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Winter Kill
If your rose looks like the one above all is not necessarily lost if the crown or bud union was below the mulch. There are however a few task that must be done to verify the health of the bush and determine if it will survive.
- Determine if the bush is alive. Do you have green canes? If green canes are not visible then move the mulch away from the plant so you can view the area above the bud union or for own root roses the crown of the plant. If you have green canes, even if they are only green for an inch up, your bush is alive. If the bud union is above the mulch and the canes are all frozen, black and dead then just go ahead and dig the bush up.
- Remember the 4 D's. Remove everything that is Dead, Damaged, Diseased, or Dinky. Even if you have to cut the canes back to a one inch nub above the bud union, be sure you remove all of the dead areas. Leaving even a little dead cane on the bush will be the cause of serious problems later on. Always cut an 1/2 inch or so into the green below the dead or damaged area of the cane.
- DO NOT fertilize the bush until the 10th day of April. Our average last frost date is April 8 and we do not want to put on new growth just to have it freeze.
If you follow these simple steps you will find that many of your bushes will recover for the damage they have suffered. Remember to put your mulch back in place to a depth of about 4 inches above the bud union or crown of the bush for the protection is will provide to your bush throughout the season. You never need to pull the mulch back from the bush. It is a myth that it will rot the canes.
The image is the same rose as above after pruning. It will be in bloom by Mid May. |
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New Product
Due to customer request and the need to protect Roses and other plants from the damage caused by gophers, voles and moles we now offer protective cages to plant that special flower or tree in to protect it from attack.
The cage is built from galvanized , welded 1/2 inch mesh wire that is large enough to protect your plants roots from being eaten or disturbed. The cage can be used in lieu of poisons and traps and will last for many years.
Out price is $10.00 each for Rose size cages with custom sizes for larger or smaller applications available.
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Greetings!
Can you believe it? Spring is here and the weather is acting like it. I have been pruning now for a couple of weeks and it looks like it has been a tough winter on the roses. Actually cold and snow in this part of the country is not the culprit in winter kill as much as some belive. The sudden change in temperature is. If you recall last fall you will remember that the fall was warm and the nights were also unseasonably warm, that is, right up to the night it fell into the low 20's and teens. That one thing is what killed more canes then all of the rest of the winter put together. Events like that are exactly why I instruct everyone to plant the bud union at ground level and then add 4 inches of mulch over it. When this is done even in a winters like the one we just experienced, most of the bushes will be ok. The stems may freeze to a level just below the top of the mulch but they will be ok for an inch or two above the root crown or bud union which is all they need to be beautiful once again.
Please remember that we here at Roses inc. are here to help you with your roses. If you have questions about how to help your bushes recover from winter or just general questions about care do not hesitate to call on us to help. Our goal at Roses inc. is to take the mystery out of growing roses and for yours to be the very best they can be.
Sincerely,
Mark Stelljes
Roses inc Tulsa.
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Watch for the early signs of disease
Take time to look at your roses
There is no better time to inspect your rose bushes for disease than when you are pruning them. Unfortunately, there is no time better for you to spread disease between you bush than when you are pruning them. So let me give you some of my thoughts on both.
When we prune in the spring the bush should be at its smallest size of the year. It is the one time of the year when we have access to see what is going on in the middle of the bush. As we delve into the center of the bush to remove the clutter we have the opportunity to do a very thorough examination. Many times during this inspection we will find the 4 D's galore. While removing these canes we should be on the look out for any possible problem that may be present. I have pruned several thousand bushes this Spring and I have found more than a couple(OK, that is a vast understatement) that have had signs of disease. In some cases the disease was one of the common fungal diseases causing black spot or cankered canes but in some instances it has been one of the more serious viral diseases for which there is no cure. here is where the danger of spreading disease comes in. With the viral diseases it is a near certainty that you will spread the disease if you do not disinfect your pruners between bushes. Disinfecting is easy by dipping the pruners in a solution of 1 cup of chlorine bleach to a gallon of water. I have also discovered that the product Clorox Clean Up is a great disinfect plus it cleans the resin off of the blade and anvil. Another method that is less damaging to your clothing if you are a klutz like me, and very effective, is to use Clorox disinfecting wet wipes on your blade and anvil between bushes.
Some time ago I wrote a article telling my readers that it was unnecessary to always just pull a bush that had what is commonly called Witches Broom. During the Spring I see many cases of weed killer damage that happens when the lawn care crews or neighbors get careless with lawn herbicide. I suggested at that time that if you were unsure of the problem that you should try and ascertain if weed killer was the culprit before you pull the bush and through it away. This year I am seeing a considerable amount of, for real, Rose Rosette disease. I am pruning for a lot of customers for the first time and the deadly and very contagious virus is showing up all over the county. So far the Knock Out roses seem to be leading the pack in the number of varieties with the disease. I am unsure why that is the case but I presume it is because most people have been told to leave the Knock Outs alone and not prune them and the resulting clutter and lack of air flow inside the bushes could be a contributing factor. The bottom line is; if you can not positively determine that the Witches Broom you see is the result of herbicide, you must not take the chance of spreading Rose Rosette to your other bushes. You must dig up the bushes and throw them in the trash for the sanitary land fill or burn them. I have seen at least one case where the disease has been spread to a number of roses on the same property and even one case I could trace back to two Knock Outs that a neighbor had that were dying of the virus in the adjacent yard. If you have any further questions or you are unsure what problem you have please give me a call here at Roses inc. and schedule with me to visit your garden.
 
Rose Rosette Black Spot Powdery Mildew |
| Custom Rose Garden Care
Whether you need complete Rose garden care, help with pruning, rose garden consultation or planing, rose planting or pesticide application please call Mark at Roses inc. and I will schedule a time when I can meet with you. I am always eager to help with any of your Rose gardening needs. Trusting your rose garden to the yard man is like having your electrician work or your plumbing. Call the only licensed and bonded Rose care specialist in the area and get it done right and you will have a rose garden that is the envy of the neighborhood.
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| About Roses inc Tulsa.
Beginning April 11 we will be open on Sunday from Noon until 4 and Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m..
Our phone number is 918-455-7673
Roses inc Tulsa.
13201 South 129 E Ave
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74011
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