How to grow roses that make the cut
STEVE KAWARATANI
“Why is it no one ever sent me... one perfect rose?”
--Dorothy Parker
“The essence of romantic love is the never-ending, wonderful
beginning...”
--with apologies to
Anita Brookner
The quest for perfect roses in your garden begins with the major
rose-pruning events that occur during the summer, like
flower-cutting, deadheading, grooming and disbudding.
Although the initial cost may seem a bit extravagant, I absolutely
recommend the Felco line of pruning shears. Not only are they the
finest available, one pair will last a lifetime. Catharine has used
her same pair of Felco #4’s for well over a decade, changing only its
blades after they have worn out.
Cutting flowers is probably the most enjoyable summer pruning job.
After all, many of us grow roses so they may be appreciated indoors.
Those flowers that don’t make it indoors should be deadheaded. Remove
flowers as soon as they have faded and the petals are about to fall.
It prompts the rose toward developing additional flowers, instead of
ripening seeds.
Catharine asks, “Where should you make the cut when you remove
flowers?” I reply that rose leaves are compound, meaning they are
composed of leaflets, and there is always an odd number of leaflets
to one leaf. The general rule is to cut just above an outward facing
leaf with 5 leaflets. Cut higher at a 3-leaf set and the subsequent
growth will be weaker and produce smaller flowers. And if you cut
lower at a 7-leaf set, you’ll be removing a lot of stem.
Cutting at the proper 5-leaflet site will be about halfway down
the flower stem. At this point the rose will have the optimum
strength to develop its best flower and remain attractively bushy.
Take the opportunity to remove unwanted growth from dieback (stems
which die in a downward direction from improper pruning) and blind
growth (stems which continue to develop without producing buds).
Many rosarians recommend grooming on a constant basis during
summer pruning. Grooming consists of removing all yellow leaves and
spindly growth from a rose. Clean up any fallen flower petals and
foliage from the ground to minimize future insect and disease
problems.
Disbudding is the way to develop full-sized flowers, one to a
stem, from roses that usually flower in clusters.
Some of the grandiflora and hybrid teas produce large flowers in
such tight clusters that none can open properly. This can be avoided
by removing side buds from the dominant, central bud.
I recall my first date with Catharine. I wondered, should I buy a
rose from the Black Iris, take gummy bears, or simply show up
empty-handed? With little time remaining, I spotted its perfect form
on my deck: an Angel Face, soft and mauve, possessing a delightful
fragrance, but not too sweet. My hand lovingly guided my Felco
pruners and I made my way to Catharine’s home with a single rose (she
was promptly 45 minutes late).
The rest, as they say, is history. See you next time.
* Steve Kawaratani can be reached at Landscapes by Laguna Nursery,
1278 Glenneyre #49, Laguna Beach, CA 92651; phone (949) 497-2438; fax
(949) 494-9327.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.