Watering roses – when, how often, how much?
The main task for the middle of September is finger pruning or pinching back. This encourages new basal growth and forces the production of green leaves which feed the plant and keep the roots active.
Finger pruning also spreads out the flowering cycle so that there is an almost continual supply of roses instead of one of two main flushes. Staggering the flowering also means that when the flush starts, less blooms are cut off at once so the roots don’t go into root shock, which can set a bush back by two or three weeks.
The technique of finger pruning is simple. Pinch out of the terminal point of about a third of the new shoots on a bush. For example, out of 15 stems, the tips of five are pinched out, using the thumb and pointing finger. Within a week the reddish-purplish leaves will mature to green and the very upper eye will resprout.
This only applies to hybrid teas because the leaf mass on climbers, shrub, groundcover roses, miniatures and larger cluster flowering floribundas is much more so they don’t require pinch pruning for a better performance.
On all roses, basal stems that have sprouted should be pinched. It avoids wind breakage and provides quality blooms for the rest of the season. It is best carried out when the lush thick stems reach knee height. If not caught in time and the stem has started to make a flower bud, cut back with a few leaves. If they have started to make a candelabra nip or cut out the terminal bud or centre or even the three centre stems. “Watering – when, during day or night, how often, how much?,” is the question we are asked most often.
It really makes no difference at what time it is carried out. The problem comes in when the leaves remain wet for many hours. In our climate this seldom happens, except during prolonged rainy periods.
How often depends on availability, cost and soil structure. During the growing season, a once a week deeply-penetrating watering is the minimum.
To determine how much should be applied, one needs to assess what is required for the water to get to the roots of the roses. This is trickier when a thick mulch has been applied or dense under plantings grow around the roses. Most mini sprinkler systems are set to run for five to 10 minutes at a time, which very often is not enough.
We use and sell micro sprinklers that jet the water in a downwards cone shape. It quickly penetrates the soil and seeps down to the roots of the roses. We have found that it truly is an effective way of irrigating as it is specifically targeted to where the water is needed. There is no wastage.
Ludwig Taschner will be giving free spring rose care and finger pruning demonstrations at Ludwig’s Roses Egoli in Glenferness, Johannesburg today (September 9) at 10.30am and at Ludwig’s Rose Farm tomorrow at 10.30am and at Ludwig’s Lynnwood Road in Pretoria East tomorrow at 2pm.
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