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• Miam
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lley Rose S
Va
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oc
April/May 2014 Issue
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, Ohio Reg
“Talking About Roses In Our Valley”
Published for and by the Members of the Miami Valley Rose Society
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Old Oriental Roses – China Roses
Source: The American Rose Society, Encyclopedia of Roses
Old roses tend to make bushy plants, and their flowers are
often most beautiful when fully opened out. They also have
thinner petals and do not stand up so well to rain. Opinion is
divided on whether they are naturally healthier than modern
roses or not, and whether they are more strongly scented, and
there are exceptions to every rule – old roses excite passion.
Almost every country has a society or group dedicated to them.
China roses are the oldest of the old roses. They are ancient
hybrids raised, selected, and grown in China for many
centuries. Examples are ‘Old Blush’ and ‘Slater’s Crimson’,
which can be traced back at least 1,000 years. They are a result
of hybridization between Rosa gigantea, Rosa chinensis, and
probably, Rosa multiflora. They are short bushes whose flowers
repeat constantly: in hot climates they are ever blooming.
When they were introduced to the West and widely distributed,
from about 1750 onward, they gave rise to a European-raised
clutch of hybrids, which are known as China roses. Examples
include ‘Fabvier’ and ‘Hermosa’, which are shown below.
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‘Fabvier’
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‘Hermosa’
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Did You Know?
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Bring the Heat – Ready to Grow
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Theresa, Jamie and Jacob too ○
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The Circle Is Formed
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A Friendly Face All Year Round ○
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Healthy Bare Root Stock from
Weeks Roses
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ALL PHOTOS: JACQY KECK
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February 12, 2014 really should mark the first day of ‘spring.’
Stockslagers potted over 3,000 roses for the 2014-growing
season... a sure harbinger that spring is not too far off. This
visit is always an enjoyment as we get to see familiar faces
that all seem to enjoy what they are doing. We noted a blend
of front office and greenhouse folks all pitching in to get a
mighty big project efficiently handled.
We mentioned seeing familiar faces, many of these folks
have worked at Stockslagers for years. You would be surprised
to learn that many had parents that had worked for the firm. In
looking around I saw 20 year olds working side by side with
some 70 year olds – a pleasant blend of youthful enthusiasm
with seasoned experience. Duke mentioned that one of the
gentlemen working the conveyor line/positioning the roses in
the greenhouse was nearing 80... an inspiration to say the least.
Now that these bare root roses have received all this
attention, all that’s really needed now is heat, light and water
to bring a smile to a customer’s face come April/May!
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Stockslagers 2014 Bare Root Rose Potting Event
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The world’s largest rosebush is located in Tombstone, Arizona.
It is almost two hundred years old and is adorned with more
than two hundred thousand white blooms when in full bloom.
Its trunk is nearly six feet in diameter, and its branches form a
canopy large enough to shelter a crowd of 150 people.
Source: Pacific Northwestern Rosarian, Winter, 2014
Newsletter, Judy Heath, Editor
Editor’s Note: Sorry that I was not able to locate a picture of
this specimen, and can only wonder what it would take
besides a ‘cherry picker lift’ and infinite patience to prune
this phenomenal rosebush.
Page 2
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Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
require a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight per day to
What We Can Learn From a Skein of Geese in Flight
flourish.” Fortunately for us, we stubbornly pursued our hobby,
Thoughts courtesy of Dr. Lew Shupe
and through the school of hard knocks,learned how to be
Fact No 1: As each bird
successful with a partial shade garden.
flaps it wings, it
So what have we learned about growing roses in partial shade?
creates an uplift draft
• It is possible to have a beautiful rose garden in partial
for the birds following.
shade. Blooms have richer color and fade at slower rates than
By flying in a “V”
those receiving more direct sun- light.
formation, the whole
• Roses require less watering with less exposure to sunlight.
flock adds a greater
• Blooms will be smaller. Most plants will produce fewer
flying range than if
roses.
one bird flew alone.
• A shady garden most likely will not produce a Queen of
Lesson No. 1: People who share a common direction and
show, because hybrid teas and grandifloras grown in the
sense of community can get where they are going quicker
partial shade usually won’t have cane or bloom diameters
and more easily because they are traveling on the strength
necessary to compete with roses grown in full sun gardens.
of one another.
Rose selections are paramount. Some roses will perform quite
Fact No 2: Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it
well both in partial shade gardens and at shows.
suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone
• It’s important to identify micro-climate areas in you garden
and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of
that may be in a position to receive more sunlight. Most areas
the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.
in our garden receive about four hours of direct sunlight, while
Lesson No 2: If we have as much sense as geese, we will
a small area gets about six hours.
stay in formation and be willing to accept help when we
Our general approach has been to place our hybrid tea roses
need it and give help when it is needed.
where direct sunlight lasts the longest. We also grow roses
capable of covering high structures, and that provides
Fact No 3: When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into
additional sun exposure. For areas with less sunlight, we try
the formation, and another goose flies in the point position.
to select varieties we have seen growing in similar conditions
Lesson No 3: Geese instinctively share the task of leadership
or have found through research to be good partial
and do not resent the leader.
suncandidates.
Fact No 4: The geese in formation honk from behind to
How can you be successful?
encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
• Adjust your goals to fit the potential of your garden.
Lesson No 4: We need to make sure our honking from
• Make your number one goal to grow roses for their beauty
behind is encouraging and not something else.
in the garden. You will have no problem in finding several rose
Fact No 5: When a goose gets sick, is wounded or is shot
varieties that will flourish in partial shade. Since size does not
down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down
matter when participating in photo contests, you might want
to earth to help and protect it. They stay with their disabled
to add rose photography as a second avocation.
companion until it is able to fly again or dies. They then
• Also, exhibit at rose shows. Don’t worry about winning
launch out on their own or with another formation or catch
Queen of Show. Optimize your chances for winning other
up with the flock.
classes by growing several shrub, old garden, floribunda,
Lesson No 5: If we have as much sense as geese, we too,
hybrid musk and a variety of single roses.
will stand by one another in difficult times and help the
What rose varieties grow well in partial shade?
one who has dropped out regain his place in the formation.
Roses in the shrub Class. Unlike most hybrid tea roses, many
shrubs we grow add delicious fragrance to our garden. several
Growing Roses in Partial Shade
David Austin and Griffith Buck roses produce spectacular
By Al Whitcomb
flushes in partial shade. We have found that OGRs require less
Many rose lovers do not have the luxury of optimal sun
care, are more fragrant and grow better in partial shade than
requirements for growing roses. That was exactly the case
do their modern counterparts.
confronting us when we built a home in the middle of
Old Garden Roses
Nottingham Forest, a small community near Brooksville,
Molineux (at right) is a
Florida. Our yard is completely surrounded by trees. We tried
beautiful yellow/orange
to grow Saint Augustine grass in our back yard with little
globular shaped rose with
success, due to a lack of sunlight. So, we decided we would
110+ petals. A medium sized
try to grow roses. We planted three roses: ‘Ballerina’ a hybrid
bush with semi-glossy
musk,’Candelabra’ a grandiflora and ‘Trumpeter’ a floribunda.
foliage, it performs well as
As luck would have it, they all flourished and we were hooked.
both a garden and show
We joined the Tampa Rose Society in 2003 and shortly
rose. Molineux is our favorite Austin rose.
thereafter were told by our Consulting Rosarians that, “roses
Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
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L. D. Braithwaite produces dark
red large blooms. Its beauty is
complemented by its intense
fragrance. Other Austins we have
found to perform well in partial
shade include Christopher
Marlowe, Marinette, Windermere
and Ambridge Rose.
Sophy’s Rose is a fast repeating
rose that produces large flushes of red/ purple blooms. It has
a light tea fragrance, is vigorous and very disease resistant.
One of the Griffith Buck roses we love in our garden is
‘Golden Unicorn.’ It is a good example of a rose that has richer
yellows in the shade than when it is grown in full sun.
Our favorite OGR is ‘Spice’, (at
right) a white bermuda mystery/
found rose. There is much
speculation that this may beone
of the four original stud chinas
(‘Hume’s Blush’). It is very
resistant to blackspot and blooms
well both in full sun and partial
shade. It has a spice fragrance and is very disease resistant.
’Francis Dubreuil’ is the most
fragrant tea rose that I know. It
consistently produces sprays of
beautiful red roses. It’s one of the
first roses in our garden to bloom in
the spring, and it continues to do so
throughout the growing season.
‘Souv. de la Malmaison’, also known as ‘Queen of Beauty
and Fragrance’ is our most beautiful OGR. Its large, quartered,
doubled, pink bloom centers darken to a rosy pink. It excels in
partial shade and is a fast repeat bloomer. It may require some
spraying for blackspot, but it can be relied on to win awards at
rose shows.
‘Martha Gonzales’, ‘Marie van houtte’, ‘Miss Caroline’ and
‘Louis Philippe’ also rank among our other OGR favorites.
Floribundas
Floribunda roses are an excellent choice for partial shade areas
in your garden. They are known for their sprays of color and
the number of blooms they produce. Floribundas may not
produce as many sprays as they do in full sun, but expect those
pictured are known to perform quite well in partial shade.
‘Our Lady of Guadalupe’ (at left) is our
favorite floribunda. It flourishes in partial
shade, producing bright pink blooms with
a mild sweet fragrance. It has glossy dark
green foliage and an upright growth habit.
‘Julia Child, (at
right) a 2005 introduction, is a beautiful
butter gold floribunda hybridized by
Tom Carruth. Its blooms are full,
cupped,old fashioned, borne in small
clusters and have an intense, sweet
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Page 3
licorice fragrance. It is free-flowering and has medium sized
green glossy foliage.
‘French Lace’ is another floribunda that has remained
popular since its introduction in 1981. This floribunda has ivory,
pastel apricot to white flowers with high centers. It produces
small bloom clusters with a slight fruity fragrance on a medium
sized bush.
Single Roses
In my opinion, single rose varieties generally require less direct
sunlight than varieties with more petals. Below are a few
examples of singles that have flourished in our garden.
‘Martha Gonzales’ a shade tolerant “found rose‚”
undoubtedly belongs to the china class. A hearty, disease
resistant specimen, this compact, densely foliated rose can
be expected to reach a height and width of 4-feet. It is an
excellent border or planter bush that will rebloom throughout
the growing season. Flowers change with exposure to the sun
from red to a deep wine red. Bright yellow stamens emerge
from white bloom centers. It has little or no fragrance.
‘Grace Seward’, introduced by tiny Petals nursery in 1990,
consistently produces near perfect 5-petal, single miniature
white roses with a mild damask fragrance. She is one of our
favorite roses to photograph and exhibit. Blooms are borne
both singly and as sprays. ‘Grace Seward’ is a fast repeater
that produces a plethora of 1.5- to 2-inch blooms during each
flush. Bushes can easily reach a height of 4- to 5-feet. as is the
case with several singles, we have found her to be shade
tolerant and easy to grow.
‘Excite’, a dark pink hybrid tea, was hybridized by Dianne
Giles and entered the marketplace in 2000. It is a large single
rose borne both singly and in sprays. It has no fragrance,
numerous prickles and semi-glossy medium green foliage. Its
bush height and width are about 5-feet. ‘Excite’‚ is both an
excellent garden and
exhibition rose.
‘Sally Holmes’,(at right) is
a gorgeous white single rose
that was first marketed in
1976. Its parents are ‘Ivory
Fashion’ and ‘Ballerina’. No
wonder it’s so beautiful. Its
long-pointed apricot buds open to light apricot five-petal
blooms that quickly fade to a near pure white five-petal flower.
Long delicate yellow stamens provide a lovely contrast to the
rose petals and dark green foliage. This vigorous shade tolerant
rose is borne both singly and in clusters and has a slight
fragrance. Its long canes allow us to grow it as a climber on an
8-foot wide by 6-foot high arbor.
Other single roses that have
performed well in our garden
include: ‘Summer Wind’, ‘Karen
Poulsen’, ‘Fashion Statement’,
‘Mutabilis’ and ‘Lyda Rose’ (at
left).
