Rose Garden Mania

Adequate water in the garden is essential all year-round, even during the coldest months of winter. Although plants and trees may be dormant above ground, root systems continue to grow and develop despite frigid temperatures. Unless sufficient rain has fallen, supplemental watering is required. During winter, meet your garden’s various watering needs to ensure that plants stay healthy until warmer weather arrives.

Grasses and Other Plants

During winter, grasses and other plants need about 2.5 cm of water 2-4 times each month. Use a rain gauge to monitor the amount of rainfall and supplement, as needed. Do not water the lawn or garden when it is freezing. To prevent damage to plants, avoid spraying bare branches or foliage and water just at the ground level.

Trees

Like other plants, trees also need water during winter. Generally, established trees need 38 litres of water per 2.5 cm of trunk diameter 1-2 times each month during the winter. To remain healthy and thrive, newly planted trees usually require more moisture than established trees, and drought tolerant trees will need less. Be sure to water trees slowly to ensure adequate saturation of the soil and to prevent water run-off.

Remember the Birds

It is common in winter to put out feed for wild birds. In addition to food, these birds also need fresh water. In times of extreme cold, the usual sources of water for birds may be absent or frozen. When feeding birds during the winter months, be sure to regularly supply fresh water, as well.

If you are interested in water subject maybe you would like to know some more facts about water scale prevention electronic descaler? Check the Scalewatcher’s website – scalewatcher.co.uk.
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Many gardeners like to enjoy their roses twice — first in the garden, then indoors as cut flowers. By choosing the right roses, cutting them at the proper time of day, and conditioning them after cutting, you can enjoy your cut roses for the longest possible time — up to five days or more after cutting.

When to Cut Roses

In general, the more petals a rose has the slower it will open and the longer it will last. So, the best roses to use as cut flowers are the fully double varieties. Flowers with fewer petals open quickly and need to be replaced more often. Old garden and shrub roses generally wilt rapidly because their petals lack the substance (thickness and sturdiness) of modern roses and therefore don’t make good cut flowers.

In addition to the form of a rose, you should consider its blooming stage. A rose will last longer if it is cut when the sepals have separated from the bud and have turned downward, and when the bud has softened but before the stamens are visible. If you squeeze the bud and it is still hard, wait a day or two before cutting it or it may not open after it is cut.

Roses should be cut from a well-watered plant, late in the afternoon when the sugar and nutrient content of the plant is highest. This provides the bloom with ample energy to develop and open normally, and to stay open longer without wilting. During hot weather, when there is chance that a flower may be dehydrated by late afternoon, water the plant well several hours before cutting.

How to Cut Roses

Using pruning shears or flower-cutting shears cut the stem at a 45-degree angle, no shorter than just above the first five-leaflet leaf below the flower. You can cut a stem as long as you like, provided that at least two sets of leaves are left on the main stem to act as food producers for future growth and flowering.

Carry a bucket of water with you into the garden so that you can place the cut stems in the water immediately. The flowers will last much longer if the uptake of water is not interrupted for too long and the stems don’t dry out. It’s all right to submerge the leaves temporarily as they too will absorb moisture.

Although you will not harm a plant if you cut off all its flowers at one time, you may want to leave a few on the plant for garden color. Cutting roses, whether new or faded, encourages the plants to grow and re-bloom quickly.

After you have cut the roses re-cut the stems at a slant with the stem underwater to permit maximum water absorption.

How to Condition Roses

Place the bucket of water containing the cut roses in a cool, dark place, like in the basement, to allow the roses to become “conditioned” before arranging them in a vase. Conditioning roses allows them to get used to being detached from the plants and slows down the respiratory rate of the leaves. Leave them for at least several hours; preferably overnight.

You can condition cut flowers in a refrigerator as long as the refrigerator is intended only for roses and not for food. Many types of fruit stored in a refrigerator release ethylene gas, a ripening agent that causes cut flowers to open prematurely.

Water for cut flowers is best if it is slightly acidic because acid breaks up air bubbles in water by neutralizing the carbon dioxide gas. Air bubbles can clog capillaries in the stem and prevent water from reaching the flowers and foliage. Water also travels more quickly up a stem when the water is acidic. If you’re not sure whether your water is acidic, ask your water supplier. If it is not acidic, add lemon juice to acidify it.

You should not use artificially softened water; it contains sodium, which is toxic to plants. In most cases, use cold water; it slows down the respiratory rate of the leaves. However, if the flowers have wilted because they have been out of water too long or because the stems were not cut underwater soon enough and the stem ends have become clogged, hot water will revive them faster than cold water. The stems absorb hot water more quickly.

How to Prepare Roses for a Vase

Before placing the roses in a vase, remove any leaves and thorns that will be below the water after arranging, because these will quickly disintegrate, foul the water, and shorten the life of the cut flowers. Thorns can be snapped off by hand or with a special thorn-stripping tool sold by florist supply stores. Then clean the remaining foliage with soap and water if necessary to remove dirt or spray residue, and make the leaves shine by rubbing with a paper towel, a soft cloth, or a nylon stocking. If any of the leaves are ripped or chewed, they can be manicured with small scissors.

More tips: If the roses you have picked are fragrant, handle them gently. The petals of fragrant roses have more scent-emitting glands than do those of less-fragrant kinds, and they therefore tend to bruise more easily.

