|
|
The arrival of May brings our first big bloom cycle of the season. To have blooms with lots of substance, be sure and keep your roses well watered. They need at least an inch per week. Remember, water is the key ingredient that makes everything you do to your plants work. During
the early part of May, we like to give our plants a boost with a chemical
fertilizer. Nothing fancy
here, just use a well balanced fertilizer such as Continue
with your spray program focusing on preventing disease, particularly
blackspot. Remember, disease
is always easier to prevent than cure!
If you don’t have a spray program, develop one now.
Some products to consider for the average rose garden of fewer than
50 plants include Funginex, Immunox and Fertilome Liquid Systemic.
To get the best results, we recommend alternating at least two of
these products on a weekly basis. If
blackspot is a problem for you, add some Maneb to the program on a weekly
basis. For
insects, we recommend the integrated pest management approach, which
basically says you don’t spray for insects until they are likely to be
present. Early in the month
your focus should be on aphids. They
are the small green insects that cluster around your newly forming buds.
Almost any good garden insecticide will take care of them.
Later in the month, thrips can attach your just opening blooms.
They are so small that you care barely see them.
They suck juices from the blooms thus leaving a brown unsightly
edge. They are more difficult
to control. The best approach
is to begin treating for them about the 2nd week of the month
and continue through the first bloom cycle.
A product to consider is Bayer Rose & Flower Insect Killer.
Why
not consider visiting one of our monthly meetings?
The schedule is located else where on this site.
If you have any questions, please visit the Ask the Exerts tab and
send us your question. We’ll
respond in a timely fashion. Remember,
the only dumb question is the one not asked. |