After uncovering my roses this year, I was alarmed to find that the voles had spent the winter under my blankets. They chewed the bark on many of them so I had to cut back the canes to the ground on many of them. I had put mouse killer in the garden but they chose to eat the rose canes.
I will work on a solution for this problem over the summer and get back to you in the fall on what to do.
Early May is when we do our clean up pruning and make sure all of our debris is cleared from the garden. Prune out any small growth and any crossing canes with the idea of keeping the center of the bush open for new growth.
April showers bring May flowers, but I’m not sure what April flooding brings. One thing for sure is that diseases for roses will start early. Now would be a good time to start a preventive fugus spray program according to the manufacture’s recommendations. It is easier to prevent rather than eradicate fungus later. Try to use 2 different types of fungicides and rotate their use.
Now is also a great time to start adding soil building amendments to your garden. Some of my favorites are Milorganite, Epsoma Rose Tone worm casting and Blue Ribbon compost. Once the ground temperature reaches 70 degrees it would be a good time to start with your regular summer time fertilizing schedule.
Walk your garden daily! Look for things like critters eating your new growth. This could be anything from aphids to rabbits and anywhere in between. Catching a problem early is the best way to prevent from things getting out of control.
If you are not sure the best way to handle a problem in your garden is to contact a Consulting Rosarian. They are listed on the “About” page of our website.
milwaukeerose.org 