Ludwig’s rose corner
Rose guru Ludwig Taschner offers expert advice…
Q: I live on an estate that has become overrun with monkeys. My ‘Peace’ roses seldom get the chance to thrive or bloom because the monkeys strip each new red shoot and the buds from my roses.
We get many queries about this, especially in KwaZulu-Natal where monkeys are a big problem. There are humane ways to discourage them. Monkeys are terrified of snakes; scatter some life-like rubber snakes among the roses and elsewhere in the garden and move them around. Keep a water pistol handy and spray the monkeys whenever you see them. Or spray them with the hose. Put out over-ripe mangoes or other fruit for the monkeys to eat far away from the plants. Plant indigenous fruit-bearing trees such as the large num-num (Carissa macrocarpa) that bears enough fruit to keep them happy. Don’t place bowls of fruit near the kitchen window where they can see them.
Q: I am moving from Polokwane to Rustenburg and would like to take my roses, especially my ‘Kovsie Roos’ which was my late husband’s favourite.
This is not the best time to move roses, but with a lot of care, you can be successful. A week or two before moving, reduce watering to a minimum to discourage any new growth. Cut a ring around each bush with a spade to sever the spread-out roots about 30–50cm (radius) from the centre of the plant. Just push the blade deep down but don’t lever up the bush at this stage.
When it comes to transplanting time, cut the bush down to about half the size. Cut off any soft reddish growth. Then place the blade of the spade in the cuts you have made and push the handles down, levering the bush up. It is best to do so with two spades and two people. Place the lifted plants (preferably with some soil clinging to the roots) onto plastic or cloth sheeting and wrap. Keep in the shade until you replant. Alternatively, put the rose into a suitably sized pot or black plastic plant bag and keep until you’re ready to plant in the new position.