To lengthen the life of your cut roses, always use a clean container for the flowers, and add a floral preservative to the water. Because they are acidic, contain sugar, and include a bacteria-retarding agent, floral preservatives provide some nutrients and restrain the growth of bacteria that will shorten the life of the flowers. These preservatives can be purchased at a flower shop. If you can’t buy one, mix any clear citrus-based soft drink containing sugar with three parts water; or mix 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, and l/2 teaspoon household bleach in 1 quart of water.

Keep the container filled with water to reduce the chance that it will evaporate or be consumed by the roses. If possible, change the water daily, re-cutting the stems underwater each time. Or check the level every day and add water as needed. To prolong the life of cut roses, keep cool and away from drafts, air-conditioners, radiators, and full sun.

Display the splendor of single rose stems in simple vases. When enjoying blooms from first-year roses, it’s usually better to cut short stems.

Good Roses for Long-Stemmed Cutting
Barbra Streisand (‘WEKquaneze’)
Bride’s Dream (‘KORoyness’) Crystalline (‘ARObipy’)
Elina (‘DICjana’)
Jardins de Bagatelle (‘MEImafris’)
Kardinal (KORlingo’)
Love & Peace (‘BALpeace’)
Moonstone (‘WEKcryland’)
New Zealand (‘MACgenev’)
Peter Mayle (‘MEIzincaro’)
‘Royal Highness’
Toulouse Lautrec (‘MEIrevolt’)
Valencia (‘KOReklia’)
Veteran’s Honor (‘JACopper’)

Bambi Coker
© Bambi Coker All Rights Reserved

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Do You Know The Best Time To Water Your Roses?
By  Gregg Hall

If you are one of those who think that just spraying your flowers with a hose is good enough to keep your roses lovely and blooming you better think again. Many people just don’t realize that how and when you decide to water your roses is actually one of the most imperative and often ignored aspects of basic rose care. Here are some hints and simple guidelines for helping you to keep your roses healthy, supple and beautiful year-round.

First of all you should know that when you set up your watering schedule that early morning watering is best. This is because if you water your garden in the middle of the day or in the afternoon a good portion, in not all of the water will be evaporated before it can even reach the roots. A lot of gardeners say that they also prefer early morning watering because it allows the plant to become hydrated while the rising sun helps dry the leaves relatively quickly. If you wait to water your garden in the evening, the water will not evaporate, but your plants will be at a much greater risk of developing mildew due to the fact that leaves may remain wet for several hours. We realize that not everyone’s schedule will allow for a regular early morning watering schedule. If this is true for you, and you have to water your plants in the evening, try to avoid getting the leaves wet if at all possible. Standing water on the leaves will make your plants susceptible not only to mildew, but insects, pests, and multitude of fungal diseases

All flowering plants require a good deal of water and roses, being a flowering plant are no exception to this rule. They need as much as 2 inches of water each week. So it should come as no surprise to you or anyone else that summer is one of the times you’ll find yourself watering the most. Expect to water more than once a week when summer comes depending on the climate where you live, type of rose plant, the location of the plant, and its soil structure.

You should also use a rain gauge to see how much water is reaching the soil naturally, and plan your own watering schedule accordingly. The easiest way to check if your plant is receiving enough water involves simple observation. If the leaves limp or sagging your roses probably need more water, if the leaves yellowed, and starting to fall off this could be a sign that you’re over watering, and the plant is in need of oxygen.

Although water is vitally important to your roses you need to know that they do not tolerate standing in puddles of water, they have need of drainage, so it is critical that you don’t leave your plants in standing water. Find a healthy balance for your roses to be kept consistently moist, but not overly saturated.

Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find more about floral arrangements and http://www.freshfloralbouquets.com

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Taking Care Of Your Prized Roses
Lanny Hintz

Roses have been considered as one of the most popular and beautiful flowers all over the world. It has long been a symbol of beauty and loveliness. Having blooming roses in one’s garden is such a sight to see aside from the sweet fragrance it radiates around the place. If you grow flowers in your garden, especially roses I am pretty sure that you consider them to be one of your prized plants. I know that you have been dedicating time and effort to ensure that they grow and produce beautiful flowers for people to admire. If we want our roses to thrive especially during the difficult summer months, we need to take the necessary steps and measures to ensure that they will last and survive for a longer period of time.

The climate during the summer can be extremely hot especially in certain parts of the country and the world. It is a must for you to constantly give your roses enough water to avoid for them from wilting or drying. It is important that you water the soil where your roses are planted instead of watering the plant or foliage. To help keep and preserve the moisture, try applying mulch (like wood chips or pine needles) around your roses.

For your roses to be at their best even during the summer, you should have fertilized your roses around three times during the year. You should have fertilized during the early spring, followed up during your roses’ first blooms and then the last application during July. To keep pesky insects and diseases under control, obtain sprays from garden stores that help abate this problem.

It is essential that you regularly prune your roses. Utilize sharp pruning spears or cutters to make clean cuts and avoid damaging the branches. Your pruning spears should be kept dry to avoid it from becoming rusty. They should be regularly cleaned before using to prevent them having fungus that could give diseases to your roses.

Always get rid of dying or dead growth to prevent diseases from developing and to make your rose bushes look good. If you want your roses to be growing in the correct direction shape them while they are still growing. Also keep them away from other plants that may harm their growth.

The trick to growing roses is to have patience and effort in growing them. I’m sure that in no time you will be enjoying the beauty of your rose bushes.

About the author: Lanny Hintz writes about DutchGardens coupon codes, Bloming bulb Discount Sales
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