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Hailed as the Queen of Flowers by an ancient
Greek poetess, the rose is indeed an old favourite which has fossils dating
back to 32 million years.
The genus Rosa
has over a hundred and fifty species of wild roses which are mostly found in
temperate, sub-tropical and tropical regions of the northern hemisphere.
Some species also grow in South East Asia and other parts of the
world.
Roses are by habit
thorny shrubs, climbers or trailing plants.
The Rosa is a genus in the large family of Rosaceae which
includes many of our favourite fruits/nuts such as apples, pears, apricots,
almonds, plums, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, nectarines and peaches.
The early roses
introduced to this part of the world were brought by the British and these
days, rose plants are imported mainly from Holland, Malaysia and Thailand
while the cut flowers come mainly from India, Malaysia and China. The
captivating rose is the national flower of England and the United States.
As a herb the hips,
petals and leaves of roses have been used to treat many ailments such as
headaches, fevers, depression, gastritis, hormonal problems, insomnia, burns
and scalds and skin related problems. The rose oil contains
about three hundred chemical constituents of which so far only a hundred
have been identified. Rose hips
are very rich in Vitamin C which is so far the richest source from any
plant.
The rose plays
a very important part in the cut flower industry and various meanings are
attached to the multitude of colours available nowadays. Red:
love, respect Orange:
passion Yellow:
dying love, end of courtship Yellow with
red tips:
friendship blossoming into love Light
Pink:
lesser feelings of love Dark
pink/Peach:
gratitude, admiration Purple:
Paternal/Maternal love and protection White:
innocence, reverence, purity and humility
Growing Roses
Roses are
generally classified into the following groups:
Hybrid Tea
Roses can be either in bush or standard form.
They produce one to a stem roses with a scent very similar to
fresh tea leaves. Sometimes the
stems can bear several side buds which are usually trimmed off to allow the
main bud to become as big as possible.
They produce high pointed buds and bloom frequently.
They come in a large variety of colours and the flowers are suitable
for use as cut flowers. The
first hybrid tea was created sometime around 1867 and there are numerous
cultivars available today.
Floribunda
Roses are low shrubby plants which produce
clusters of smaller flowers which are normally not fragrant.
They bear their flowers on shorter stems and therefore are not
suitable as cut flowers, however, they make excellent plants in the garden
or landscape as they are one of the easiest roses to grow.
They were first created in the early 1900s and remain a favourite of
many gardeners to this day.
Grandiflora
Roses are somewhat a new addition to join the
classification of roses. They
are a cross between the Hybrid Teas and Floribundas and has the best traits
of both parents. The flowers of
the Grandiflora are big like the Hybrid Tea and are borne in clusters like
the Floribunda. These are low
growing plants which are suitable as colourful low hedges or bedding plants.
Miniature
Roses are anything between 3 inches to about 2
feet tall. They are suitable
for limited spaces because of their small size and make excellent container
plants. They can even be grown
indoors with proper plant lighting. They
are quite hardy and easy to handle.
Climber or
Ramblers are also one of the easiest roses to
grow. The Ramblers have long
pliable stems which bear large clusters of smaller flowers and the Climbers
have stiff stems which produce larger blooms.
The arching canes of these plants can be trained onto fences, arches,
trellises or any other support. They
produce abundant blooms and are also very hardy.
Shrub Roses
are very hardy as they are able to take on tough weather conditions and are
disease resistant. They make
charming bushes which produce the hips that attract birds to the garden.
These types of roses usually produce open faced flowers and are pollinated
by bees and other insects. Shrub
roses are best suited for a big garden.
Caring for
your roses
Light
Roses are outdoor
plants which thrive in full sunlight, good air circulation and rich,
well-drained soil. The
miniature varieties are usually satisfied with about 4 hours of sunshine in
order to produce flowers while their bigger cousins usually need a minimum
of 6 hours of direct sunlight. Still
it is best to avoid the scorching afternoon sun.
For areas which do not receive much sunlight, try the climbers or
ramblers which seem to tolerate lower light situations better.
