Thursday 22nd June, 2017
Hi
It has been the most streamlined rose potting season that we have ever done thanks to our amazing team. Its makes a huge difference when some have done it the year before and they know what the score is and that makes for fast and accurate work. Right down from the admin who organises the selection, labels and so on to the potters that actually get them into the bags. I think that in the end we potted those 13000 odd roses over a four week period. They are now all in bags, spaced in the nursery and all in that important system of alphabetical order so that we can find them easily. Hopefully all those that had pre orders in with us have now had either an email or text from us advising that their roses are here and ready.
Traditional rose enthusiasts would have organised their positions for their new seasons roses some months earlier with
compost and manures so that when it gets to this time of year the compost has broken down and the spot is ready to plant. Most of us are probably not so organised and I suggest that its good to plant directly into good top soil with out any additions of compost unless the compost is so broken down that its almost soil like. the reason for this is winter generally for us here in the Waikato is quite a wet season and compost that hasn't broken down can tend to hold more moisture than the new feeder roots that will be growing can handle.
New roses tend not to need any
pruning other than perhaps taking the tips off back to the first bud as they have been machine pruned out there in the field. This will remove any damaged ends and make a nice clean cut back to the bud which should plump out and start to grow. There are so may schools of thought about roses and pruning but I am also of the opinion that you don't remove all the small wood in a new plant especially if there are not too many stems. This is because once the rose leafs up it needs all the leaves to create food to grow new canes quickly. I always think of a new seasons rose bush as young because it will take 3 years for the bush to reach its mature size and in that time your training will help it form its structure or frame work. Just like any other member of the rose family, i.e. apple pears plums peaches which take approximately 3 to 4 years to have a tree like frame work.
Include your new roses in you winter
spraying regime with either lime sulphur or
Copper and
Conqueror Oil when you do all your other roses and fruit trees.
I get told this a lot, " my roses are still flowering", in my opinion its because they were either deadheaded or cut back late in the autumn and of course 7 weeks later is the middle of winter where they are now will be blooming again which is not desirable.
I believe that in our warm climate you need to force them to rest by leaving them alone in the Autumn and then spraying them with lime sulphur to force the leaves off them so that they rest over the winter. Don't winter prune them until late July early August but before bud burst... unless of course you have to because you are going away to some warm island as many tend to do... then hopefully the temps will be cool enough from now on to stop them from growing.
Now if you are looking for roses the selection doesn't get better than now as this is the years supply in all at once and there would have to be some form of rose for every position.
If you have any other points that you would like qualified on roses on either selection, pruning spraying or any other care points then come along to one of our
Waikato Rose Society sessions..
These events will be held on the following weekends, rain or shine at the times given. Please register your intention to attend by response to this newsletter or if you are a
facebook user events have been posted for each date, you can click
here to choose the event you would like to attend or the dated links below.
Its no biggie if you haven't registered or emailed us ... just come along and ask the questions
Win Win Win
If you attend any of the 5 planned events make sure you sign the guest sheet so you go in the draw to WIN a BUSH or CLIMBING ROSE valued at $29.99 of your choice. Winner will be contacted after the last event.
Roses are all now potted and we have just started onto the
trees so that is going to keep us on a roll for the next four weeks or so. We have potted a few
flowering cherries and just started on some
plums,
apples and
peaches but there will be a whole lot more coming over the next few weeks.
I know that its a tad wet and cold out there but its certainly a good time of year to deal to a planting project... the reason being is that it gives new plants a good period of time to establish before the next summer. A good idea if you are planning on a substantial planting. Of course its early days and one should be able to plant well into the spring but the more established the planting is the less likely you are to need to water at a later date.
We ourselves have cleared out three gardens that were covered in ivy and
Agapanthus, lifted the trees and recreated the layers back, which has off course opened up large areas that need replanting. The garden is semi shade under the dappled light of established trees so our plan is to mass plant with shade loving
Rhodos,
Camellias and
Daphnes.
Its the same arrangement for hedges which makes it the ideal time of year to get these going. Prepare your area by either spraying it off or skimming the lawn off. A hedge to me is just another style of garden so I measure the space and edge it off so that it looks all neat and tidy. I then plant the chosen hedge, whether it be Camellia,
Pittosporum,
Corokia or
any other, at measured intervals of 70 cm to 100 cm apart and around 50 cm from either side of the bed.
Mulching afterwards is great for suppressing weeds but remember that the depth the plant is in the pot is it's finished height in the garden.
The shortest day and the longest night has now past and we are looking forward to the days getting longer... optimistic I know! as I know that the most wintry of weather will be happening any time now but the days will be getting longer. Its the time for Mid winter Xmas parties and those major planting jobs.
Hopefully the weather will fine up for the weekend.
What ever you do with your weekend, do it with passion and joy.
Lloyd, Harry and the Wairere Team
Make it a Wairere weekend where even GNOMES know that gardening's not a drag.
