BoomerGirl Diary

When I was a petulant high school student in NYC, my sweet Aunt Cecile lived upstate, in the country and grew the most spectacular English roses. My sisters and I would sigh loudly and roll our eyes, as she’d go on and on about her Wife of Bath and Heritage roses.

The payback for judging people is that someday you become just like them. Or worse.

I have developed a rose addiction and way less reasonable than my Aunt far more obsessive Cecile’s. And I am supremely confident I can bore the pants off of anyone willing to listen to me go on about my dearly loved David Austin rosebushes.

February is a great time to plant bare-root roses on the West Coast and there are so many inviting choices now available at the nurseries. Roses demand lots of sun and lots of fresh air, so make sure you choose a site with at least six hours of direct sun and some discernible air movement. Roses have a reputation of being H.M.-“high maintenance." But only if they are not treated right from the start. A shady or cramped location will only invite insects and diseases. Another prerequisite is good drainage. Adding organic materials such as compost or aged chicken or turkey manure to clay soil is a must. When planting a new bare-root rose, Award winning Rosarian, Rayford Reddell, suggests digging a hole 2 feet wide by 2 feet deep and adding in a cone of composted soil to spread the roots on to. In mild winter climates, have the bud union, the heart of the rose, sit 2 inches above soil level. (My rose comrades in chilly Vermont plant their roses with the bud union 2-3 inches below the soil level.) Fill the hole with water and soil, and place a mound of mulch around the newly planted rose.

Roses expend enormous energy in the production of growth and flowers and can exhaust soil nutrients quickly. Organic fertilizers work wonders and can be used safely through out the year. I usually wait until March to start feeding my rosebushes with shots of fish emulsion and Epsom salt and continue periodic feedings till October.

Here on the west coast, I usually prune my fifty rosebushes on New Years morning. Being out in the fresh air works wonders for a cheap-Champagne induced hangover. (For those of you in colder climates, wait till late March, or when you see some “budding eyes" on the canes, showing signs of growth. If you’re new to growing roses and not sure when to prune, check with your local garden nursery.)

Pruning roses helps speed up nature’s growth cycle. It permits good air circulation and allows the plant to concentrate its energy on the remaining healthy shoots. If time permits, two weeks before you prune, strip all the leaves off of your rosebushes gently. Cutting them off works better than stripping and pulling. This will signal the plant to rejuvenate the foliar process. You’ll also be able to see more clearly the "swollen red eye," where a flower will form. This is where you will make your cut.

Safety Note: Wear long gloves and don’t wear any shirt or jacket that you’re really fond of or you’ll be sorry ... Rose thorns take no prisoners.

The basic rule of thumb is this:

1. Remove any dead wood or old canes.

2. Next, cut out any weak, spindly or deformed growth.

3. Remove any canes growing toward the center of the bush. (Aim to form an urn shape.)

4. Remove any suckers. (Undesired skinny shoots that grow up near the bud union, usually a slightly different foliage color.)

5. With the remaining canes, shorten them by cutting them back by one third to one half of their original length, making sure to cut on a diagonal, a 1/4-inch above an outward-facing budding eye.

Severe pruning will produce fewer but showier blossoms. I like to prune moderately which means that each rosebush is left with five to 10 canes, about 24 inches high with airy space in the center of the bush.

If the idea of pruning your roses is making you nervous, I’ll let you in on a little Rosarian secret that should set you free. Recent pruning trials conducted by the Royal National Rose Society consistently showed that rough pruning with a hedge trimmer produced results just as good, or better, than traditional pruning methods. Carry on!