Nutrients
Roses are
demanding plants when it comes to nutrients.
There are specially formulated ‘Rose Fertilizers’ and ‘Tomato
Fertilizers’ which are high in Potash are also suitable for roses.
You can also feed your roses bananas and banana skins which are rich
in calcium, magnesium, sulphur and phosphates.
Water
Roses are thirsty
plants which like to drink plenty of water but ensure that they are planted
in well drained soil. Roses
hate being planted in muddy or compacted soil.
The rose plant will develop long roots when it is forced to reach
deep into the soil for water. Water
early in the morning and avoid splashing the leaves with water if watering
them in the afternoon or evening which can spread disease.
Pruning
Roses, with the
exception of Miniature Roses, require heavy pruning in order to grow and
produce blooms. Deadheading/removal
of dead flower heads are very important in order for any flowering plant to
keep producing blooms. Shrub
roses can be pruned into hedges, topiaries and standards.
When cutting a dead branch, ensure that the newly cut stem displays a
fresh green look. In case it is
brown, cut down even further.
Propagating
Sowing seeds,
layering, budding and planting cuttings are some common methods by which
roses are propagated
Seeds:
Hybrids are not suitable for raising by seeds while miniature roses
can be easily raised from seeds. The
shrubs which produced open faced flowers are aided by insects for
pollination. The hips produced
by these shrubs are often eaten by birds and other animals which pass out
the seeds in their droppings. This
is a natural process by which roses multiply in the wild.
Budding:
This is used by commercial growers to obtain ‘fast plants’.
The selected variety is grafted onto a rootstock for quick growth.
This method requires the necessary skills and rootstock which may not
be easy for ordinary gardeners.
Cuttings:
By far the best method of propagation where roses are concerned
though Hybrid Teas are better suited to the Budding method.
i) Choose
a ripe young side shoot which is about the thickness of a pencil.
(If the thorns break off easily, this would indicate that the stem is
matured). Cut a length of about
4 to 6 inches at an angle. The
top cut should be just above a bud and the bottom end just below a bud.
2)
ii) Remove
the bottom leaves and thorns leaving the top two leaves.
Also remove 2/3 of the bottom thorns.
Dip the end of the stalk into water and then a rooting hormone.
Plant your cuttings into the soil and use one half of a recycled 1.5
litre soft drink bottle to cover the plant.
iii)
3)Place
your cuttings in a bright place away from direct sunlight.
It will take anything from 4 weeks or even 2 to 3 months for your
cuttings to start growing. During
this period when the plant is rooting, avoid over watering and in case any
buds appear, trim it off allowing the plant to use the nutrients to grow
stronger.
4)It
is advisable to take a few cuttings in case some are not successful.
iv)
5)Once
the cuttings are established, transplant them into bigger pots and give them
enough light and nutrients to grow into a healthy plant which yields
abundant blooms.
Pest Control
Even with sharp
thorns provided by nature, the beautiful rose is not always able to protect
itself from many pests and diseases. Some
of these situations are induced by people and the environment.
In order to enjoy healthy roses, choose pest resistant varieties and
ensure your roses are healthy and sufficiently fed, watered and given the
needed amount of light. An airy
spot and well drained soil are also important to the rose.
When pruning, use
clean and sterilized tools. Make
sharp cuts and avoid any stubs or blunt cuts.
These will be entry point for pests and diseases.
Over watering and
not giving your roses enough air circulation can cause fungal diseases.
Then again dry conditions will be a thriving ground for red spider
mites.
Fungal
Diseases which affect roses are powdery
mildew, rust and black spot. In
most cases, potash/nutrient shortage, wrong temperature and light can
contribute to this condition. Spray affected plants with an equal
portion of milk and water.
Pests Diseases
which affect roses are Thrips, Aphids, Caterpillar, Leaf Miner and Red
Spider Mite. Neem is safe and useful in controlling these and many
other plant diseases.
Virus attack
is also a common problem in roses. Do
not propagate infected plants and in the case of a virus attack it is best
to get rid of the plant. Virus
is characterized by distorted and shrivelled leaves.
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