The Rambling Rosarian
by Charles Shaner
It has been a very mild winter in our area. Temperatures have been above normal, and while we haven't had snow we
have had good rainfall. My roses didn't go dormant until January and some still have a few leaves.
What does all this mean? Being un-experienced
in this weather pattern, one can only speculate on what the outcome will be. We know that fungus survives and grows
during the winter months. Canker is a fungus that shows it ugly face in the late winter and early spring. Many
insects winter over in our rose beds ready to munch on our roses in the spring.
My suggestion is to spray your roses with a combination of a good fungicide and an oil spray. Volck Oil is a good dormant
spray, and combined with lime/sulfur will take care of fungus and many insects. A warm day and calm wind make for a
good day to spray.
Warm winter days are a good
time to walk around your rose beds and see what they need. Do you need to add mulch in the spring? Pulling weeds
on a warm winter day gets a head start on spring chores. It is a good time to plan where you want to build a new rose
bed or where to move an old one.
If you order
roses, you should already have that done. We have some good garden centers in our area for purchasing roses. Roses
aren't available this time of year, but you can look at catalogs and decide which ones you would like to purchase from
a local garden center.
Now is the time to take
inventory of your rose spays and replenish what is needed. Check your sprayer and do any repairs or replacements it
may need. Do your pruners need sharpening or replacement? It is best to do this now than to start work on your
roses in April and find out you need to rush out to purchase what is needed.
Plan ahead - it will keep you from getting behind!