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Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
the pot and the bush seems to wilt quickly. Repot it into a
It all starts at the bottom
larger pot or take it out of the pot it is in, trim the roots, add
Your Roses’ Roots
fresh soil, and put it back into the same pot.
by Carolyn Elgar
Conversely, a small, young rose plant will not do well in a pot
Those of us who love roses are in our own private nirvana every
that is too large. If the proportion of the soil to the new, tender
spring when our first blooms burst forth, as fragrant and perfect
roots is too high, it will hold too much water for the roots to absorb,
as they will ever be. It’s enough to make even the most
making them vulnerable to rot. Young roots are easily crushed
seasoned gardener forget that most of our rose plants’ labors
when potted too early. Give new plants time to develop roots in
begin under the ground, in an environment we seldom see. To
their small pots before moving them up to the next pot size.
understand how the importance of roots and the soil around
Other things besides planting and transplanting can harm
them, it helps to know something about their structure. A root
roots. Chemicals in the soil can inhibit root growth. Parasites,
is the first thing to emerge from a seed in its quest for life. The
such as nematodes that thrive in warm, sandy soils and
first root from a seed is
diseases are a danger, as are the digging and burying habits
often a taproot that
of animals. Talk to any rosarian with a gopher problem and
sprouts finer fibers that
they will tell you the horror of pushing on a bush and watching
grow out into the soil. As
it fall over, completely rootless.
the plant grows and
What can a gardener do to increase the health of plant
develops more roots, some
roots? Obviously, the soil around the root is of key importance.
of them undergo secondary
Friable soil, that is soil that is loose and crumbly, allows space
growth, becoming woody.
for air and water. These two elements should make up about
The main function of these
50% of a soil’s content so that roots can find space to grow
Even potted plants can develop
woody roots is to provide a
and microbes, worms, and other soil life can flourish. Roots
woody roots, as seen here,
structure to connect the
are directed in their growth by the amounts of water, air, and
growing into the ground.
many, finer roots to the plants.
nutrients available for uptake. Roots will stay away from
These roots branch out and
compacted soil and drown in soil that is not well drained.
grow away from the plant, producing fine hairs along their
Healthy soil, with a good balance of water, air, minerals, and
length that absorb large amounts of water and nutrients from
life forms will result in fast growing, strong roots.
the soil. Vascular systems that transmit water, nutrients, and
The best way to improve soil texture and drainage is to add
manufactured sugars throughout the plant are contained in a
compost. Compost consists of naturally decomposed organic
root’s plant tissues.
materials. Biological organisms break down these materials
The maturity of the plant and the density of the soil
into a dense, dark mixture that provides carbon and nitrogen
determine the size of the root structure. Still, despite the size
amendments to the soil. Serious gardeners often create
of the entire root system, roots are fragile, particularly the fine
compost in their backyards while those who lack time and
roots and root hairs that are the major collectors of water and
space for such an endeavor can buy it in bags from a store.
nutrients. New rose plants are especially vulnerable with their
The product should be loose and dark brown or black in color
limited systems of young, non-woody roots.
with no recognizable wood.
These roots have nowhere to go, so they wrap around the
Compost should be moist, not soggy, and if it dries to a
plant, crowding soil and water. These roots have nowhere to
light brown color, there is probably too much soil and not
go, so they wrapmaround the
enough nutrients. Finally, off odors of ammonia or sulfur
plant, crowding soil and
indicate that the compost has not decomposed enough.
water. Gardeners have to work
Spread compost over the ground surface and it will work its
directly with a plant’s roots
way down into the soil.
when they are planting or
Humic and fulvic acids are products that can improve soil
transplanting it. Transplant
health and increase root vitality. These acids are the end
shock is a result of damage to
products of the microdegradation of plant matter in soils,
root hairs that impedes water
composts, peat bogs, and water basins. They are not a
absorption until the plant can replace them. Some shock is
fertilizer; rather, they improve the soil by strengthening
unavoidable, but it is important to keep the rootball, a clump
biological activity and increasing water retention. In addition
of soil that contains many of the roots, together when
to these benefits, nutrient uptake is improved and chlorophyll
transplanting. It is helpful to cut the plant’s foliage back, giving
synthesis is increased. Finally, humic acid can chelate
the roots time to recover and grow before they have to provide
micronutrients, breaking ionic bonds and increasing their
water for a plant with lots of leaves.
availability in the soil. Increased soil health results in stronger
A rose bush in a pot can develop such a healthy root system
root growth. Humic acid is available in liquid and dry forms
that the roots run out of room in the pot and begin to grow
from specialty nurseries.
around its edges. The plant suffers as the amount of roots takes
Other amendments that affect soil composition are
up space where water and soil should be. Water runs through
gypsum, leaf mold, and manures. Gypsum can loosen clay
Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
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By Paul Banish
Editor’s Note: Part I appeared in the January-March 2014
Newsletter
In this second installment in our series on old-fashioned
roses, I’d like to address the issue of why today’s modern
rose grower should grow old garden roses. First of all, the
old garden roses and shrubs are, in general, superb
flowering shrubs for landscaping. Notice that I used the term
“flowering shrubs”. I firmly believe that, if you are truly going
to understand and appreciate these useful and beautiful
plants, you need to be open-minded and willing to expand
your concept of what a rose is. I get really irritated when
people look at the blooms of the old roses and exclaim,
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Old Garden Roses Part II
Why Bother Growing Them?
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* The material above was obtained from the American Rose
Society website. This and other interesting articles can be
found in the section called Clippings which are from the many
outstanding articles gleaned from local rose society
newsletters that are published — this article was from the
January/March, 2014 time period.
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soil by reacting chemically to the soil’s salts. Leaf mold,
shredded composted leaves, also loosens soil and provides
organic matter. Manures that are composted are high in
nitrogen and other nutrients. However, they also contain salts
which may add to the saline content of the soil. Too many salts
in the soil can actually draw moisture out of plant roots in a
reverse osmosis process.
The addition of mycorrhizae to the soil is a controversial
topic for gardeners. This group of fungi develops a symbiotic
relationship with plant roots; the roots provide the mycorrhizae
with food while the fungi extend the reach of the roots for water
and nutrients by attaching to the root and extending long
strands of mycelium throughout the soil. Initially rose lovers
were enthusiastic about mycorrhizae, but further research has
dimmed that enthusiasm. Inoculation of mycorrhizae can be
expensive and the exact kind of mycorrhizae that work best
with roses is uncertain. Perhaps most illuminating is the
research that indicates that the major nutrient a plant gains
through mycorrhizae’s increased root capacity is phosphorus.
If a plant has enough phosphorus, it doesn’t send out the
signals that encourage symbiotic mycorrhizal growth. Adding
phosphorus in fertilizer may negate the benefits of any
inoculation. Is there a rose lover anywhere who can swear he
will never use phosphorus again in fertilizing roses? The money
for mycorrhizae would be better invested in a garden wide
application of humic acid.
Finally, protect your rose bushes’ roots with a nice two to
three inch layer of mulch. This will keep the roots cool and
slow down the growth of water stealing weeds. Any roots too
close to the soil surface will be cushioned against surface
injury. Enjoy the blooms of spring, but don’t forget what lies
beneath!
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Page 5
“They hardly even look like roses! They have to look like
roses, because they are roses!”
If you are the type of person who thinks that roses are
only stiff petalled, high pointed center hybrid teas, or who
insists on having them in flaming orange or fire engine red,
then you will likely be disappointed. The old garden roses
belong to a style that was considered the height of beauty,
fashion, and good taste, but that was many years ago. They
may not be in the modern style, but they are, nevertheless,
beautiful. A flowering shrub usually has a season of bloom,
and this is true of many of the finest old garden roses. Just
as forsythia, lilacs, and mock orange have a proper season
in which to bloom, so do many of the old garden roses. If
you really must have repeat-blooming roses, choose from
the modern shrubs, the hybrid perpetuals, the Bourbons,
the Autumn Damasks and Portlands, or moss hybrids
derived from the Autumn Damasks. I have always felt,
however, that the once-blooming roses were even more
special when they did bloom. I think we value things more
when we don’t have them constantly around.
Shrubs are usually large plants. The world of oldfashioned roses is huge, though, and, if you are willing to
do some research, you will find old roses that are just right
for whatever situation you have in mind. Many old garden
roses do not grow too much larger than modern roses, and
many others, while tall are quite upright in growth, so that
the space they take up is mostly vertical, instead of your all
too scarce ground space. So, you see, the common
objections that the old roses are too large and don’t bloom
enough really don’t stand up to the facts.
What are the characteristics of good flowering shrubs?
They should be floriferous, their plants should be attractive
even when not in bloom, and they should be relatively easy
to maintain. The old-fashioned roses fulfill all of these
requirements admirably. In season, a mature plant can
produce hundreds, or even thousands of beautifully shaped
and supremely fragrant flowers. Whoever says that modern
roses smell as good as the old garden roses is full of it! Yes,
you can pick isolated examples of very fragrant hybrid teas
and floribundas, but, as a whole, nothing will convince me
that the old garden roses are not superior in fragrance.
Because so many blooms are open at one time, even the
air in the garden is perfumed. The aroma of a garden of old
roses in bloom is nothing short of heavenly. What’s more,
the plants of the old-fashioned roses are usually graceful,
not still little sticks coming out of the ground with a giant
garishly colored flower at the end.
Was that a cry of outrage coming from you hybrid tea
lovers out there? The old roses have character. Would you
like beautiful leaves? Try the lovely and healthy blue-green
foliage of the Albas or the mint-like leaves of the Rugosas.
Would you care to see beautiful buds? You can’t do much
better than the Moss roses. Interesting thorns? Check out
the huge translucent wing-shaped red prickles of Rosa
sericea pteracantha. As for being low-maintenance, these
Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
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By Dan Lawlor
Winter is a good time to think about the soil in your rose garden.
One of the best things to do is check the pH of the soil in your
bed(s). Roses grow best at a pH of 6.0 to 6.5 (slightly acidic).
In a soil that is too acidic or too alkaline, certain plant nutrients
become unavailable to the plant. At the same time, toxic
elements are more soluble, potentially killing the bushes or
severely damaging their roots.
It is best to adjust soil pH (if necessary) before planting,
but it can also be done on existing beds.
If a soil test indicates that the pH is too low, you can raise it
by adding limestone. Ground dolomitic limestone is the best
type because it also contains magnesium. Table 1 indicates
how much limestone is needed per 100 sq. ft. to raise the pH
of different soils to 6.5. The more clay in a soil, the more
limestone needed. Apply the limestone to the surface and, if
possible, mix it into the top few inches of soil, and water it in.
Apply a maximum of 5 pounds, then wait a month before the
next application. Changing the pH of the soil is a slow process,
so do not expect results overnight. Mixing the limestone into
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Adjusting Soil pH
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Harison’s Yellow
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plants were growing and thriving centuries before anyone
ever heard of Daconil or Funginex. Some of them may get
blackspot or mildew, but I’d be willing to bet that they’ll
grow and thrive in spite of it and be just as beautiful as
ever next year. Spray a rugosa and it’s apt to turn yellow
and drop all its leaves in protest. In summary, these are
very tough and long-lived plants.
And yet, if I had to narrow it down to one thing that I like the
best about the old garden roses, I would not be able to point
to anything tangible – not their beautiful flowers, nor their
plants, nor even their fragrance. I would have to say that it has
to do more with the mind and heart
than the eyes or the nose. The old
garden roses have so much history
behind them, such poignant associations
with humanity, that they are like a living
piece of history. I find it fascinating that I
can grow a rose that Shakespeare
praised. We can grow moss roses, with
their gorgeous blush colored petals
peeking out between the fuzzy sepals
that were so beloved by the Victorians for
their valentines. We can own roses like
Harison’s Yellow, which was so loved by the pioneers that it was
carried west by them in
their covered wagons,
along with their most
cherished possessions.
These old roses are truly
living reminders of
kinder, gentler times.
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Page 6
the surface soil will help speed the process, but even if left on
the surface of an established bed, limestone will raise the pH
(The addition of wood ashes or bone meal will also raise soil pH).
Many soils are slightly alkaline (have a high pH). Adding
agricultural grade sulfur can lower the soil pH. Table 2 indicates
how much sulfur is needed per 100 square feet to lower the
pH of different soils to 6.5. Spread up to 2 pounds per 100 sq.
ft. per application, mix it into the top several inches, and water
it in. If more than 2 pounds are needed, wait one month
between each additional application. Aluminum sulfate and
iron sulfate also will lower soil pH, and react more quickly with
the soil than elemental sulfur. However, they must be applied
at a 5 to 6 times greater rate, and excessive amounts of these
two sulfates can be toxic to plants.
