How much spring growth should I allow on my established roses before I begin my weekly spraying of fungicides? What about beginning newly planted bare roots on the fungicide regime?
Happy April! I'm so excited to kick off this month's theme: Spring Rose Care. Over the next few weeks, we're diving into everything you need to know to keep your roses healthy during the spring months. We'll cover fertilizer, pests, diseases, irrigation, and even planting potted roses. Let's make your garden the envy of the neighborhood!
To finish strong, we're talking about one of the most crucial (and often overlooked) steps in growing thriving roses—getting a soil test. If you've been around Menagerie for a while, you've probably heard me say this before, but the foundation of healthy, happy roses starts with understanding your soil. I do soil testing in multiple locations on the farm at least once yearly and more often if I am trying to correct a problem in a specific area of our production field.
Black spot is one of the most frustrating fungal diseases for rose growers, but it can be managed with a proactive approach. Prevention is key. The best way to handle black spot is to prevent it in the first place. I recommend choosing disease-resistant varieties whenever possible, planting in full sun to allow the leaves to dry quickly after rain or morning dew, pruning for airflow—good air circulation helps prevent fungal spores from thriving and watering at the base and avoid overhead watering.
Welcome to another week of my First Year Bare Root Rose Care series. So far, we've chatted about two super important topics: getting your fertilizing routine just right and tackling dieback. This week, we're diving into what to expect from your bare root rose during its first year in your garden. Spoiler alert: it's all about those roots!
Crown gall is a tough disease to manage because the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens persists in the soil for a long time. Since you didn't see any galls when planting, but they developed over the season, it's likely the bacterium was already present in the soil or introduced through a small wound on the roots. You can read more about what gall is is and how common it occurs in a past Q&A edition.
That's a fantastic question and one I'm often asked about, especially regarding chemicals used for dormant sprays. The answer isn't entirely straightforward—it depends on the specific products you're using. Here's a general breakdown: Liquid copper (copper fungicide) and horticultural oil can sometimes be mixed for dormant sprays, but ONLY if the product labels explicitly state they are compatible. Some copper formulations can react with oil, potentially causing phytotoxicity (leaf burn or bud damage). To minimize the risk if you aren't sure if more than one product can be tank mixed together, many growers apply copper first, allow it to dry and then follow up with horticultural oil a few days later.
A new month means a new newsletter theme, and I'm so excited to focus on first-year bare root rose care. Spring has arrived, and the farm is coming to life with warmer temperatures. This week hit a delightful 75 degrees! Our newly planted bare root roses are thriving, showing over two inches of fresh leaf growth in just a few days. It's shaping up to be an exciting season for roses, and we're ready to hit the ground running!
In the first year, pruning should be minimal to allow climbing roses to establish strong roots. (For more information on pruning hybrid tea, grandiflora, floribunda and English roses you can catch up on last week's newsletter main feature.) Only remove dead or damaged canes and focus on training rather than cutting, guiding new canes horizontally along the deer fence to encourage lateral shoots and increased flowering.
Welcome to the final week of our dormant pruning theme. We're wrapping it all up with one crucial step you don't want to miss—applying your dormant spray. Trust me, this isn't just an optional task; it's a must do for beautiful in-season blooms. I learned this the hard way one season when I didn't spray a section in my rose field because we had very late wet winter storms and it was too muddy to get in the field. The result? Families of aphids and thrips came alive, wreaking havoc! Trust me when I say—your future self (and your roses) will thank you for not missing your dormant spray applications.
Proper pruning sets your climbing roses up for a season of strong growth and beautiful blooms. Take the time to shape and train them when you prune, and you'll be rewarded with a stunning floral display in the summer months!
This week, I'm sharing my proven method for dormant pruning—the 5 Ds of Dormant Pruning—designed for hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, and English roses. Most home gardeners and flower farmers grow these common varieties, and this simple method works beautifully for nearly all roses in your yard. Avoid using this method for climbing, once-blooming, or shrub roses, as they require additional steps and special considerations when pruning. Grab my FREE printable Dormant Pruning Guide to take with you to the garden.
