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How to Keep Your Rose Garden Free From Pests

June 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Starting a rose garden does require hard work and you have done it all: conditioning the soil, choosing the right type of rose and have even planted them now you would like to keep your rose garden free from pest attacks and disease infestation to see your healthy roses bloom through out the season. While rose gardening may seem a bit of an uphill task, but following some simple steps, you can keep your plants healthy and your garden a happy garden.

There is a fundamental truth about gardening in general and that is wet plants are extremely attractive for fungal diseases. So you must keep the flower beds neat and tidy by regularly removing the dead and fallen leaves from underneath as well as clean the garden of all unhealthy debris. This simple exercise can keep fungal infections away. To prevent mold and rust from attacking your plants never water the leaves, stems or flowers. This can even damage the roses.

When you prune your rose bush, remember to clean up the central area. This will allow fresh air to circulate and keep fungal diseases at bay. Though rust is not fungal by nature but behaves much the same way and is considered very harmful for rose plants. These types of disease conditions can be rectified by using fungicidal soaps and pruning of the infected stem. Also keep the pruning shears clean as infected shears can carry the disease to healthy parts of the plants. You could also use simple craft glue to repair any cuts made during pruning. This will keep your plants safe from many other types of insects.

Insects like aphids, beetles and caterpillars are very fond of attacking rose plants. Easy prevention can be obtained with early season spraying of dormant season oil immediately before the spring blooms start. Of course, there are other ways of getting rid of insects also. To get rid of beetles and caterpillars, the easy way is to try the traditional method of picking them up by hand and throwing them into soapy water. The best time to do this exercise is early in the morning and is considered one of the best ways to keep your roses safe from insect attacks.

In case you find pulling out the insects by hand is not quite something you prefer, you could buy insecticidal soaps from your local garden store. If used according to the labeling instructions, these soaps can be very effective in keeping your garden safe from harmful insects. Before using these soap solutions, remember not to use any strong and harmful pesticides which could damage your garden, in stead of bringing relief. The other point to remember is that there are a lot of beneficial insects which live in your garden, and they could also get killed if strong pesticides are used.

One of the fundamental truths behind organic gardening is that pests are part of nature and they will be part of your garden too. One way to ensure insect-free gardening is to choose the specific plants which are suited to your climate zone and soil. The plants can themselves resist the disease attacks and ward off insect infestation. The other trusted way to keep your rose plants safe is to practice companion planting of garlic and onion near your rose bushes. These companion plants keep your rose plants safe from insects.

In the matter of rose gardening, you have to be a little alert. With proper vigilance, you can easily protect your plants from disease and insect infestation and see your garden bloom throughout the summer.

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How to Take Care of Your Rose Plants

June 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Though you might have heard it otherwise, but rose gardens are not just simple to start but simpler to maintain also. Strong and perennial, rose plants can survive with little human intervention and can thrive well in the wild. A good and healthy start is the primary step for keeping your rose garden safe from various dangers which bring damage to a rose garden.

The first step to start on the right foot is to choose only such types of roses which are suited to your climate zone and the specific soil type. While your local garden store will stock lots of varieties of roses during the planting season, you must carefully examine the plants before purchase. Any rot on the roots or dead canes signify that these are unhealthy plants or have been mishandled. These are not likely to survive and should be rejected.

New plants can only survive if they are planted on firm and well-prepared soil. Roses are no exception to this rule. A well prepared, conditioned and primed soil is critical for successful growth of the plant. This means that whatever hard works that you put in, before planting the plant, will pay in the long run, when you see healthy blooms blossoming in your rose garden. Start by digging the soil about a foot deep. In stead of destroying this soil, keep it for later use. Your next job is to add compost, peat moss or even cultured manure to this layer. Dig the second time, mixing the soil with these additives. Put this mixture inside the first foot of the soil and start planting. Remember the first enemy of a rose plant is inadequate conditioning of the soil.