Some types of fertilizers can help to acidify the soil,
including urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate,
di- and monammonium phosphate, and ammonium sulfate.
One of the best ways to improve both the soil and the soil
pH is the addition of organic matter. Compost is rich in
nutrients and helps adjust the pH toward neutral (7.0),
whether it is acidic or alkaline.
In summary, adding limestone or sulfur will adjust pH to
the desired range of 6.0 to 6.5 for roses. Results are best when
the material is mixed in the top several inches of soil. Fall/
winter is the time to add these materials because they take
months to change the soil pH. Adding organic matter helps
adjust the pH towards neutral, improves structure, and adds
nutrients.
Table 1. Reducing Soil Acidity.
Pounds of limestone to apply (per 100 square feet) to raise
pH to 6.5.
Original
Sandy
Silt or Loam
Clay
pH
Soil
Soil
Soil
4.5
10.0
11.0
12.0
5.0
7.0
7.7
8.4
5.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.0
3.5
3.8
4.2
Use a maximum of 5 pounds at one time. If more is called
for, wait a month between applications.
Table 2. Reducing Soil Alkalinity.
Pounds of agricultural sulfur to apply (per 100 square feet)
to lower pH to 6.5.
Original
Sandy
Silt or Loam
Clay
pH
Soil
Soil
Soil
8.5
3.0
6.0
7.5
8.0
2.2
4.0
5.5
7.5
1.5
2.0
3.0
7.0
0.7
1.5
2.0
Use a maximum of 2 pounds at one time. If more is called
for, wait a month between applications.
This article originally appeared in the Houston Rose-Ette,
the newsetter of the Houston Rose Society, January 2013
issue. Maria Trevino, Editor
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Internet to see what I could find.
Nutrients — Coffee ground are packed with good nutrients.
A guaranteed analysis from the Soil & Plant Laboratory, Inc.
in Bellevue, WA, found that the grounds from Starbucks
contained 2.28 percent nitrogen, 0.06 percent phosphorus
and 0.6 percent potassium. Magnesium and copper were
also found in the grounds. In comparison to other organic
fertilizers like horse manure with an NPK of 0.6/0.4/0.5,
coffee grounds have a lot to offer and without the worry of
containing any weed seeds!
The nitrogen content in coffee must decompose before
it becomes available to plants. In other words, it acts like a
slow release fertilizer for long-term nitrogen input. Nearly
all of the potassium and magnesium are immediately
available when blended with the soil. About half the copper
and calcium are in immediate available forms. To get the
most benefit, mix the coffee grounds in the soil. Avoid
depositing thick layers on top, because coffee compacts
easily and can form a water barrier.
Experts — A study conducted in 2007 by researchers from
Saginaw Valley State University states that coffee grounds
reduce soil compaction, improve aeration, decrease insects
breeding in the soil and increase the production of worms.
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By Jim Harding, Editor Nashville Rose Leaf
As a little fella, I remember my grandfather adding coffee
grounds (among other things) to his garden soil, and be always
grew the best vegetables. I figured if it worked for him, it should
work for me.
With over 200 roses in our garden, the next question was...
“Where to get enough grounds to make a difference?”
Considering that my wife Starla and I are a tea-totaling
household that doesn’t drink coffee this could be a challenge.
Even if we did, there are only two of us, so trying to drink
enough coffee between us would be like spitting in the wind!
Enter our youngest daughter, Molly, who happens to work
at Starbucks. She confirmed that many of their stores give their
used coffee grounds for free. With the high cost of some
fertilizers and soil amendments, the term free sounded pretty
darn good so I started stopping by our local Starbucks. Each
sack of grounds I took
home filled up a five-gallon
bucket. Scattering them
over the rose beds made
me feel like I was carrying
on an old family tradition
that would make my
“Papa” proud.
While it felt like I was
doing something good, I wondered if there was any real
benefit other than taking something destined for a landfill
and returning it to the earth?
Bless Al Gore’s heart; the Internet truly is a great thing. It
only took a few clicks on my mouse to figure out there was a
distinct difference of opinion when it came to the pH of coffee.
Some sources had the pH of coffee at 5.0, way too low for
roses. Other sources touted a pH of 6.9, which would be
wonderful for middle Tennessee’s chronic acidic soils. I am
certainly no scientist, but I do happen to own a handy dandy
Kelway pH meter. I took some coffee grounds home from work
to test and bingo —a pH of 6.9 on the nose. I also tested the
next batch of grounds from Starbucks — theirs had a pH of 7.0.
While this was good news, I was curious as to why some
sources with very respected researches were saying coffee had
a pH of 5.0 versus other well-respected researchers that
claimed a pH of 6.9. As crazy as this sounds, it turns out both
are correct. Before brewing, coffee does have a very low pH,
but afterwards the pH changes the grounds to a very rose
friendly pH of 6.9.
As rosarians we are taught the key to a roses’ ability to
receive the benefits of any nutrients we offer is tied to the
soil’s pH. After testing our beds I found most of them were
in the low 6 range so adding the coffee grounds seems like
a free, easy, organic, and environmentally friendly way to
help improve the pH and get it closer to the ideal pH of 6.5.
So far so good, but it would still be nice to know how
coffee grounds affect the soil’s nutrition, or if they are
earthworm friendly. With mouse in hand I went back to the
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What Gets Ground Must Come Up
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Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
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Page 7
Worms — Gardeners everywhere know the benefits of worms
and how they aerate the soil, working in important nutrients.
Worms love coffee grounds, because of their small particle
size, moisture retention and their ability to grow microorganisms.
Adding coffee grounds to the soil will make it more attractive to
worms, adding a direct benefit to your roses.
Pests — I cannot vouch for this one, but according to
multiple sources I found, slugs and snails, two garden
antagonists, are no fans of coffee. Mulching with coffee
grounds around plants will help reduce the ravages of these
pests. According to Ann Lovejoy, garden writer for the Kitsap
Sun, the caffeine and acid present tin the grounds is
absorbed by the slugs as they move over them, and it acts
as a poison. Other sources cited said that coffee does not
actually kill the slugs, but acts as a deterrent. Either way it
is safe for you and your soil — not so much for the slugs.
Granted all this sounds pretty good, but I am a visual
person, so out of curiosity I wondered if something could
grow in nothing but coffee grounds? I filled a small cup with
some grounds, sprinkled in some grass seed, added water
and a few weeks later there was lush green growth that
looked a lot better than my lawn! Proof that what gets
ground down can yield something good coming up.
One last thought. Not being coffee drinkers, Starla and I
began feeling a little guilty about taking something for free
without offering anything in return, so we routinely bring a vase
of roses as our way of saying thanks. The Starbucks staff seems
appreciative. They proudly display the roses next to the
condiments and tell their customers to look at what one of
their customers grew with their coffee. While not one hundred
percent truthful, we don’t correct them, as it is the thought
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Page 8
Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
that counts. By giving back to Starbucks, maybe this is one
conditions the disease spreads to more and more leaves and
small way to plant some rosy ideas in the heads of the young
young stems resulting in a severe outbreak that, if left
hip generation!
unchecked, will eventually defoliate the entire plant. Likewise,
The above article was reprinted from the Summer/Fall 2012
as new leaves emerge, they also become infectedand drop
issue of KATnips, District Bulletin of the American Rose
off. This wholesale loss of foliage results in a continuous
Society’s Tenarky District (Tennessee, Eastern Arkansas,
weakening of the plant along with the accompanying unsightly
and Kentucky), Mary Bates, Editor. This article also
appearance it presents.
appeared in the Central Florida Rose Society “Wind
Blackspot on roses is
Chimes”, October 2012 issue, Elaine Pawlikowski, Editor
incited by a plant parasitic
and most recently in the December 2013 issue of the
fungus that has over the eons
Bradenton-Sarasota Rose Society Bulletin, Vincent Celeste,
of time become highly
Editor.
specialized in infecting and
inciting disease in roses. As far
Blackspot — Hows and Whys of Control
as is known, this fungus only
By Claude Thomas
infects roses, so even though
In my experience of advising not only rose growers on disease
you may see black spots or other symptoms similar to those
control over the past five years, but also in advising vegetable
of rose blackspot on other plants in your garden, they are not
crop growers on disease control over a 38-year period, I have
caused by the same fungus and thus do not represent a source
found that they all seem to experience more successful control
of disease that threatens your roses. Blackspot of rose can
when they have a better understanding of why the recommended
only spread from rose plants to other rose plants.
measures work against the disease that they are combating.
The disease is spread by spores of the fungus that are
So before your say to yourself, “Oh no, not another article on
produced in the black spots. When these spores are dispersed
blackspot control,” and turn the page to the next article, read
and land on healthy rose tissue they germinate and infect these
on a bit more. Chances are you may learn something that will
new sites. The black spot fungus produces two types of spores.
help you do a more effective job in controlling the most
One type breaks loose and can be blown in the air for long
important disease of roses in South Carolina and most of the
distances. Fortunately for rose
rose growing areas of the world. You should at least gain a
growers, the production of this
better understanding of why certain control measures work,
type of spore by the black spot
which often helps us justify to ourselves the efforts and costs
fungus is so extremely rare that
required to exercise these measures.
you could count on your fingers
Blackspot is usually the most prevalent disease problem
the number of times that
facing rose growers throughout the USA, except perhaps in
scientists have reported finding
the arid areas of the southwest. It is also found wherever roses
them. Therefore, they are considered of no significant
are grown throughout the world and it has been taken along
importance in the spread of the disease. However, in the black
as cultivated roses have been spread to new geographic areas.
spot lesions the fungus produces another type of spore in
As plant diseases incited by fungi go, it is not well-equipped to
abundance. This is the spore that must be dealt with to control
spread overlong distances without the help of man or other means.
the disease. Thankfully, it is not an airborne spore and is not
Even though those who grow roses are all too familiar with
naturally spread over long distances. These spores are
the symptoms of blackspot, this is just a brief review of those
produced in sticky masses in the black lesions that are spread
symptoms to provide something of a framework for what
primarily in water droplets such as from splashing rain,
follows. Symptoms of the disease first appear as 1/8-to 1/2overhead watering and dew. They can also be spread by
inch circular blackspots (lesions) that develop on the surfaces
adhering to gardening tools, to a gardener’s clothing, to insects
of rose leaves. These spots have feathery margins and may
and to other animals; or on diseased fallen leaves that are
merge into irregular shapes.
dispersed locally by the wind.
Leaf tissue around these spots
The fungus can survive cold winters in infected fallen rose
turns yellow and infected
leaves or in infected stems; and forms new spores in the spring
leaves eventually drop off. The
to initiate the disease cycle. In coastal South Carolina where
fungus is restricted to the black
winters are often mild enough that roses do not drop their
lesions, and the yellow areas
leaves, it can survive quite easily in the living leaves, even
and leaf drop are the result of
though its development and spread is interrupted until warmer
biochemical reactions that
temperatures return.
occur because of the infection. Symptoms of the disease can
The spores of the pathogen must be wetted before they
also appear on the immature wood of young canes as irregular
will germinate and remain wet at least 7-8 hours for infection
purple-red blotches that also turn black. Initially only a few
to occur on either the upper or lower surface of the leaf.
leaves may show symptoms, but with favorable environmental
Infection is most efficient from 66-70°F, but the fungus is active
Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
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over a temperature range of 59-81°F. Above and below these
temperatures, its development is progressively arrested so that
very high summer and very low winter temperatures markedly
limit or stop its development. Blackspot spores are killed at
temperatures above 91°F. Depending on environmental
conditions after infection, visible symptoms of the disease may
take from a few days to a couple of weeks to appear.
“Well” you ask, “what does all this have to do with
controlling blackspot?” The answer is that to control blackspot
you must take advantage of this fungus pathogen’s vulnerabilities
by attacking the weak spots in the disease cycle with the methods
available to you. These methods are basically sanitation, cultivation
practices, and fungicide application. Sanitation can be broken
down into exclusion and eradication; and fungicide application
includes the use of a protectant material and a systemic material.
