June is upon us and for the most part our hybrid teas are between bloom cycles, along with some of the other roses in our garden. It is now time to deadhead our roses and get them ready for the next major bloom cycle. When you deadhead don’t get to drastic, cut the bloom stem back just past the first set of five leaves and about a quarter of an inch above an outward facing bud eye. On the hybrid teas take care and cut out the blind shoots or the canes that do not have any blooms developing on these short canes. Look for suckers or canes that have come from below the graft and cut them out also.
Fertilization is still a concern and I recommend a cup of 13-13-13 or a good rose blend fertilizer like bloom-kote or fertilome for the large bushes and one half cup for the smaller bushes. Sprinkle it around the drip line and scratch it in. I also recommend that you add a water soluable fertilizer into your weekly spray regimen. I am using Monty’s Joy Juice, but the blue water will work well also. I would recommend a dose of fish emulsion. Be sure and read the label and mix accordingly, remember more is not better.
Black spot is still running rampant, so be sure and keep up your spray regimen. I am using Honor Guard and Immunox on a rotating basis combined with Mancozeb. This keeps the fungi from building an immunity to your chemicals. Black spot is hard to control unless you spray every seven to ten days. I always add my water soluable fertilizer in with this mix every week when I spray.
Aphids and spider mites can be a problem this time of year. If you think that you have either one of these pesky little bugs eating on your rose buds, you can control them with a hard blast of water from the water hose. If your case is severe, I recommend using Merit or Conserve to control these pests. I do not recommend adding it to your regular spray mix, but to mix it in a spray bottle and only spray the rose buds themselves. This way you only target the pests and not all the other insects of which many are beneficial insects.
This time of year, watering regularly is mandatory. Water your roses frequently and deeply during any dry spells. They will need at least an inch of water a week, raised beds may need watering more frequently and I recommend that you water early enough in the day that all foliage will be dry before sundown. This will help control fungi diseases.
If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at colorsbytim@hotmail.com or leave me a message on facebook/mastergardner.com
Happy Gardening and keep digging in the dirt
