Rose Tips by Al Karsten
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June is the month to fertilize roses for the second time this growing season. Roses require lots of plant food and water - but reward us with beautiful blooms for several months.
To fertilize, about the 2nd week of June, dig a shallow trench around each rose bush, apply an 8 oz. cup of 13-13-13 fertilizer and water in thoroughly. After watering, I suggest you go back and water each bush again. This will make the nutrients more available and prevent chemical burn on the leaves.
When your roses have finished blooming in early June it is important to deadhead (cutback) faded blooms of the hybrid teas, floribundas and grandiflora rose bushes. Deadhead faded blooms 1/4 inch above the highest fifth petaled leaf. You will notice an "eye" forming at the axil of the five leaflet which produces a new rose cane.
This is an unusual rose growing year - we have lots of top growth on the rose bushes. Our past winter was mild and we did not have the dead canes. We had very little to cut back and the roses started to grow earlier. Because of so much top growth, you may want to thin out a portion of the bush. Go down to the SECOND fifth leaf to cut back. This will help on so much top growth.
Your spray program should be well under way by now. There is evidence of mildew on roses and lots of blackspot disease. We have had a lot of cool evenings since the roses leafed out and if you have not started your spraying program early on - the "enemy" has moved in. It is a good idea to start spraying for diseases about a week after you have cut back your roses in April. In other words, you want to prevent diseases, not try to stop them once they are on the rose bush. If you have mildew on your rose bushes, cut the disease out. I suggest you get a jar, pour some bleach in it, and dip your rose pruners in the bleach after every three rose bushes you work on. You do not want to spread the disease to roses not already affected. If you work on only one bush, dip the pruners in the bleach when you are finished.
Blackspot is another frustrating rose disease we have on our rose bushes this spring. We need to spray with a fungicide for blackspot and mildew, and insecticide for insects on a weekly basis. These may be combined in the sprayer. Read the labels for proper application for each gallon. Miticides kill mites such as spider mites that arrive in warm weather. If you have blackspot I suggest you pick off the diseased leaves even though you are also spraying. You could get rid of the disease faster and avoid spreading to other leaves or bushes. Remove any diseased leaves in the rose bed as well. When you spray, add one tablespoon per gallon of a water soluble fertilizer, such as Miracle-Gro, K-Gro (K-Mart) or Rapid-Gro. When you have the fungicide, insecticide, water soluble fertilizer in the tank sprayer add one squirt per gallon of an inexpensive detergent in the sprayer and shake all contents before spraying. The detergent acts as a spreader sticker. Spray under and on top of all the rose leaves. Do not spray rugosa roses. If you have any spray left over do not go back and spray roses again. Spray it on your perennials, lilac shrubs, zinnias, etc... Do not store for future use.
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