Food and water produce the best rose blooms

Location, location, location! Depending on your location – or more specifically, that of your garden – you may have experienced frost damage to your roses and tender young plants recently. Even gardens in the same general vicinity may have different effects due to their prevailing micro-climates.

Lately the temperatures have risen in the Temecula Valley which encourages roses to jump into life. They enjoy this weather. A regular schedule for irrigating should already have begun. Roses do love food and water for the best blooms.

If your roses experienced fungal diseases last year and you haven't yet done so, you might think of applying a lime sulfur dormant spray soon. You can mix horticultural oil with the dormant spray for better adherence. Some gardeners have recently experienced rust on roses yet to be pruned or on the tender new growth as well. As a note of future caution, be prepared for chilli thrips as temp warms up.

Steps to take when ready to spray: first, make sure the garden is free of left-over debris and dispose of it in the green garden waste bin – do not compost rose debris in your yard. Second, remove all old leaves that may be left on the bush. This cleanliness will help keep down disease.

Third, read the dormant spray label completely to ensure the proper strength of the mixture for "growing season instructions" as the new growth has begun. Fourth, saturate all canes and the soil surface of the entire bed.

Fifth, maintain a minimum of 2" to 4" of organic composted mulch over the entire garden surface to insulate the upper 8" to 12" of the soil zone where most rose roots feed, and to reduce evaporation and conserve water, while still providing sufficient moisture. This will also supply nutrients to build the soil for your roses over the season.

If you have space available and haven't yet purchased new roses, you can still do so and might find some great offers. Over the past several years, there has been a drop in the number of new varieties introduced into the market and commercial rose production has dropped, so there is less of a selection at fewer outlets.

Some nurseries are still shipping to this area. Plants already in pots are the best to buy as they will be far easier to transplant and will establish themselves quicker. Look for those with 3-5 major canes.

Take time now to inspect and make any necessary repairs to your irrigation system. Drip systems are the most efficient and they avoid problems created by above-ground sprayers and sprinklers, which waste water and can foster molds (e.g., mildew and rust).

If possible, avoid any over-spray or misting applied elsewhere in your garden that may hit your roses; but if you do use overhead watering systems, avoid doing so when there is any wind to avoid moisture evaporating or collecting on leaves which could result is sunburn or add to conditions favorable for fungal diseases.

For best results and efficiency, be sure to time the irrigation so it is complete before the day gets hot (preferably by mid-morning, that is, 8 to 9 a.m.). Avoiding afternoon or evening watering prevents excess ground moisture into night time. Too wet soil can lead to unhappy roots and/or fungal diseases.

Now would be the time to sprinkle ½ cup to 1 cup of Epson salts widely around each rose bush (use half as much for minis and mini-floras). There is some indication that this helps stimulate new cane growths known as "basal breaks" at the "bud union" (the big part next to the ground where grafting was done).

You can begin fertilizing when new growth is 2" to 3" long. I suggest an initial feeding each year be higher in nitrogen (N) to encourage new stem and leaf growth. In about two weeks, apply fertilizer that is higher in phosphate (P) and potassium (K) to give roots a boost at the start of season.

New information suggests that continued use of fertilizer higher in P and K will foster greater root development and lead to better growth, resistance and healthier plants. Look for fertilizers rated as 8-10-8 that include micro elements for greater results.

I highly recommend organic type fertilizers vs. inorganic or "chemical" ones. Organics foster better soil development, a richer, livelier, more viable community of soil organisms that break the elements into easily absorbed form and release them slowly. They will "build" soil structure into a healthy component and when used regularly will develop a soil rich in reserve energy, allowing you to use less product with the same results.

There are no rose events planned for this year. The San Diego Fair has not yet released any plans for opening this year. Inquire www.sdfair.com for information.

If you have completed your pruning it is likely all your pruners need sharpened. Sharp pruners make for clean cuts and the prevention of diseases or otherwise damaged weak canes. The best files to use are thin flat types with diamond grit material. This type allows easier sharpening for the tight spaces between the cutting blade and bar.

Attempt to follow the current/original bevel/angle of the sharp blade. Felco states that the angle for their pruners is 23 degrees. Keeping pruners clean can be done using WD40 soak, if heavy plant "juice" is a problem a small brass bristle brush will help remove it. Lubricate the mechanism with a light oil like 3-in-0ne.

Be sure to visit the Rose Haven Heritage Garden located at 30500 Jedediah Smith Road (the cross street is Cabrillo Avenue) in Temecula, a 3.4-acre rose garden owned and maintained by the Temecula Valley Rose Society, a (501c3) organization, supported with donations from kind people like you. (Look for the donation box when you visit!)

Also, visit the web site at www.TemeculaValleyRoseSociety.org regularly for great information and schedule of events!