Rose care for August is fairly straight forward and can be slow. This is going to be one of the hotter months and also one of the most humid. Take great care not only to keep your roses watered, but also keep yourself hydrated as well. During these hot times with little or no rain, roses will need water more frequently. Water in the morning before the temperature gets too high to prevent a high rate of evaporation before the plants can take up the moisture and other nutrients from the soil.
Spraying roses in this heat needs to be done early in the morning to prevent burning or scorching of the foliage. Watering well the day before spraying, will hydrate the rose and allow the chemicals and fertilizers to be absorbed into the plant system more readily. My personal spray regimen seems to work well not only in my garden, but gardens that I tend for others as well. I use one half teaspoon of Honor Guard, three teaspoons of Mancozeb, and two ounces of water-soluable fertilizer per one gallon of water. I spray at least every ten days to help prevent blackspot. I recommend that you give your roses a good dose of organics toward the end August to help them get ready for the fall flush of blooms that come about in late September and early October. All of these products are readily available at local garden centers, home improvement stores, and at your local Co-op. If you are experiencing insect problems such as aphids, thrips, or spider mites, there are sprays for them also. Thrips, and aphids are easily controlled in most cases with a sharp blast from a water hose or in severe cases I recommend spraying with Spinosad or Permethrin. If you have spider mites, I recommend spraying with bifenthrin. Please read and follow label recommendations and remember more is not better.
Send me an email with your comments and questions and photos of your roses at colorsbytim@hotmail.com or visit me on www.facebook.com/mastergardner
Happy Gardening and keep digging in the dirt.
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