ARS Consulting Rosarian Royal Krieger
Article in the June ’25 East Bay Rose Society Newsletter.
If your rose garden was like mine you had a bountiful spring rose bloom. Time to start deadheading.
Deadheading: When I deadhead I first look over the plant checking its overall appearance and health. I then start deadheading by placing my hand over the top of a spent bloom to hold the petals securely while I generally cut the stem just above a first or second five or more leaflets. I make sure the direction of the leaf I cut above is growing in the direction I wish the new cane to grow, usually to the outside of the plant. After deadheading, I remove any canes that are weak, growing in directions I do not want plus dead or dying canes. Finally I remove any “junk” growth at the base of the plant. This is important to discourage spider mites from attacking the bottom leaves. If possible, I generally keep the base free of leaves for the first 8-12 inches. I also remove all diseased leaves from the plant and debris from the bed, very important to minimize disease.
Watering: Roses need consistent soil moisture. Erratic watering with periods of dryness stresses the plant and leads to increased disease, diminished development and bloom. I determine water need by checking moisture at least 4″ of soil depth. If close to dry I water, especially now that the days are getting warmer. For roses to absorb necessary nutrient the soil must be moist to activate the soil’s organisms, bacteria, etc. that convert nutrient to a form the roots can absorb.
Fertilizing: I usually do a second fertilizing around the 4th of July, easy date to remember. For my first fertilizing when my roses were starting to leaf out this past February, I used a chemical fertilizer for faster nutrient intake. The second feeding is best with balanced organic fertilizer. By balanced I mean the three main nutrients, Nitrogen (“N”), Phosphate (“P”) and Potassium (“K”) should be roughly equal such as 10-10-10 or 7-7-7. If they are not perfectly aligned, that’s okay. Note, the 10-10-10 means 10% is nutrient and 90% is filler.
When working at Oakland’s Morcom Rose Garden where I’m the CR, I’m often asked to identify a rose from a picture of the flower on a cell phone. It is very difficult to ID with such limited information. Below is a guide to help make rose ID easier along with what pictures to take. In this guide I’ve added “language” that might describe blooms, etc.
BLOOM COLORS: “Buds just starting to open are greenish white Flowers pink with cream/white.” (Pictures: Take at least three close ups of flowers in various stages of development.)
PETAL COUNT: “60-65” (Count a couple developed blooms for count variance.)
OPEN BLOOM SIZE: 4.5″ to 5″ PRICKLES (thorns): “Straight not curved. Most Prickles about 3″ apart.” (Pictures: Take close up of prickles. If some canes have a few and others many, take a picture of each cane with description.)
HEIGHT: 7′ (Picture: This is important info. If a smaller plant, place a yardstick next to the plant. If a tall plant such as a climber, have someone stand in the picture providing their approximate height.)
BASE OF PLANT: “Has six canes growing out of a base width of approx. 9″ with largest canes about the size of a quarter, smallest a dime.” (Picture: You may need to weed the base of the plant to clearly show the base. If appears to be grafted, include in description.)