Tips for Growing Roses
Start of by selecting a planting area that gets good sunlight in the morning but by mid day is in semi-shade. Roses prefer to avoid the hot afternoon sun. If the area is in the full sun make sure it has good air circulation.
Prepare the planting hole in advance and make it much larger than the pot the rose bush is in. Mix in a generous 40-50% planter mix or composted material, some garden soil, bone meal or super phosphate and about 15% sand should also be mixed in.
Plant the rose as soon as the soil is workable. If the plant is grafted on the root stock, be sure the graft is placed 2-3 inches below the surface. If you are planting roses on their own roots be sure the root area is well covered.
Wait for about two weeks and then apply fertilizer. I suggest about 2/3 cup of 12-16-12, be applied and raked into the top 2 inches of the soil. Other forms of plant food such as 15-30-15 is also very effective. The pH level of the soil should be about 6.2 to 6.5. Levels within this range will normally produce excellent rose blossoms around the middle of June. An inexpensive pH probe tester can be very useful in determining when to add more plant food. The right amount of plant food is what should be applied. More is not better.
Good luck in getting many blossoms.
Lori
The poinsettias are on display for the Christmas season but it is the Amaryllis that I am waiting for — the true Christmas flower.
Why not compost and improve your garden soil. The decomposition of plant remains, and other once living materials, makes a dark crumbly substance that is excellent for enriching your container garden soil. It is also a way to recycle your yard and kitchen waste.
The benefits of compost is that it enriches soil, has the ability to help regenerate poor soil, and can reduce the need for water and fertilizer.
Summer is here and now is the time to relax and enjoy your garden. This is my front garden. As you can see it is in full Summer bloom.
If certain plants get too large, don’t be afraid to cut them back by half or more. Other than lilies or peonies, most perennials will respond well to pruning during the summer. Tall growing plants might need to be staked. This is easiest to do when the plants are first planted because they can be be firmly fastened to the support as they grow taller.
Enjoy the fruits of your Spring labour.
I am so looking forward to spring! A week ago, I was in Vancouver and the snowdrops were out. Here in the Okanagan, the snow is still on the ground and it will be awhile before the first signs of spring. In the mean time we can make some Tufa containers.
Tufa is available in the Rocky Mountains, but not easily accessible. So, instead, I will be using hypertufa which is a man made tufa. It is lightweight and retains moisture but drains well. You can use any mould but make sure you apply oil (I used a baking spray) or smear the surface with grease so your finished project will release when it sets. When making my first container I failed to grease the mould well enough and the hypertufa was stuck in the mould. Also, make sure the top of the mould container is larger than the bottom, otherwise the finished product will not pop out.