The first day of spring inspired me to write again. Not that winter left me totally rose-less. As for June, I was amazed with the blooms Monsieur Tillier was putting out. This is how the bush looked at 23 June 2003, just one day after the shortest day of the year!
I must admit, Monsieur took a rest in August but it's still my best performing rose. Meanwhile, my traditional hybrid teas and Austin roses are sprouting for the new season. This was taken on 23 August 2003:
If your roses are starting to sprout, here's what they're telling you: "Feed Me". Right now is when a rose is hungriest. Adequate food will ensure that the stems are thick and laden with strong blooms. Underfeed, or feed too late, and you'll get weak, thin growth.
The roses above have been fed with a mulch of lucerne straw and a good dose of Yates Thrive (formerly Gro-Plus) rose food. I've watered it all in well. Weekly doses of Seasol are also excellent feeders for the soil and the plant. Want proof? Here are the same three roses, shot exactly 3 weeks later:
The hormone-rich lucerne hay and the micronutrients in the seaweed promote those vital 'basal breaks' (shoots from the base of the plant) that form the future structure of the plant. A young, thick cane will always bloom more freely than an old, crusty one. Careful, though - spring is also the time to watch for suckers. These spring from below the knot or 'bud union'. Essentially, this is the tough rootstock variety that your delicate show variety is grafted onto... only it's trying to grow its own branches! Here's an obvious example:
Just dig down gently with your fingers, and you'll find it snaps off from the main stem easily enough. Problem solved. But if you leave it unchecked, the stronger rootstock will eventually take over the whole plant and smother the variety you bought.
In the coming month, I'll keep up the liquid feeds of Seasol, Aquasol and fish emulsion. Now is a good time to watch for aphids too. Wipe out a few early colonies and you'll have much less of a problem later.
Roll on, spring!
Daniel.