Welcome to the happiest time of the year for rosarians, June is the month we celebrate our National Floral Emblem, The Rose. It is time for us to enjoy everything we love about our roses. Try these few steps to make this time special.
- Keep up with your spray program for fungus according to manufactures direction. I do not spray with insecticides unless the bugs get out of control. Everyone has to figure out their threshold of when you consider that level. Remember that most insecticides are not specific and will also kill the beneficial bugs.
- Use the least toxic chemicals, caution is the lowest toxicity rating and would be recommended. Also be sure to wear protective gear and do not spray when it is windy. Watering the day before you spray will get your roses hydrated so as not to cause leaf burn. Early morning is the time I find best.
- We all want our roses to bloom throughout the summer and into the fall. The best way to do this is by deadheading. The purpose of plants is to bloom and set seeds. Once it does that its mission is accomplished. With deadheading we can keep the roses on a mission to make more bloom. In the attached photo you can see that you should cut to an outfacing 5 leaflet bud eye. This shows it cutting higher on the stem; however, I usually cut further down the stem if possible. The reason for this is to create larger stems from the lower bud eyes to give me thicker canes and larger blooms.
- Now let’s have some fun!! Show off your roses! Invite your neighbors and friends and family to enjoy your garden.
milwaukeerose.org 