Ludwig’s rose corner
Ludwig Taschner shares tips on how best to care for your roses.
Q: What is the best way to support standard roses? I have a driveway lined with ‘Granny’s Delight’ and last year the wind broke off one of the heads.
The stake needs to go as high as the crown, which will protect it from wind damage or from snapping off below the bud grafting. A T-bar or a circular support on top of the stake is most effective. A good method is to ‘bandage’ the stem, securing it to the stake with a shade cloth strip. When using the bandage method on youngish standard roses, it is advisable to wedge styrofoam pieces between the stem and stake to allow for expansion.
What must I do with the new, reddish-coloured stems that shoot out from the base of my ‘Candice’ roses? They look so different to the other stems; should I cut them off?
These are basal stems (also called water shoots because they are so juicy) and they’re the best indication that your rose is happy and healthy. These stems will provide quality blooms for the rest of the season, but you do need to pinch them back when they reach knee height, otherwise they may break off in the wind. If not caught in time and the stem has started to make a flower bud, cut them off, as well as a few leaves. If they have started to make a candelabra, nip or cut out the terminal bud or even the three centre stems – this will serve the same purpose and provide flowers quicker.