Consulting Rosarian Report 
July  2010

By Kathy Guthrie

Here it is, July, and we are all supposed to be saying "Summer at last!" Well, what happened? As a native San Franciscan, , I certainly remember many "cold and foggy summers in San Francisco". With our non-existent cold Spring, one would expect that summer is coming soon. According to the TV News today, 2010 is becoming the coolest Summer on record here for 10 years. All of this weather change makes it even more important than ever that you keep an eye on your rose bushes to keep them disease and insect free, and provide you with the maximum number of blooms and enjoyment. 

From now until the end of the year, plan for your new rose additions for next year by observing what roses you really enjoy now during blooming time, see at rose shows, in a friend's garden or a public garden. Write down these names. Evaluate what is doing well, or is not, in your garden. Save your list until November. Several nurseries will have discounts on roses ordered then. Regan Rose Nursery usually has roses at 50% off during the month of October, which have been growing in peat pots all season. They always have a HUGE inventory. It is right across the San Mateo bridge, and well worth the trip. 

How much, and when, you water your roses is the difference between beautiful summer blooms, or a constant battle with insects, diseases, and dropping leaves. We all have different microclimates, but I have found that the following applies: 

 1. It is just about impossible to overwater your roses in summer. Roses LOVE water, and how much you give them has a lot to do with how high a water bill you find acceptable. If your rose beds were prepared properly in the Spring, you should have some kind of mulch covering your soil. This will help keep the soil temperature even, cut down on watering, and prevent weeds It is not too late to add additional mulch if you have not done so. 

 2. WHEN you water is important - early morning is best to prevent mildew. Watering in the evening, with leaves sitting wet all night with our cool Bay Area nights encourages mildew, which will spread quickly on a damp bush. Mildew can be prevented by spraying with a product such as Ortho Rose Pride Disease Control (formerly Funginex) with the active ingredient Triforene. If you water, and spray in the morning, roses have all day to dry off. Once mildew is visible, pick off the diseases leaves, and change your watering habits immediately. Try to choose disease resistant varieties that will do well in the Bay Area. In July,also remove any yellowing leaves that have rust, blackspot, or are just "finished". Make sure that Drip System emitters are not clogged, so that each of your rose bushes is getting adequate water. 

3.  Watch for insects , such as spider mites, leaf cutting bees (holes in the leaves) and other sucking and chewing insects. It may be necessary to spray for these also. Whether you use insecticidal soaps, products such as Isotox, or other methods, be sure to check bushes regularly. Having a small spray bottle or can of these products is handy if you just see a few insects, and do not want to spray your whole garden. Keep up on removing spent blooms (deadheading) to encourage new roses on the bush.

4. Most importantly, enjoy your roses, and time spent in the garden. I recently added a new automatic hose winder to my garden. What a great product! If you are tired of fighting kinked up hoses, dragging them back and rewinding them, tripping over a hose while you are looking at something else, or just having the garden look much neater, than this is the item for you! No electricity or batteries are needed Just reel out the hose, use it, and then walk over and flip to the rewind lever. Using the water pressure in the hose, it neatly rewinds itself into its own neat box near the faucet outlet. Costso, Home Depot and Lowe's have them. Great for older people, the lazy, and ME1 It is about twice the price of a regular hose reel, and worth every penny! 

Have a rosy good summer...