You can also avoid black spot by only growing roses that are highly
resistant to the disease, such as the ‘Knock Out’ varieties and
some of the older rose types. However, this option is not available
for hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas, minifloras, miniatures
and other highly popular types of roses.
To exclude blackspot from your rose garden do not bring it
in yourself. Man is by far the primary culprit responsible for
the long distance spread of this plant disease. When you
acquire new rose plants, no matter what the source, they
should be kept isolated in pots and not planted in your
established garden until you have a high degree of certainty
that they are free of blackspot (as well as other diseases and
pests). Inspect them carefully and remove, and keep removing,
any obviously diseased leaf or stem tissue until nothing
remains except disease and pest free material, keeping in mind
that it may take several days or even a couple of weeks for
infected tissue to show disease symptoms. For these new
plants you should also remove, bag and discard any plant
debris on the surface of the soil in the pots. While the plants
are in isolation, make at seven day intervals three or more
applications of both a protectant fungicide, such as Dithane
M-45, Maneb, Manzate, or Mancozeb combined with a
systemic fungicide, such as Banner Maxx, Cleary’s 3336-F;
Compass or Bayer Disease Control for Roses, Flowers and
Shrubs. These combined fungicide applications are also
effective against other foliar fungus diseases that you do not
want to introduce into your garden, and including at least one
application of a miticide and an insecticide during this period
will help keep those pests from being introduced.
There are several sanitation practices that will help
eradicate blackspot that is already present in your garden. The
winter removal of old mulch and other plant debris from your
rosebeds is a first step to prevent the carry-over of diseased
material from the previous growing season so that spores from
this material do not infect the coming season’s rose crop. This
material can be raked off and then the surface of the bed
further cleaned with a leaf blower. For growers who use
relatively heavy mulch material such as wood or bark chips so
that raking is impractical, a leaf blower can be helpful in
removing small, loose surface material and rose debris.
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Page 9
After cleaning the surface of your rosebeds and completing
your spring pruning, the next eradication measure is to spray
lime-sulfur on the surface of the beds and the newly pruned
rose plants before they begin to bud out. You should also spray
the soil surface in the pots of any plants that you are holding
in isolation. The lime-sulfur acts as a disinfectant killing any
blackspot fungus that remains in debris on the soil surface or
on pruned plants, further decreasing the possibility that agents
of the disease arecarried over from the previous season.
Your eradication efforts should continue throughout the
growing season through the routine removal and destruction
of any leaf or stem material with symptoms of blackspot just
as part of your normal rose care routine. The sooner you spot
and remove this material the better. It is also worthwhile to
mark areas on bushes where you have removed diseased
material and keep checking these places over the next couple
of weeks and removing any additional plant material on which
black spot symptoms appear. This practice is a simple, but
effective way to interfere with the disease cycle by eliminating
sources of spores that can incite more disease.
Rose cultivation practices that work against the
development and spread of blackspot are wide-spacing
between bushes and keeping bushes pruned openly enough
to enhance air circulation that speeds the drying of water
deposited from rain or dew. It is also helpful to remove leaves
and stems near the ground to both improve air circulation and
to help reduce the probability that blackspot spores from
diseased rose debris on the ground will be splashed onto these
low-lying leaves and stems. On hybrid teas, I like to keep the
lower leaves removed for at least a foot, often more, above
the ground. The most important cultivation practice against
blackspot is to avoid over head watering, because this is a
great way to both spread the spores and to provide the wetting
necessary for infection to occur. The only exception is the
occasional use of a water wand to help control spider mites.
The application of fungicides as a control measure against
blackspot should be employed when leaves begin to emerge
and continued throughout the year while leaves are present
on the plants. Fungicide applications should include the
simultaneous use of a protectant fungicide along with a
systemic fungicide at 7-14 day intervals. The shorter interval
should be used when your plants have a lot of blackspot or
when environmental conditions are favorable for its
development, such as in the spring and fall in South Carolina
when both mild temperaturesand frequent wetting of the
plants from rain or dew occur simultaneously. Some of the
effective protectant and systemic fungicides that can be used
against black spot are mentioned above. The protectant
materials act on the surface of the plant by killing germinating
spores of the fungus, thus preventing infection. Systemic
materials may have some fungicidal action on the plant’s
surface, but they are most effective because they are absorbed
into the plant, where they arrest the growth of the blackspot
fungus by interfering with its life processes. The use of both a
protectant fungicide combined with a systemic serves two
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Page 10
Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
purposes. First, the protectant prevents infection and the
opposite properties keeping the soil warme rin summer and
systemic stops development of the disease once infection has
cooler in winter. While they can reduce weeds they do not
taken place. Second, the protectant greatly reduces the
improve soil fertility and are often used for aesthetic appeal.
chances that the fungus may develop resistance to the
THE ORGANIC MULCHES
systemic fungicide. Though not an absolute necessity,
• Cocoa Bean Hulls are the products of making chocolate so
frequently rotating the systemics that you use is an additional
if you lived near Hershey, PA you would be in mulch heaven!
practice that prevents development of resistance by the
They provide a very neat looking dressing when laid down
fungus. It is not necessary to rotate the protectant you use in
about 1 inch thick. (For dog owners do not let them eat the
your combined fungicide applications. Always read and follow
hulls as they toxic to them.)
the label instructions when using any pesticide.
• Grass Clippings are the least expensive of the mulches
Using the techniques described above you can control,
available especially if you have large lawns. Do not use
eliminate, and keep black spot out of your rose garden.
clippings treated with a herbicide. Let the clippings mature
Remember that you have the advantage when it comes to
for over several months before use. It is recommended that you
fighting blackspot. You are a highly mobile, intelligent, decision
dig in last year’s application before applying the new layers.
making organism, and the fungus that incites blackspot has
• Pine Needles are abundantly available in the South where
none of these characteristics. Therefore, if you exert the efforts
they are harvested, baled and sold commercially through the
described, both you and your roses will win out over blackspot.
USA. The all evergreen needles provide an excellent mulch 1-2
* The material above was obtained from the American Rose
inch layer for your rose beds.
Society website. This and other interesting articles can be
• Environmulch is a term used to describe recycled wood
found in the section called Clippings which are from the many
products such as pallets, etc. The material is first shredded
outstanding articles gleaned from local rose society
and then usually dyed to make a colorful mulch. Their distinct
newsletters that are published — this article was from the Julyadvantage is that they last a lot longer than the wood chip
August, 2013 time period.
varieties.
• Eucalyprus has gained popularity in the West where trees
After Pruning: Mulching
are abundant. This wood mulch holds its attractive color and
By Luis Desamero
can last over several years.
• Shredded leaves from oak and maple tress can make a
Mulching is one the best things you can do for your rose garden.
suitable mulch when passed through a mower.
By definition, mulching is simply the spreading of a protective
• Wood Chips derived from redwood as a by-product are the
covering around the rose bushes and on top of the surrounding
top choice for they also provide a weed barrier at the same
soil. The benefits are tremendous. It prevents moisture from
time. The thickness of the applied layer should be 3-inches
evaporating, stunts weed growth, improves soil structure,
deep. The attractive look of beds mulched with wood chips
maintains an even soil temperature during the summer months
is by far the best looking appearance.
and gives the landscape a handsome well groomed look.
THE INORGANIC MULCHES
APPLICATION
Various small stones & gravel are often chosen mainly for
It is best to apply the mulch after pruning, although it can be
their aesthetic appeal based on color and uniformity. Their
used at any time during the year. One of reasons for applying
most attractive asset is that they do not degrade and one
mulch after pruning is the ability to protect the bud union from
application can last for years. They are often used in
dehydration after planting. Using finer grade mulch,the layer
combination with a weed barrier underneath. The spun fabric
should be thinner than that applied for coarser materials such
permits air and water to pass freely while providing the best
as redwood bark (2- to 3-inches deep.)
weed protection of all materials.
Organic mulches require replenishment on an annual basis
since the previous year’s applicationwill have decomposed
* The material above was obtained from the American Rose
and reduced in thickness as the humus is worked into the
Society website. This and other interesting articles can be
soil. It is this decomposition that is most beneficial to soil
found in the section called Clippings which are from the many
fertility, increasing the Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), a
outstanding articles gleaned from local rose society
common soil test criterion.
newsletters that are published — this article was from the JulyAugust, 2013 time period.
TYPES OF MULCH
The available mulch materials can be divided into two
categories. Organic – grass clippings, wood chips (particularly
redwood based), and cocoa hulls. They act as a thermal barrier
to temperature drops or increases. But best of all they
decompose to humus providing nutrients to the soil as well
improve the fertility with time. Earthworms are great movers
of this organic compost into the soil around the roots. Inorganic
– stones, gravel, shredded rubber. These materials have
Page 11
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Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
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Figure 1
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A good weed control program for roses consists of several
practices.
Knowing that wind, water, bird and other small animals
can carry weed seeds, it’s important that undesirable
vegetation in the rose garden area should be kept from
going to seed. The perimeter of the beds, roadways, storage
areas, fence lines, ponds and other non-production areas
should be kept free of weeds or a least from the flowering
and fruiting of same.
In the rose bed itself, prior to planting, incorporate
materials that do not contain weed seed in so far as
possible. Using compost that has gone though heating
(minimum of 160° F.) to kill weed seeds and using manure
that has not supported growth of perennial weeds prior to
delivery to you, are examples.
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Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
Weed control in the rose bed is much easier if the media
Weeds in the Rose Garden — Part 1.
is free of weeds and the source of weeds around the
By Elton Smith, Smith Gardens, Inc., Delaware, Ohio 43015
perimeter has been eliminated.
A weed can be defined as a plant out of place or as a plant
Most rose growers use some type of mulch to prevent
not intentionally sown whose undesirable qualities out
weed growth and even out soil moisture and temperatures
weigh its good points. No matter how weeds are defined,
throughout the growing season. Apply mulches prior to
they reduce growth of roses by depriving needed water, light
weed seed germination in spring at a depth of 2 to 2-1/2
and soil nutrients. Weeds can also serve as hosts for
inches. Remember to apply all insecticides, sulfur or lime
diseases and may provide a place for insects attacking rose
(if needed) and fertilizers to the bare ground before
to overwinter.
mulching. Mulches can tie-up products such as Merit and
The seeds of many weeds can remain dormant in the soil
Safari, so it’s preferable to apply to bare soil and irrigate
for years and germinate only when conditions are favorable.
into the soil prior to mulching.
Some weeds have extensive root systems and underground
Many types of mulches have been used over the years
stems that help the weed to spread and persist. Perennial
and usually rosarians use what it locally available at a
weeds store reserve foods in their root systems and continue
reasonable cost. Organic mulches are a better choice than
to sprout after their tops are destroyed with cultivation.
inorganic types. Typically, bark products such as wood
Annual grasses and broad-leaved weeds live for a single
chips, shredded hardwood bark or pine nuggets (not
year. Biennials germinate from seed the first year and will
cypress) are used. More recently, composts from municipal
flower, produce seed and eventually die in the second year.
or private sources have become popular choices, and most
Perennials germinate from seed the first year but can live
compost make excellent soil additives as well when
indefinitely because they regenerate from underground storage
preparing a new planting site. When available, pine needles
organs. They continue to grow and flower year after year.
and oak leaves, which are both acidic upon decomposition,
Underground storage organs can be classified into the
make good mulch choices.
following groups: 1. Rhizomes (see Figure 1) or underground
Despite the best efforts to mulch, there will be a few
stems may appear to be roots, but since they possess buds
weeds come through the mulch and these can be hand
and nodes, they are botanically stems. Rhizomes often spread
pulled, hoed out, tilled if space allows or treated with an
horizontally for a considerable distance from the plant and
herbicide. Herbicides, both post-emergence and preare common with such seeds as quackgrass, bindweed and
emergence, are subjects in themselves and will be
goldenrod. 2. Fleshy roots (see Figure 2) are important storage
addressed in a follow-up article.
organs for many perennials including dandelion and Canada
In summary, it’s important to understand the type of
thistle. Some species possess fleshy taproots, which penetrate
weeds in and around the rose garden to know what type of
straight down while others may spread for a radius of several
control practices will be most effective. Organic mulches
feet. 3. Tubers and Bulbs are fleshy underground stems
are a good selection, as they decompose and add organic
functioning as food storage sites. Tubers are produced by
matter to the soil. In general, apply in early spring to a depth
yellow nutsedge (see Figure 3) and wild garlic and wild onion,
of 2 to 2-1/2 inches after all soil additives have been
are examples that produce bulbs (see Figure 4).
applied. This practice should control most all annual weeds
Storage organs play a key role in the persistence and
and perennials germinating from seed.
reproduction of perennial weeds and to a large extent they
determine the methods that are effective in controlling a
particular weed.
