rich yellow flowers are produced with exceptional freedom and continuity and have a strong Tea fragrance. The bush is very disease resistant, producing even upright growth. This variety won several awards in the 1996 Royal National Rose Society Rose Trials in England including the Henry Edland Medal for Best Scented Rose. 1.2m.

Heritage Roses

Buff Beauty; Medium sized apricot blooms on a semi-prostrate plant. Fragrant

Crepuscule; Informal apricot yellow blooms. The virtually thornless plant can be allowed to grow as a large sprawling shrub or trained as a moderately vigorous climber. Repeat flowering with good fragrance.

Perle D’Or; Fragrant golden pink - Syn. yellow 'Cecile Brunner'

Reine De Violettes; (Queen of the violets) Large double (75 petals), very fragrant. Violet red. Profuse recurrent bloom;

Australian Bred Roses

Lorraine Lee; One of the most famous Australian roses. A predominantly pink bloom with a hint of apricot. A vigorous rose which is well suited to the Australian climate

Nancy Hayward; Clark (Australia) 1937 Very vigorous large flowered climber. Single strawberry-red blooms fade to carmine. Repeat flowering.

Our Rosamond; Ron Bell (Australia) 1983; Silvery pink with a darker flush and on occasions a soft self pink. The beautifully formed show blooms are produced on long strong stems. Plant habit is medium tall with glossy dark green foliage. Good disease resistance. Pleasant perfume.

Womans Day; ; Welsh (Australia) 1993 R.A.F.T. Rose of 1993. A medium sized plant with extreme freedom of flowering. The large double informal blooms are produced many to a stem. In pleasant pastel shades of light to mid pink and occasionally flushed red.

Miniature Roses

Baby Boomer; Excellent new perfectly formed mid pink.

Benardella's Pearl; Tall strong growth producing frosty ice pink blooms.

Figurine; A delicately coloured bud of cream on the outer petals with a porcelain centre. Very perfuse flowering habit, ideal for cut flower production. Slight perfume.
Holy Toledo; Beautifully formed buds of apricot flushed red. Vigorous, medium to tall growth.

Pacesetter; Perfectly formed white, long single stems.

The Fairy; Double pink. Low semi-prostrate climber. Very good