March Rose Growing
...one of a series, for a complete year!

March Rose Growing is the third month for the Rose Growing Calendar. A cultivation “how-to” list like this has been a big help in the planning of my yearly garden tasks. It keeps me on task and on time. Check out all the pages that make up the complete year and build yourself a plan for your garden. Us rose gardeners deserve it!

The warmth of March can deteriorate into more rain and cold weather, BUT if the forsythia's bloomed, tis pruning time! (...you do have a yellow fosythia bush in your garden I hope...or at least check on the one in your neighbors yard!)

Things To Do For March Rose Growing:

-Prune your roses. (see below)

-Plan your spraying program. (see below)

-Magnesium is washed from the soil by the rain and can be replaced by Epsom Salts applied at a quarter cup per rose bush. Water the salts in. Magnesium promotes "basal" breaks (new growth from the crown) in roses.

-New foliage will appear in March and can be sprayed with a fungicide or organic alternative if the weather has some dry days. A soluble fertilizer such as liquid kelp, liquid fish fertilizer or 20-20-20 can be added to the fungicide for a foliar feeding.

Pruning:

- Pruning in the spring stimulates growth and flower production. It also allows you to shape your rose bush or cut it back hard if you feel it is too large. The first rule to remember - you won't kill your roses by pruning them! You will just make them better roses by doing some selective pruning.

Hard pruning is sometimes done by rose exhibitors and means cutting the rose canes on hybrid tea roses to 6-8" above the ground to produce larger blooms to exhibit. This method is also used to rejuvenate weak or neglected roses.

Moderate pruning is recommended for most gardeners growing hybrid teas, floribundas and grandifloras, cutting stems back to about 1/2 their original length. New research on floribundas suggests cutting only 1/4 off the stem lengths, a form of light pruning.

Every couple of years old, unproductive canes should be cut back to the ground on most varieties of roses along with dead and diseased wood.

Miniature and shrub roses require very little pruning except to shape the bush. Old garden roses and wild roses can be left for 3-5 years with little or no pruning other than dead heading. Old stems can be removed if needed. Established climbing roses require little pruning to main stems but side shoots can be reduced to 6-8".

Ramblers are best treated as lax-stemmed climbers and not pruned after flowering as is sometimes advised. Prune - generally, cut out, to the ground, any dead or diseased wood, any very thin, weak stems and any stems which cross over and/or rub against another.

Rose blooms are produced on new growth (except for OGRs) so old canes that produced very thin, unproductive shoots last summer should be removed. The conventional cut is 1/4"above a bud or leaf joint, sloping away from it at a slight 45° angle. If the pith or soft inside core of the cut branch is not a clear white color, continue cutting further down the branch until there is no more brown or beige color, even if the branch must be removed to the ground.

In removing branches, try to keep a symmetrical cup-shape to the bush, keeping the center of the bush free of branches to aid in air circulation. After pruning, clean up all debris and remove any leaves from the beds. Do not compost as you need to destroy any over-wintering disease spores or insects.

A truly "easy-care" method of pruning has been recommended by the Royal National Rose Society in England. Roses are literally lopped off with pruners or hedge trimmers at half their height - all weak and spindly growth is left on and dead wood is removed if you wish - the roses seemed to thrive!

Spraying:

A rose gardener has to decide whether to spray for disease or not. Many gardeners now grow the organic way and do not spray or they choose organic alternatives. If this is your choice it is most important to choose roses with high disease-resistance.

Another factor is garden cleanliness. Remove all diseased foliage and throw it out - do not compost. Try to keep rose beds clear of weeds and litter, leaving no place for the disease spores to hide.

The three main diseases that affect roses are black spot: literally a black spot with yellow fringes on leaves, causing leaves to fall; powdery mildew: white, powdery mold on leaves and buds; and rust: orange swellings on the underside of leaves (not common).

The usual treatment is to spray with a fungicide.

There are a number of fungicides on the market, Funginex for one, and we recommend alternating fungicides to help reduce building up resistance to any one product. Visit your garden center for other alternatives. Read all directions carefully and apply as soon as there is enough foliage.

Organic alternatives such as Safer's Defend and Sulfur Powder can also be used. As well, a solution of 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. canola oil and a few drops of dish detergent added to a liter of water and sprayed on the roses, might help with black spot and powdery mildew.

Applications of organic products should start in March and be applied every 2 weeks or after a rain. Remember, a fungicide acts as a "preventive", protecting the rose before disease appears, hence, spraying early in spring is imperative.

Regular fungicides should be sprayed at least every 3 weeks from March to July or August or until October if you can manage it. Spray both sides of the leaves when the leaves are dry, early in the morning or in early evening, allowing 4 hours of dry weather for the fungicide to take effect.

Never spray when windy.

Although fungicides are low on the toxicity scale, be sure to protect your eyes with goggles, wear long sleeves and pants and wash up well after spraying.

The best defense is still to select a more disease-resistant rose.

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