Page 12
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Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
How many people have problems with deer?
Some folks have had success using human hair scattered on
the mulch. A great source of clipped hair is the local
By Monica Valentovic
barbershops and hair styling establishments. Before you start
This article was obtained from the American Rose Society
laughing out load at this idea, consider that the ARS has been
Website and found in the 2010 Award of Merit Articles
testing this exact procedure in some of their rose beds that
section. This information is timeless and the concept of cost
have had severe deer pruning damage. Another inexpensive
containment affects each of us.
method to reduce deer damage is to hang bars of soap about
We all know the price of everything is increasing at a very
three feet above the ground. Attach blocks of scented soap
fast pace and our money just does not go as far as it used
bars with fishing line. Some detergents that may work are Irish
to. Rose growers are generally concerned about preventing
Spring or Zest, which have a strong fragrance. Soaps have been
diseases in their rose beds. However, many people do not
reported to have some success in deterring deer. (As a personal
want to spend a lot of time and money to take care of their
observation we have not had much success with soap in our
roses. Consulting rosarians are often asked, “what to use
garden, but it may be worth the try in your yard).
to control diseases in a garden with just a couple of roses”?
An additional idea involves spraying milk with garlic
Below are a few tips for the casual gardener to help them
powder on their rose leaves. It is thought to give off a scent
enjoy their garden.
unpleasant to the deer and acts as a repellant to deer
First, fungus is difficult to eradicate once it develops in the
grazing on you roses. One thing I have learned is that deer
garden. The best treatment is prevention. Although many
quickly adapt to deterrents and you need to keep changing
people do not enjoy it, a regular spray program can greatly
your arsenal of deer repellants.
reduce the spread of disease in a garden. There are also
These are just a few suggestions of inexpensive ways to
several precautionary steps that can be done to reduce the
control pests in the yard. If you want something different and
onset of diseases in your garden.
economical, you might consider the use of oil, soap and baking
Roses need a regular spray program to control the spread
soda and if you are brave... human hair for the deer.
of infections. It is recommended that you spray every 7-10
days throughout the growing season. This is necessary in
My Experiences with Own Root and Grafted Roses
order to control fungal infections.
By Dr. John B. Allen, Master Consulting Rosarian – Dallas
There are common household items that can be used to
Rose Society • This material is from a 2009 Award of Merit
reduce pests in the garden. One common recipe requires
Article found on the American Rose Society Website.
liquid dish detergent, cooking oil and baking soda. I prefer
Editor’s Note: This article has a special interest for me in that
lemon or orange scented liquid dish detergents as they
the climate comparisons noted are similar to what we have
leave a clean smell in the garden after application. Any
here in the Miami Valley. If anything, Michigan being further
brand of dish detergent works but it should not have
north would naturally tend to be colder — although the body
ammonia as this may burn the leaves. The cooking oil can
of water in the Great Lakes may moderate the cold somewhat.
be corn, canola or safflower and again there is not much
The climate in Dallas, Texas is similar to what I noted when
difference between brands that are used as part of this
visiting with a family relative in the Houston, Texas area in 2009
recipe. Finally you want to use baking soda and it doesn’t
after they experienced colder than normal weather.
make a difference what particular brand you use as part of
Introduction
the recipe.
When driving throughout the Dallas area, I cannot help but
The recipe is to mix 1 TBSP each of cooking oil, baking soda
notice the increased popularity of what I call “landscape
and dish detergent to 1 gallon of water. Shake thoroughly as
roses.” Generally, these roses are not grafted and grow on
the oil will not mix with the water (the result is similar to what
their own roots. They require little maintenance and can make
you see when using Italian dressing). Spray the entire bush
a yard look beautiful. When I look at them closely, I can often
with this mixture using your regular sprayer. Be sure to spray
see some blackspot and mildew, but these diseases do not
both the top and the underside of the leaves.
significantly detract from the beauty of the landscaping. I grew
It is thought that the oil acts to control insects, such as
up in the 1940’s and 1950’s in the Redford section of Detroit.
aphids or spider mites, by smothering them. The soap also
During that time, modern roses dominated the rose gardens
is beneficial in controlling insects. The baking soda changes
in my neighborhood. The roses were sprayed to combat
the pH of the mixture and is beneficial to controlling
mildew, blackspot and pests and were grafted onto rootstock
powdery mildew. The cooking oil also acts as a fungicide
such as Dr. Huey. I still grow, and will continue to exclusively
since the oil layer prevents the fungal mycelium from
grow, modern roses especially hybrid tea roses. I enjoy the
penetrating into the leaf tissue.
beauty and the complex symmetrical form of the hybrid tea
Another inexpensive method to control aphids is a jet of
bloom over the simpler bloom of the landscaping rose. Hybrid
water. Spray the tips of affected plants with a strong jet of
tea roses require more work than the landscaping roses but
water to dislodge the aphids. This also helps remove the
the rewards, as far as I am concerned, are well worth the work.
sugary residue left on the plants from the aphids.
Recession Buster Tips to Lesson Disease and
Pests in the Garden
Figure 2: Protection of a Grafted Rose
During the Winter in Michigan
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Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
Page 13
The generally held beliefs of that time period regarding
Due to the large number of own root roses grown today, it may
grafted and own root roses were:
be helpful to review my experiences with grafted and own root
Old garden roses grew with little maintenance over hundreds
roses although this information may be common knowledge
of years and therefore had to have strong root systems and
to many reader.
disease resistance to survive. They should be able to grow in
Nature of Own Root and Grafted Roses
gardens on their own roots with minimal care.
Figure 1 depicts an own root rose and a grafted rose. The own
Modern roses have been often selected by hybridizers to
root rose simply grows on its own root. Although this
have
outstanding blooms at any cost. Therefore, many modern
terminology may not be standard, I call the large roots of the
rose varieties can well have weak roots and susceptibility to
rose “structural roots” since they anchor the rose in the ground
diseases. However, the weak roots can be easily corrected by
and prevent it from falling over. I call the thin or hairy roots,
grafting and the lack of disease resistance can be corrected
emanating from the structural roots, “feeder roots.” Feeder
by spraying. The cold Michigan winters will freeze and therefore
roots take the water and nutrients in the ground up into the
destroy the bud union, and hence destroy the grafted rose,
plant. Many highly hybridized modern roses have only a few
unless it is protected from the cold. If the bud union is properly
feeder roots and therefore lack vigor due to the lack of
protected from freezing temperatures, grafted roses have an
nourishment. This situation can be readily corrected by grafting
indefinitely long lifetime. Grafted roses require more work to
the desired rose onto the root system of a rose with many
maintain in the garden than own root roses, but the work is
feeder roots as illustrated in Figure 1.
well worth the effort to many gardeners.
Figure 1: Own Root and Grafted Roses
My father grew about eight or nine grafted hybrid tea roses
from about 1935 to 1955. He gradually became more interested
in dahlias rather than roses and in 1955 replaced the roses
Own root rose with
few feeder roots
with dahlias. He never had a grafted rose die and the hybrid
Rose
tea roses grew will during the 20 years and seemed to get better
over time. The bud unions grew large over the years but
Structual
Feeder Root
Root
continually produced new basal breaks. Figure 2 depicts how
the roses were protected over the winter. The grafted rose was
pruned lightly to reduce its size as shown in the figure. The
Grafted rose with
Desired
many feeder roots
canes removed would likely have been removed in the spring
Rose
anyway. The bud union was then covered by a mound of soil
Grafted
about a foot high. This technique worked successfully during
Bud Union
Root
many cold Michigan winters.
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Rose Canes
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Bud Union
Rose after Light
Pruning in Late Fall
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Rose
Soil
Mound
Rose with Soil Mound
Rose Covered with Bushel
Basket of Leaves
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Bushel Basket
of Leaves
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I refer to the rose being grafted as the “desired rose” and the
roots being grafted onto the desired rose as the “root stock”
or “grafted root.” The grafted root system effectively increases
the number of feeder roots and therefore provides more
nourishment to the rose. Hence, a rose with a weak root system
can be converted into a robust and vigorous rose by grafting a
strong root system onto the rose. The joint between the root
rose and the desired rose is called the “Bud Union.” The grower
must be careful to protect the bud union from damage since
the loss of the bud union will destroy the grafted rose.
Growing Own Root and Grafted Roses in Detroit
The hobby for most families living in my neighborhood in the
1940’s and 50’s was gardening. Most of the roses in the
neighborhood gardens were modern roses although there
were a few old garden roses. The “over the fence”
conversations between neighbors were often about
horticulture.
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The justification for grafting roses is that the grafted
rose has more feeder roots and therefore produces
a more robust rose.
Our next door neighbor had an old garden rose that
produced many small pink blooms. I have no idea what the
Bud Union
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Table 1
Comparison of a Three-Year-Old Own Root Raphaela
Grown Under the Same Conditions as a One-Year-Old
Raphaela Grafted onto Fortuniana
Own Root Raphaela
Grafted Raphaela
Height: 2 ft. high after
3 ft. high after 6 months
three years
Color: Somewhat faded
Bright and Vivid
Stems: 6 to 9 inches long
1 to 1.5 feet long
Foliage: Light green with
Large dark green leaves
yellow streaks
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I normally grow only grafted hybrid tea roses. Occasionally,
I grow a hybrid tea rose on its own roots if a grafted version of
that rose is not readily available. Over the years, I have grown
about 5 or 6 own root hybrid teas and have replaced them
with grafted versions as soon as possible. In general, the own
root hybrid teas were inferior to their grafted counterparts in
about every respect with the exception that own root hybrid
tea roses don’t have a graft that must be protected in the winter.
My most memorable experience with an own root hybrid
rose was with an own root rose named Raphaela. I grew
that rose for three years before replacing it with a grafted
version. Table 1 is a comparison of a three-year-old own root
Raphaela rose with a one-year-old Fortuniana grafted
Raphaela rose grown beside each other. The grafted
Raphaela produced many more blooms that were about 15%
larger in diameter than the own root Raphaela. The grafted
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Soil Mound
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Figure 3: Recommended Protection of a
Grafted Rose in the Dallas Area
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unions during the winter with a mound of soil about a foot
high as shown in Figure 3. I now have 75 grafted hybrid tea
roses and since 1989, I have only lost two grafted roses due to
the graft dying. The loss occurred during the winter of 2002.
The roses were grafted onto Fortuniana rootstock, which is
particularly sensitive to cold weather. Due to wind and rain,
the mound of soil protecting the two was washed away leaving
the grafts exposed to freezing temperatures. I now periodically
repair and maintain the mounds during the winter and have
lost no grafted roses due to freezing since then.
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Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
Page 14
Raphaela also looked much more vigorous and robust. Table
name of the rose was. It was never sprayed nor protected in
1 below summarizes the comparison.
the winter. It may have been lightly pruned every few years. If
If the bud union is at or below ground level, the basal breaks
is had any rose diseases, they were not apparent. The blooms
will be partially below ground allowing them to grow roots.
were less spectacular than our hybrid tea blooms, but they
Hence, the rose has two sources of roots, namely, the roots
were pretty and the rose was an asset to the neighborhood.
from the desired rose and the roots from the grafted rootstock.
Growing Own Root and Grafted Roses in Dallas
I have often heard that this effect can cause the grafted rose
I relocated in the Dallas area after completing my college
to revert to an own root rose. I have never tried to keep the
degree. I began to grow roses here in 1984 since it seemed
bud union above the ground and have many roses that have
(and correctly so) that roses grew well here. My first garden
roots both from the desired rose and roots from the grafted
had about 40 hybrid tea roses grafted onto Dr. Huey
rootstock. I have seen no ill effect to the desired rose producing
rootstock. Since the Dallas area has warmer winters than
roots. I have several times removed a grafted rose that was 10
Michigan, I assumed that protecting the bud union in Dallas
years old or older to replace it with new and better variety. The
during the winter was not necessary. My grafted roses grew
roots originating from the desired rose comprised about 10%
very well from 1984 to 1988. During the winter of 1988, the
of the total roots. The remaining 90% of the roots originated
temperature fell to 4° F. one night. As a result of that freeze,
from the grafted roots. The grafted rootstock continued to
my grafted roses were either killed outright or so badly
produce many roots even though a few roots were produced
damaged that I had to replace all of them.
by the desired rose.