Do you know what a rose plant goes through during winter? The regular cycle of freezing and thawing makes the underground roots shift which ultimately damages the root system and kills the plant. To prevent this from happening, use mulch for winter protection.

Incidentally, mulch is beneficial for the soil during summer too. It wards off weeds and retains the moisture level of the soil. Thus, mulch must be part of your regular plant care schedule just before the first bloom shows up. Strengthen the plant by putting several inches of soil and cover that soil with mulch to protect the root system during harsh winter months and you will be rewarded with healthy flowers which show up during early spring.

Wet plants and unkempt flower beds are thriving grounds for many fungal diseases like black spot and powdery mildew. To keep your plants healthy, regularly remove all fallen and dead leaves along with other garden debris from near the roots of the plants. This way you can water the plants directly and keep fungal infections away. Remember, watering should be done at the base of the plant and not the leaves, stems or flowers. This will ward off mold and rust, both of which are harmful for rose plants.

Your rose plants can also attract many types of garden insects including aphids, thrips, beetles and caterpillars who love to eat into the plants. Prevention from insect infestation can be done by spraying dormant season oil just before spring. If your garden is still infested with insects, they can be removed by a combination of using hand and treating with some mild insecticidal soap solution.

Rose plants can be kept free of disease, pests and hazardous weather conditions if you are a bit alert and take timely care of your garden.

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The Basics of Organic Rose Gardening

June 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Starting from the breakfast cereals to the vegetables on the superstore, every thing seems to have an ‘organic’ origin these days. What is the true significance of the term ‘organic’ really? While there are numerous definitions and theories available explaining the term, when it is a matter of gardening or rose gardening in particular, the meaning is very simple. Organic gardening is nothing but letting the plants grow naturally after the soil is fed with natural nutrients. This means that the plant grows with out any assistance from chemical fertilizers or ‘harmful’ pesticides. In other words, organic gardeners work in conjunction with nature rather than controlling the soil with the help of any chemical supplement.

There are many ways in which you could include organic gardening ideas in to your own rose garden. According to experts, appropriate priming of the soil is crucial if you wish to see your rose garden healthy and blooming. Start by digging the soil about a foot deep. Do not throw away the dug up soil, as you will need it at a later stage. Then add compost, peat moss and manure to this soil and then continue digging, this time mixing the soil with the additives. This will make sure that you have begun your rose gardening on a right note, as you have used only natural ingredients. Before you begin planting, add some bone meal to the first layer of dirt and replace the first foot of the soil.

To preserve the natural nutrients of the soil, mulch is an important additive. In summer it helps keep the weeds away and retains the moisture level of the soil. Mulch benefits the soil even in winter when it offers protection to your roses from the perilous cycle of freezing and thawing which damages the underground roots of the plant caused by the frequent shifts which it entails. To protect the roots of the plant during harsh winter months, you could strengthen it by adding several inches of soil to which mulch has been added. This protective measure will ensure that a healthy plant will show up in early spring.

While retaining the moisture of the soil as well as regular feeding with organic ingredients like peat moss will guarantee healthy growth of the plant, you have to take care of the several varieties of garden bugs and pests. According to organic gardening theory, bugs are part of nature and thus part of any garden also. Your local garden store can supply your with organic solutions in the event of any persistent pest problem which you might be facing.

Companion planting is another concept frequently used by organic gardeners. These additional plants not only add to the overall beauty of your garden but also keep many common pests at bay. Examples of useful companion plants are onion and garlic. The added benefit of these companion plants is that it adds to the variety in your garden.

A very intelligent way to avoid using chemical or artificial fertilizers yet get the most out of your rose gardening efforts is to choose the particular rose types which are indigenous to your area. You could easily get as may varieties in color and size of roses which are well-suited to your climate as well as soil. These flowers are easiest to grow as they need only the basic care and are well suited to your natural environment.

Thus organic gardening and organic rose gardening is not just a pleasurable experience but strikingly simple too.

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