Pruning isn't just about making cuts—it's about making the right cuts with the right tools. The proper equipment can make all the difference, improving efficiency, precision and plant health while making the task far less labor-intensive. High-quality, ergonomic tools not only reduce strain on your hands but also ensure cleaner cuts that promote faster, healthier healing for your plants. Over the years, I've tested dozens of tools, and trust me—when you're pruning thousands of roses, you quickly learn the value of investing in the best. The right tools don't just make the job easier; they make it enjoyable. I've curated a list of my favorite, tried-and-true workhorses, and I'm sharing them with you today.
Pruning is like giving your roses a rejuvenating spa treatment. By trimming away the old and dead parts, you revitalize your plants, creating room for fresh, vibrant growth in the spring. Dormant pruning is essential to perform once a year for maintaining healthy, productive roses by removing weak, dead, or diseased wood, allowing the plant to direct energy toward vigorous new growth.
We are experiencing some severe below zero temps this week here in Montana. Our winters are harsh and no fun. This is my last Montana winter hopefully. I have 60 potted roses and put them all under cover in sheds. The leaves are crunchy. They are in pots to take when I move. Will they survive?
In USDA Zone 6a/5b, providing winter protection for roses, while a time consuming task, is usually necessary to maintain their health and ensure plant viability in the following year. Grafted roses are especially vulnerable to winter damage because the graft union is sensitive to freezing temperatures. (Learn more about the difference between frost & freezing.) These types of roses are more likely to experience dieback of the top stock, making winterizing a critical step for their survival to remain true to variety. Mounding soil or compost around the base of these roses and covering with an additional layer of mulch, such as straw or shredded leaves, provides insulation and safeguards the graft union. Burlap wrapping can further protect individual plants from harsh winds, but this method, as you mentioned can be labor-intensive when managing a large number of roses.
The best time to transplant your rose in Zone 8b is during its dormant season, typically early winter (after the first frost but before any heavy freezes) so right now through the end of February is the perfect time for you. (If you're in a colder climate I wrote a few transplanting tips in a previous issue.) Since your rose was bare root planted two years ago, it should be well-established and can handle the move as long as you take care to preserve its root system.
Happy New Year and welcome to the first newsletter of 2025! I'm so excited to kick off another year of growing with YOU. As we step into this fresh chapter, it's the perfect opportunity to cultivate one or two meaningful habits that will help you care for your roses. My guiding word for the year—both for Menagerie the company and myself personally—is consistency. Rather than chasing drastic changes, I'm focusing on steadily maintaining the foundational habits to help everything flourish. These small but essential actions, like daily exercise, my Sunday evening self-care facials, or simply deadheading roses in our family garden every week, are the building blocks to making successful progress.
What exactly is gall in roses, and is there a chance that some bare root roses we have purchased from online nurseries are infected with it? It seems to be a hot topic on rose Facebook groups periodically, and I don't know if I have ever actually checked for it when I receive my bare roots. FB groups act as if it is the dreaded leprosy of roses...is it something to be really worried about, and if it is, what is the action plan for an avid rose grower?
In Zone 5, where winters are colder, the best time to move established roses is in early spring, just before new growth starts, or in late fall, after the first frost (but before hard freeze) when the plant is dormant. This timing minimizes stress since the plant isn't actively growing, making it easier to handle the roots.
Now that we've tackled insect and disease care, let's explore the final step in a good fall clean-up - the essentials of fall shape pruning and tidying up your rose beds. This last stage will ensure your roses are primed for a winter nap and a successful spring!
As a best practice, we recommend planting your bare root rose as soon as you receive it. However, as we all know, sometimes life throws other plans our way! Keep reading to learn the proper steps for storing your rose if you can’t get it in the ground right away.