I did replace all the roses and started covering the bud
Effects of Rose Diseases and Pests on Own Root and
Grafted Roses
With respect to fungus diseases like blackspot and mildew, I
see no reason why there should be any difference in disease
resistance between own root and grafted roses. The portion
of the grafted rose, i. e., the desired rose, is genetically identical
to the own root rose. I don’t see any way two genetically
identical roses can have different disease immunities.
However, the grafted rose may attract bugs and insects more
than the own root since the grafted rose is bigger with juicier
leaves.
Grafted and own root roses have different mechanisms with
respect to infection by viruses. A rose grown from a seed is
generally free of viral diseases. If a cutting is taken from a rose
free of viral disease, the own root rose produced from that
cutting would also be virus free. If that same cutting were to
be grafted to a rootstock that is virus free, the grafted rose will
also be virus free. This assumes that the tools used by the
propagator are clean and therefore do not introduce a virus.
All too often, the rootstock is not virus free and therefore a
virus is introduced into the grafted rose by the rootstock. Also,
if a cutting is taken from a rose with a viral disease, both the
own root and the grafted rose derived from that cutting will be
susceptible to the viral disease. The only advantage of own
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Page 15
Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
root roses with respect to viruses that I see, is that they require
climbing rose; a Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora, Floribunda or similar
no rootstock and therefore would not be susceptible to viruses
modern rose type.
present in the rootstock.
A Climbing rose doesn’t have any mechanism of its own to
Choosing Own Root Roses or Grafted Roses for Your Garden
attach itself to something in order to climb. So the fact that you’ve
If you are considering a modern rose in your garden and
spent time during past seasons to tie the main canes horizontally
are unsure whether you want an own root or grafted version
to a trellis is the first important step to maximizing its bloom.
of that rose, here are a few suggestions based on my
The best blooms originate from growth out of these
experience that may be helpful. A grafted rose version of a
horizontal main canes. Since you have done that with your
modern rose usually produce many more blooms that have
rose, the pruning this spring will involve the following:
more vivid colors, longer stems and more lush green foliage
▪ It is OK, but not necessary, to remove up to a third of the
than the own root version of that rose. However, you must
length of these main canes. It may not be necessary to do so
be willing to protect the bud union in the winter. If the
with all of these canes if the body of the rose is within
grafted rose bud union is properly protected, its lifetime is
reasonable boundaries of the trellis. Trimming off the ends of
nearly unlimited. If you do not want to be bothered with
the main canes is primarily to control those canes that are
protecting the bud union, grow the own root version of the
WAY out of the boundary or size you desire.
rose. The plant may be less vigorous and robust and have
▪ Climbing roses do not bloom on the main canes. Rather
fewer and smaller blooms than the grafted version, but it
they bloom from “laterals” that radiate out from the main
will require less work and still look nice.
canes. These laterals grow from buds on the main cane; in
If you are growing old garden roses, they very likely
your example, over the span of the past few seasons. It is from
already have strong roots and grafting it may not be
these laterals that the rose will produce new blooms. If they
necessary. In fact, old garden roses are often used as
have not been trimmed or pruned for a while, it is important
rootstock for roses that have weak own roots.
that these laterals be pruned this spring.
If you are interested in roses from a landscaping
▪ These untrimmed laterals can be short (a few inches long)
perspective rather than an individual bloom perspective,
up to a few feet in length. Ideally, each lateral should be
there are many beautiful own root-landscaping roses that
trimmed back to about two-thirds of its length, leaving at least
are readily available. The beauty of a landscape can be best
3 eyes or nodes for new growth. For climbers, the direction of the
comprehended by viewing the landscape at a distance so
bud eyes you leave after cutting is not really important. It is the
that all the roses are simultaneously seen in the view. Only
new growth on these laterals that will produce this year’s blooms.
in a panoramic view, can one appreciate how all the colors
▪ The main body of the climbing rose should be comprised
and shapes of the plants compliment each other.
of only large, healthy main canes. If any main canes (those
coming up from the base of the bush) are dead, weak,
Pruning Climbing Roses
damaged, spindly, or old they should be cut off as low as
By Harlow Young a.k.a. The Rose Whisperer:
possible to the base (or crown) of the plant (above the graft).
I am reasonably confident about pruning Hybrid Tea,
Older canes that no longer are producing blooms should be
Grandiflora, Floribunda, Miniature and other modern bush
removed. Experienced rosarians often prune their established
roses. Here is my dilemma: I have a huge climbing rose that
climbers back so that there are only six to ten sturdy, healthy
has not been trimmed or pruned in several years. The only
canes remaining.
thing I have done is tie the long canes horizontally to a trellis
▪ You can complete the pruning by trimming the outer edges
over the years so they are not all over the ground. How do I
of the bush to give it a balanced look. This is the artistic part
prune it for the best bloom this year? Puzzled Pruner
of pruning … make it pleasing to your eye.
Dear Puzzled Pruner:
Once having completed the pruning, don’t forget to water,
You are right in assuming that one should prune Climbing roses
spray to prevent fungal diseases and feed the bush well.
differently than most other modern roses. They have different
Remember, it is a much larger bush than your Hybrid Teas or
growing and flowering characteristics, so in order to get the best
other bush roses, so it needs LOTS more food and moisture to
display of blooms this year, you need to consider the following:
produce to its potential.
First, a climbing rose should not be pruned for the first
After all this grooming and feeding, you will have a fairly
two or three years after planting. The fact that you haven’t
large bush, with a balanced look that is ready for the spring
pruned it for several seasons is not a bad thing. In fact, it
and summer bloom. The end result of all this should be an
may have benefitted the bush more than you realize.
abundance of beautiful new blooms this year.
Climbers need time to develop the long, sturdy main canes
Once the bush has given you its first flush of blooms, you’ll
and establish a healthy root system to support all the aboveneed to trim back (deadhead) the laterals with the spent
ground growth. So, by not pruning it for a few seasons, it
blooms to about one half to two thirds of their length. This
actually is loving life.
will stimulate new blooms to follow soon thereafter. With each
There are several different species of roses that have
flush of blooms, you’ll need to deadhead the flowers unless
climbing representatives in their “family.” For the purpose of
you want hips to develop on the bush.
this response, let’s assume that you have a “large flowered”
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Cooper – Simply gets better every year!
This deep red miniflora grows well and
produces outstanding singles and sprays.
Excellent form and holds well. Becoming
one of their favorites!
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Ghostzapper – Grown for two years and
finally doing well and producing the
desired high centered exhibition
blooms. The blooms are a pinkish red
with a light reverse and blooms are
mostly borne as singles. This one will
definitely show!
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Shameless – One of their favorite
minifloras. Blooms are a beautiful
white with edges that are raspberry to
scarlet and have wonderful exhibition
form. Probably one of Whit Wells best
exhibition roses.
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Joy – Proclaimed the best new
miniature rose in several years.
Recognized for already being a winner
at all levels. Gary and Monica’s bushes
have grown well, and produced blooms
with great exhibition form and lasting
power. Bushes were reported to be a
little winter tender, so extra winter protection is advised.
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Eternal Flame – Advertised as an
improved Dancing Flame, this high
centered exhibition miniature is also
from Robbie Tucker. Gary and Monica
reported that it took three years to get
really established in their garden, but
is now growing well and providing
some really nice exhibition blooms. They reported that it is
well worth keeping.
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Daddy Frank – This red miniature from
Robbie Tucker has great exhibition
form and blooms that don’t burn in the
heat. This is a winter hardy variety that
is rather tall for a miniature and is
known for having lots of outstanding
exhibition blooms with good substance. This is a top rated
red exhibition miniature.
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Selected MINIATURE ROSES
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Page 16
Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
Once you’ve finished this spring pruning, get out your lawn
Magic Show – One of Gary and
chair, sit back with your favorite beverage and wait for the
Monica’s favorites miniatures. The
blooming to begin.
white blooms which are edged in red
The Rose Whisperer AKA Harlow Young
are truly miniature in size, and
(email: threegkids@frontier.com)
usually show excellent form and
holding power. They noted it to be
Editor’s Note: I would again like to acknowledge Mr. Young for
winter
tender
in
the
Huntington,
West Virginia area. Reported
being so gracious to allow me to use his material. He simply
that it can be magic at the show!
asks that he be cited as the author and he is serious about his
willingness to respond to emails that are directed to him.
Renegade – This miniature is
Miniature and Miniflora Roses
proclaimed as one of the top
Every once in a while I observe an idea that is so novel or so
exhibition miniatures. It seems to
well done that it is worthy of duplicating. Therefore, when I
perform better every year. The
saw how Dr. Gary Rankin and Dr. Monica Valentovic reported
bushes are robust growers and
on their roses in the ‘Thorny Bush’ newsletter (Huntington Rose
produce lots of well-formed blooms.
Society), I just knew this review had great potential for sharing
It is highly recommended as one to
with our membership. Gary and Monica are also contributors
possess!
to Horizon Roses each year.
Selected MINIFLORA ROSES
I have chosen to share limited profiles on five Miniature
and five Miniflora roses that have proven potential as
exhibition roses. Some of the roses shown here have seen
Baldo Villegas – Admittedly rather
the ‘Trophy Table’ many times in 2013, and the others could
difficult to distinguish from Shameless
well join them frequently in the future. The text from their report
but the creamy-white, scarlet-edged
was so concise that borrowing its wording often seemed the
blooms have tremendous exhibition
prudent choice – and for the record, plagiarism is a sincere
potential. The blooms hold well. While
form of compliment … provided it is acknowledged.
it took two years for their plants to get
established, it was well worth the wait.
Unbridled – They have reported some
truly exceptional blooms on third year
bushes. However the bushes have
never gotten very tall. Bloom size can
be large, even for a miniflora. Certainly
a contender and a must have variety.
Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
Old Oriental Roses – Tea Roses
Source: The American Rose Society, Encyclopedia of Roses.
Tea roses are similar to China roses and share their hybrid
ancestry. The most important cultivars for the history of
roses were called ‘Hume’s Blush Tea-scented China’ and
‘Parks’ Yellow Tea-scented China’; both were introduced to
Europe from southern China in the 19th century.
Tea roses get their name from their characteristic scent
of China tea leaves, which are also found in many China
roses. They tend to be very tender (only a few are hardy in
Zone 7), but they are tolerant to drought. Teas have large
blooms on weak stems, resulting in drooping or nodding
flowers. They are medium sized bushes that need minimal
pruning and flower constantly in hot climates. They are
popular in Mediterranean climates, especially in California
and Australia. They were widely grown in greenhouses as
winter flowering cut flowers in the 19th century. The group
called Tea roses are one of the immediate ancestors of the
modern Hybrid Tea. Examples are ‘Anna Olivier’, ‘Catherine
Mermet’ and ‘Général Schablikine’ and are shown below.
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asked if we would let them know if the above information
was helpful and relevant at all in our particular situation ...
they specifically were interested in knowing about very
hardy roses that flourished unprotected elsewhere.
‘Catherine Mermet’ ○
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‘Anna Olivier’
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Editor’s Note: Here are some comments from a large mail
order grower in Phoenix, Oregon. If you are interested, Phoenix
is located near Medford, Oregon which is just across the border
from Northern California. This nursery specializes in hard to
locate roses and has many unique varieties of what you might
traditionally refer to as the old fashioned types. They are
located in USDA Climate Zones 8/9 depending on the elevation
and obviously their climate is tempered by the Pacific Ocean.
Their website clearly depicts the mountains in the foreground
as seen from their growing fields – the name of the firm is
Rogue Valley Roses and they are named after their location in
the Rogue River Valley.
Here is some information that was found on their website.
