Gardening.....

[Gungawoman]

(06-22-2011 06:35 AM)boomer Wrote:  Roses...need some help with roses.

We have a planter area we are clearing out. Mrs B wants roses in that area and roses she shall have, but I dont know if its too late to plant or what. She wants to call it our "Taste of Portland" garden.

Roses are indestructible if you give them a few simple things. You can plant them nearly any time. They don't like overhead watering.They don't like to sit in a pool of water. They like plenty of air circulation, so keep the space around them and under them clear. They like an occasional sprinkle of coffee grounds around them. Cut off all dead blooms-it keeps them making more. When you cut the blooms off, look at the leaves on the stem beneath the flower you're cutting. Cut just above an outside facing leaf. New growth grows out in the direction of whatever leaf you cut above. Cut off any crossing branches-they'll rub together and it can let diseases in. Prune them back to about 6" in Feb. or March. If you get aphids (tiny green bugs) spray the roses with a mix of 1/3 dish soap and 2/3 water. I've heard that in the winter in very cold areas, you should pack straw around them. I've never done anything to them for the winter. It got down to minus 18 degrees(!) here this last winter, and the roses are fine.