Please note we are not referring to the normal winter dormancy
period as found here in our Miami Valley. The material relates
that after a damaging freeze… don’t give up on your roses too
quickly. Particularly, if many of your frozen roses are well
established and on their own roots before the freeze. The
information points out that they may very well send up new
canes from the roots. This advice also holds true for grafted
roses that were planted with the graft union (the knob) below
the soil level so that the rose had established ‘own roots’ above
the graft union.
The advice points out that if the roses are to regenerate
from the roots, frozen canes that are piano key black must be
trimmed back to white wood, or the freeze damage will
continue traveling down into the roots and will kill the crown
of the plant. When the rot travels into the crown and then into
the roots, regeneration is much less likely. The article also
mentions that when digging up an own root rose, small pieces
of root, left behind, will often regenerate. So, even if the crown
is damaged, you might want to experiment with cutting away
the damaged part of the crown, sterilizing the cut, and waiting
a couple of months to see whether new canes emerge.
Certain types of roses, such as the warmth loving Teas
(not referring to Hybrid Teas here), are particularly prone to
freeze generated rot traveling rapidly down their canes. So,
it is particularly vital to trim all the true black damage from
healthy dark purple canes. Many varieties have dark purple
canes rather than green. Trim just below the freeze damage
to above a healthy node as more low temps can still occur.
Following that surgery be sure to inspect and perform the
above process on your roses as needed after another severe
freeze. This type of vigilance has saved many roses in their
gardens over the years.
The article went on to say that they had no experience in
USDA Zones 3-5, where winters can be very severe. They
offered that they had never experienced using protection
methods like the ‘Minnesota Tilt’ which involves tilting and
covering the entire rose with soil or using a cone filled with
loose material such as leaves to protect roses. It was
mentioned that they have a great deal of admiration for all
their ‘Northern’ customers for their fierce fortitude in
growing roses under these conditions. They specifically
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Saving Freeze Damaged Roses
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Page 17
‘Général Schablikine’
Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
her, “Grace de Monaco.” Princess Grace initiated the Garden
Famous Rose Gardens
Club of Monaco and was also the author of “My Book of
Source: GardenGuides.com
Flowers,” first published in 1980. The Princess Grace Rose
Editor’s Note: This is a very limited article that only begins
Garden is in Fontvielle, Monaco. This idyllic spot is a tribute
to explore the beauty and intrigue of the many famous rose
to the late princess, who died in a car crash in 1982. The
gardens that can be found worldwide. Hopefully, you will
Rose Garden was inaugurated in 1984. The garden is home
find this humble write-up interesting enough that you will
to more than 4,000 rose trees and more than 150 varieties.
explore the internet in search of other magnificant gardens.
Chandigarh
Overview
Chandigarh, India, is called the “garden city.” Its Dr. Zakir
Probably the most famous rose garden of all was fashioned
Hussain Rose Garden, which covers 30 acres, is the largest
by the Empress Josephine of France in the 18th century. The
rose garden in Asia, with about 2,000 varieties of roses and
real name of the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte was, in fact,
more than 50,000 rose trees. The garden is the venue for an
“Rose.” At the Chateau de Malmaison near Paris, she created
annual rose festival.
the rose garden of her dreams, importing the very best that
Here are few selected pictures of formal rose gardens that
the world of her time had to offer. Through the ages, many
should add to your interest.
interesting people have come to be associated with legendary
rose gardens, each in a different way and time.
Mottisfont Abbey
Some of the rarest among old roses can be found in the
gardens of historic Mottisfont Abbey in Hampshire, England.
Formal English Garden
More than 300 old roses, including famous names like “Indigo”
and “Single Pink China,” are part of the collection of pre-1900
shrub and climbing roses. The abbey and gardens are
managed by Britain’s National Trust. Mottisfont Abbey was
built on what was once a 12th-century Augustinian priory
founded by William Briwere, an adviser to King Richard the
Charming Walled Garden Lionhearted.
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More Typical Park Garden A Beautiful Garden Statue
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Another Formal Garden
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Stoic Scottish Rose
In 1952, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
bought the Castle of Mey in Caithness, Scotland. She had just
lost her husband, King George VI. The Castle of Mey was the
northernmost inhabited castle in Britain and much in need of
renovation. The Queen Mother fully restored the castle and
grounds, including a two-acre garden. Known for her “green
thumb,” the Queen Mother created a beautiful garden
landscape that included her favorite “Albertine” old roses and
old-fashioned shrub roses and climbers. Under her watchful
eye, the garden of Mey flourished, protected by a specially
constructed “Great Wall of Mey” to shelter the garden from
strong winds. As a tribute to the Queen Mother, two E-shaped
rose beds have been added to the garden.
Photogenic Roses
President John F. Kennedy (1961 to 1963) initiated the tradition
of holding functions and ceremonies in the White House Rose
Garden. It is possibly the most photographed rose garden in
the world, being close to the Oval Office and often the venue
for media events. The very first roses were planted near the
West Wing in 1913. Today, they include the roses “Elizabeth,”
“Pascale” and “Nevada”. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan
signed into law a proclamation that made the rose the official
National Floral Emblem of America.
‘Grace de Monaco’
In 1956, the year Grace Kelly, the Hollywood film star,
married Prince Rainier Grimaldi of Monaco, the Meilland
nurseries at Cap d’Antibes dedicated a hybrid tea rose to
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Page 18
A Charming Brick Wall Scene ○
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By Tim Lambert
In the early 18th century many people rebelled against the
formal gardens of the Renaissance and preferred a more
‘natural’ style. Two of the most famous gardeners of that
time were William Kent (1685-1748) and Charles Bridgeman
(1690-1738). In 1731 William Kent was employed to redesign
a garden at Chiswick. He also created a garden at Rousham,
which still exists much as he designed it.
The most famous gardener of the 18th century was Lancelot
‘Capability’ Brown. Kent and Bridgeman mixed formal and
informal elements in their gardens but Capability Brown
adopted a completely informal style. He wanted to ‘improve’
nature not rework it. Brown sought to remove the ‘roughness’
of a landscape and perfect it but afterwards it should be almost
indistinguishable from a landscape created entirely by nature.
After Brown came the famous gardener Humphry Repton
(1752-1818). He first became a gardener in 1788 and even
within his lifetime a reaction began against the informal
landscaping style towards more formal gardens.
Meanwhile in 1725 the Society of Gardeners was founded
in England. In London public gardens were created - although
you had to pay to view them. In 1804 the Horticultural Society
was formed. (It became a royal society in 1861).
In 1829 Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward accidentally
discovered that if plants were kept sealed under glass they
formed their own micro-climate. During the day the plants
transpired water. At night it condensed on the glass and
fell onto the soil where it was reabsorbed by the plants.
Creating sealed micro-climates made it much easier to
transport plants around the world.
Many new plants were introduced into Europe in the 19th
century including the monkey puzzle or Chile pine. Then, in 1830
Edwin Beard Budding (1796-1846) invented the lawn mower.
In the 19th century gardeners began to build large
greenhouses or conservatories to provide plants with both
heat and light. The largest was Crystal Palace, built in 1851
by Joseph Paxton (1806-1865). (Paxton was one of the great
gardeners of the 19th century although he was alsoan
engineer and architect).
In the 19th century as well as well-trimmed lawns massed
or carpet bedding of flowers became popular. There were
other changes. In the 19th century the middle class grew in
numbers and in wealth. As well as great estates gardens
attached to suburban villas became important. A new style
of garden evolved called gardenesque, which displayed a
wide variety of plants in a limited space.
Many 19th century gardens also had rock gardens. They
were only invented at the end of the 18th century but they
became popular in the 19th century.
In the early 19th century the most famous gardener was
John Claudius Loudon (1783-1843). Loudon led a return to
geometric gardens when he published his book Remarks
on Laying out Public Gardens and Promenades in 1835.
Loudon also wrote a book for middle class gardeners, The
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Famous Gardeners Through the Ages
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Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
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Page 19
Suburban Gardener and Villa Companion in 1838. His wife
Jane Loudon (1807-1858) also wrote books including The
Ladies Companion to the Flower Garden and Instructions
in Gardening for Ladies.
Slightly later the famous gardener Sir Charles Barry (17951860) introduced the Italian style into England. It was a
return to geometric gardens and it proved to be popular.
In the 19th century Chinese style gardens were also popular.
In the late 19th century some gardeners tried to imitate
Japanese gardens. Meanwhile in the late 19th century a more
natural style of gardening became fashionable led by the
famous gardener William Robinson (1838-1935). Hepublished
his ideas in The Wild Garden in 1870. Robinson advocated
planting a mixture of trees and shrubs, perennials and bulbs.
Furthermore in the 19th century towns and cities boomed
in size. Workers were herded together in cramped and
unsanitary houses but in the later half of the 19th century
local authorities began creating public parks for them.
At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the
20th century some gardeners were influenced by the arts and
crafts movement. Its followers fled that the industrial revolution
and mass production had led to a decline in taste. They
yearned for a past age of individual craftsmen. Influenced by
the movement some gardeners had an idealised view of old
fashioned cottage gardens. They designed gardens with trellises
of flowers, neat hedges and old fashioned English flowers.
In the early 20th century Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) became
a famous gardener and she designed many gardens. Sir
Edward Lutyens (1869-1944) sometimes worked with Jekyll.
Other famous gardeners of the 20th century were Frederick
Gibberd (1908-1984), Sylvia Crowe (1901-1997) and Russell
Page (1906-1985) who wrote an influential book The Education
of a Gardener. Other famous gardeners were Harold Peto (18541933) and Lawrence Johnston (1871-1958).
In the 20th century there was a new movement in
architecture and gardening called modernism. The
modernists rejected copying old styles of gardening and
advocated starting afresh using modern materials.
Modernists liked gardens to be ‘uncluttered’.
In 1926 a German engineer called Andreas Stihl developed
the chain saw and in 1963 the first hover mower went on sale.
In the 20th century as incomes rose gardening became a
popular hobby. A number of famous gardeners appeared
including Percy Thrower (1913-1988) Alan Titchmarsh, Monty
Don and Charlie Dimmock.
No article would be complete without including Grahan
Stuart Thomas, who stands alone as the world’s pre-eminent
rose gardener. Mr. Thomas employs the lessons learned at
Mottisfont Abbey, that he created in 1972 and extended into
the 1980’s. He is best recognized for creating interest in roses
long out of commerce by locating many of them at Bobbink
and Atkins Nursery in New Jersey and the old Lester and
Tillotson Nursery in California. Graham Stuart Thomas also
writes on perennials, garden design, and the groupings of
plants and on groundcovers.
Page 20
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PR
CO OD
RN UC
ER T
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Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
Here’s what we learned concerning Bonide® Captain Jack’s
Bonide Captain Jack’s Deadbug
DeadBug Brew® Concentrate from the Material Safety Data Sheets
Brew® Concentrate*
on this product. Your editor has listed only those sections that
Bonide Captain Jack’s Deadbug Brew® Concentrate
seemed most appropriate to rosarians’ use of this product.
is for residential use in home garden, lawns and
Section III - First Aid Measures
ornamentals for the control of foliage feeding worms
EYES: Flush eyes with water for 15 minutes. Remove contact
(caterpillars), thrips and other listed pests.
lenses if present after 5 minutes and continue flushing. Call
For use on fruiting vegetables, such as tomato, pepper, okra
a physician if irritation persists.
and eggplant; Cucurbits, such as
SKIN: Remove contaminated clothing. Flush thoroughly with
canteloupe and honeydew; Cole
water for 15 minutes. May cause slight irritation with local
Crops (Brassica), such as broccoli,
redness. Call Doctor or Emergency control center if irritation
cabbage, and cauliflower; Leafy
persists. Prolonged skin contact is unlikely to result in
Vegetables, such as lettuce,
absorption of harmful amount.
spinach, and celery; Tuberous
INHALATION: Remove to fresh air. Seek medical attention if
Vegetables, such as potatoes,
irritation persists. No adverse effects are anticipated from
sweet potatoes, yams, Jerusalem
single exposure to mist.
artichoke, Chinese artichoke, and
INGESTION: Do not induce vomiting. Sip water if possible. Contact
casseva; Apple and other pome
physician or poison control center for further treatment.
fruits, such as pears, crabapples,
NOTE TO PHYSICIAN: No specific antidote. Treatment of
mayhaw, and quince; and Bushberries and Caneberries, such
exposure should be directed at the control of symptoms
as blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry.
and the clinical condition of the patient.
Captain Jack’s Deadbug Brew® is intended for the control
Section IV - Handling and Storage
of worms (caterpillars) and other listed insects. This product
PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN HANDLING AND STORAGE:
does NOT significantly impact predatory beneficial insects,
Keep out of reach of children. Avoid eye contact when
predatory mites, and spiders while controlling target pests.
handling product. Do not take internally. Wash thoroughly
Susceptible insect pests may be observed on plants up to
after handling and before eating, drinking and smoking.
several hours after treatment, but will have ceased active
Store product in original container.
feeding before being killed. Spinosad is classified as an organic
PROTECTIVE REQUIREMENTS:
substance by the USDA National Organic Standards Board.
WORK CLOTHING: Use chemically resistant gloves with prolonged
Captain Jack’s Deadbug Brew® contains Spinosad (spinor frequent repeated contact. Long sleeved shirt, long pants and
OH-sid). Spinosad is derived from a naturally occurring soil
shoes to avoid prolonged or frequent contact on skin.
dwelling bacterium that was collected from an abandoned rum
EYE PROTECTION: Safety glasses are recommended.
distillery on a Caribbean island in 1982. This unique bacterium
INHALATION: General and/or local ventilation to control
was defined as a new species when it was discovered and it
airborne levels below exposure guidelines.
has never been found in nature anywhere else in the world.
CARCINOGENETIC: Did not cause cancer in laboratory animals.
Since being discovered, Spinosad has become a leading
Section VII - Health Hazard Data
pesticide used by agriculture world wide in the production of
EYES: May cause slight irritation. Corneal injury is unlikely. May
organic produce. Today, thanks to Captain Jack’s Deadbug
cause pain disproportionate to the level of irritation to eye tissue.
Brew®, Spinosad is available to the home gardener.
SKIN: May cause mild skin irritation. Repeated exposure may cause
Use 2 ounces per gallon of water and apply with your choice
mild sensitization. Overexposure may cause irritation to eyes and
of trigger sprayer, hand-held sprayer, backpack sprayer, or
skin. Redness, stinging, swelling or itching can occur.
hose-end sprayer. Completely odor-free, water based formula
INGESTION: Very low toxicity if swallowed. Harmful effects
leaves no oily residues. Sixteen ounce bottle makes 8 gallons
not anticipated from swallowing small amounts.
of spray. Active ingredient spinosad (a mixture of spinosad A
and spinosad B) is 0.5%. Inert ingredients 99.5%.
Section XI - Environmental and Disposal Information
STORAGE AND HANDLING: Store in a cool, dry place and avoid
Targeted Pests:
excess heat. Store in original container only. Wash hands and other
Codling Moth, Leafminers, Leafrollers, Oriental fruit moth, Thrips,
exposed skin surfaces prior to smoking or consuming food or
Tufted apple budmoth, Asparagus beetles, Japanese beetles,
beverage. Do not put concentrate or diluted material into food or
Armyworms, Fireworms, Fruitfly, Fruitworms, Loopers, Thrips,
drink container. Do not contaminate other pesticides, fertilizers,
Katydids, Caterpillar Worms, Cabbage Looper, Diamondback moth,
water, food or feed by improper storage or disposal.
Imported cabbage worm, Colorado potato beetle, Berry moth
WASTE DISPOSAL: Because acceptable methods of disposal
worms, Borers, Fruit flies, Earworm, Husk Fly, Navel orangeworms,
may vary by location and because regulatory requirements may
Peach twig borer, Shuckworms, Webworms, Corn borers, Sod
change, the appropriate regulatory agencies should be
webworm, Cat fleas suppression, Emerald ash borer, Gall midges,
contacted prior to disposal.
Leaf feeding beetles, Sawfly larvae, Spider Mites, Gypsy moth,
* Available at Stockslagers Greenhouse and Garden Center
Tent Caterpillars, Bagworms, Fire ants.
Page 21
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Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
The World’s Oldest Rose Breeder
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How to Spray Roses With Lime/Sulfur:
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“Any man who thinks he can be happy
and prosperous by letting
the Government take care of him…
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better take a closer look at the
American Indian.”
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Henry Ford
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Source: Fine Gardening, July 30, 2011 Blog
Let’s start by introducing you to the world’s first, and oldest,
rose breeder. So who is the first? Was it someone who worked
in the mountains of China thousands of years ago, or maybe
in the Mid-East? Or perhaps a great naturalist dubbed Pliny
the Pollinator?
Nope. The World’s Oldest Rose Breeder is still with us today.
Don’t believe me? Get up from your computer and look out
your window. There you will meet the World’s Oldest Rose
Breeder. Nature herself.
Long before Men and Women turned their hand towards
breeding plants, Nature was hard at work using simple tools
like birds, bees and butterflies. So before we start talking about
human rose breeders we should take a moment to thank
Nature for giving us so many Heavenly Roses since time began.
After all, it’s not nice to diss Mother Nature.
Here’s an example known as the
‘Sweet Briar Rose’ because of the
strongly apple-scented leaves, this is
a favorite English native that has been
recorded in literature from Chaucer to
Shakespeare. R. eglanteria, or
Eglantine, has been common in
cottage gardens on both sides of the Atlantic because it is not
only hardy but always fragrant, whether or not it is in bloom.
The rambling shrub is large, thorny, and vigorous with dark
green, slightly rough foliage. Spring flowers are pink with five
petals and have a good rose fragrance of their own. Rain, wind
and sun all seem to bring out the perfume of the plant. If
supported as a climber, it could reach 10 to 15 feet.
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For Springtime Applications:
Before Any Swelling of Bud Nodules
By Amy Lukavics, eHow Contributor
If your roses have a pest problem, taking action at the correct
time of the year is imperative in ensuring minimal damage is
done. Sulfur lime spray is a highly effective treatment that can
remove unwanted insects and protect the roses from fungal
infectations in the future. It is safe to use on roses or fruit trees
and can deliver a swift resolution to your problem.
Instructions for Spring Applications:
1. Spray the roses in the spring, before the buds have
swelled. Spraying should be done in the morning or the
evening, when the temperatures is cooler.
2. Pour lime sulfur spray, available at gardening
stores, and online, into a garden sprayer. The
rate of usage is 4 TBS. per gallon of water,
being sure to mix thoroughly to dissolve it
all, so as not to clog your sprayer. To this
you add 1 TBS. of horticultural oil per gallon.
Note: Some Lime/Sulfur products incorporate Horticultural
Oil (as shown).
3. Stand a few feet from your rose
(or fruit tree), and spray the entire
surface with the lime sulfur
spray. Use enough spray to give
a light coating, but not so much
that any excess drips from the
stems — that’s it.
4. Spray the ground around the
roses as well.
5. Repeat the treatment in the
fall, after the leaves on the rose bush have dropped.
Warning: Do not use sulfur if the temperature is higher than
85° F. or if rain is expected in the next 24 hours. Do not
water your roses for 24 hours after spraying.
It is also advisable not to spray the Lime/Sulfur Mixture
when temperatures are expected to dip to well below
freezing in the next 24 hours as any undried mix residue
could expand and damage the stems or buds.
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FINALLY
THE
TRUTH
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Page 22
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More MVRS members enjoying the dancers
Here’s proof that Carolyn’s feet are faster than a camera
‘Fairy Roses’ can really fill an area
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A portion of the appreviative audience
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Vice-President Dianne Wheeler got the first 2014 meeting
off to an invigorating start. Through some skillful
manipulation she was able to get the McGovern Ceili Dance
School to come to Wegerzyn to thrill us will their energy
and talent. We really appreciate all the parents and helpers
for taking their time to transport their children and give so
freely of their evening with us.
The very youngest members were so cute and so serious
with respect to executing the program. Most of our
membership hasn’t been able to move that quickly in quite
some time... with the possible exception of Carolyn Gatchell.
I’ll put my money on Carolyn having been a cheerleader in
school. Granted she may have lost a step – perhaps two,
but you could see the ‘old flash of form’ when Lindsay
(Dianne’s granddaughter) showed her a couple of moves.
Seriously, the program was outstanding and we were an
interested trial run for all the festivities on Monday, March
17. The MVRS was privileged to get an early preview of St.
Patrick’s Day and the Spirit of the Irish.
Teresa Ramsey will again spearhead our Hospice Rose
Garden efforts this year. Be sure to mark April 19 on your
calendar. Owing to the extreme cold and length of our recent
winter we expect to see major dieback on most varieties in
the formal garden. Plan to arrive around 9:00 AM with
thoughts of executing a major cutback of winter kill canes.
We also plan to spray with Honor Guard to start our fungicide
program early. This activity, of course, will occur after all
pruning has been completed. (One positive side affect of
the severe dieback should be a reduction in blackspot as
most existing canes will not be present to harbor the fungus
from our previous year).
The ‘Fairy Roses’ in the rock garden area are expected to
have faired significantly better with respect to freeze
damage and hopefully only a shaping or thinning type of
pruning is planned.
We thank Teresa and Wayne for bringing the tasty
refreshments. All the St. Patrick’s Day decorations were
really appreciated... thanks here to Dianne Wheeler.
Hope to see everyone of April 8 at Wegerzyn MetroPark at
7:00 PM. Jacqy and Ed Keck are handling the refreshments.
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MVRS March Meeting — March 11, 2014
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Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
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These little folks really charmed everyone!
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ALL PHOTOS: BOB BROOKHART
‘Fairy Roses’ can really put on a show –
hopefully they will look this good at the
Hospice Rock Garden again this year!
Page 24
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Miami Valley Rose Society Newsletter – April/May 2014 Issue
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2014 Program Topics
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August 17 Sunday
Miami Valley Rose Society 2014 Show returning to the
Wegerzyn Gardens Metropark. Roses exhibited in the
Auditorium. Preparation area available in the Adult
Education Classroom and in the area outside the kitchen.
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People don’t grow old,
When they stop growing, they become old.
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anonymous
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Cheerfulness is the best promoter
of health and is as friendly
to the mind as to the body.
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LORISE WOJCIECHOWSKI
Hybridized by: Brad Jalbert in Canada approx. 2006
Parentage: Secret and New Zealand
Fragrance: Very Fragrant
Medium Height: 4’ tall x 2’ wide
Color: Petal edges can turn dark red depending on the
weather conditions
Source: Available from Palatine Fruit and Roses (always
sells out — so order early in the Fall for Spring Delivery)
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Joseph Addison
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1672- 1719 English Essayist
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DISCLAMER: Your Editor believes that the information
contained in this newsletter is accurate, timely and up to date.
However, he does not guarantee the accuracy of any article
nor does he specify any endorsement or warranty. The MVRS
and its Editor do not accept any legal responsibilities for
omissions or errors that have been made in this newsletter.
The Last Word from…
M
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A Hearty Way to Start the Day... a Good Joke
AEL
’S
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Joe was opening a new store location and one of his friends
decided to send flowers to commemorate the occasion.
When the flowers arrived and Joe read the card. It said, “Rest
in Peace.” Joe was outraged and called the florist to
complain.
The florist replied. “Sir I’m really sorry for the mistake,
but this brings up another point. Somewhere, there is a
funeral taking place today, and they have a flower
arrangement with a note saying, “Congratulations on your
new location.”
ICH
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Thoughts from the Pumpkin Patch!
The ‘patch’ looks brown and lifeless at the
M
U SINGS
moment! The chilling air doesn’t seem to
offer much encouragement. What plants
survived this winter remains to be seen?
I plan on taking a new aesthetic approach this year.
Having a favorite color is a fine thing but it doesn’t make
for an exciting rose bed. I will be looking for more varied
colors and something more than just orange.
The bulb snatchers are at work again. I’m in my trapping
season with one culprit caught at this point. Stay tuned!
I have enjoyed the new Q&A book by Dr. Dickman. I know
many of you are familiar with his previous columns but to a
‘newbie’ I find his writings informative and humorous!
Awaiting raising canes!?
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Daryl
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Loveliest of lovely things they are,
On earth that soonest pass away.
The rose that lives its little hour
Is prized beyond the sculptured flower.
William Cullen Bryant, 1794-1878
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