Train your rose bush 調教灌木玫瑰
Last year it produced over 2,500 roses! Yes, I have counted them!
In 2011, counted over 1,750 roses.
Over1,250 roses in 2010… And yes this rose needed structure to support flowers weight.
The training is getting better in 2008– over 550 roses!
First training year 2006– you can see it was not as big and as many roses then.
Rose spikes– my ‘secret weapon’!
1.Plant in a sunny spot with good size area for growing bigger.
2.Apply fermented sheep/cow manure about 1″ on the ground after snow is melt around end of March/April. This stuff will be working about 4-6 weeks. This way manure will have no smell when they form buds when you sit outside to appreciate roses. 🙂
3.One month after applying manure, pound rose spikes into ground, distance is approx. 1′ away from stems, surround the plant. Rain or watering will dissolve these. It is slow release fertilizer so you do not need more fertilization after this. The reason to use this is that these spikes are quite effective and no odour.
4.Pruning. I normally prune heavily right after major blooming and before frost/snow. Keep the thick main stems but prune away the dead, weak twigs, do not over prune. This allows healthy thick twigs to bear more flower buds in late spring.
5.Add steady support structure if needed. When rose bush has way too many flowers, it gets quite heavy especially with dew or rain drops. I had to build a steady structure with re-bars and long stakes.
6.Pest control: I use praying mantis for natural pest control. I normally buy mantis egg cases and hang them among the rose twigs. When temperature is suitable, they will hatch and clean the bugs for me! If you are already seeing pest damage among your roses, you might want to keep the egg cases by the window indoors so they will hatch a bit faster…just check the egg cases every day and release them to garden as soon as they are out!
調教灌木玫瑰
這棵是我們買房子時就有的,當時是種在前院,長的不好因為從沒修剪過也沒被澆過水…看到時只有2根徒長的莖和可憐兮兮的幾朵花,就下定決心將它移植到後院.
移植開挖時發現它的根長到3呎多快4呎深,一看就知道是沒被澆過水所以必須自己找水喝的結果…大修剪後種下,立刻澆水,每2週施薄肥直到生機盎然…
1.必須種植在全日照通風處. 最好自己一區且要預留可繼續長大長高的空間.
2.正式訓練是在2008. 初春雪融後立刻下發酵後的牛/羊糞肥約2-3公分厚在表土上,這個約在6星期會被它吸收利用…
3.下了發酵過的糞肥後約一個月要釘4根玫瑰花專用的肥料棒. 我通常將肥料棒對折後在主幹外圍約1呎處均勻釘8處釘到土裡. 澆水時這種肥料棒會慢慢化掉被它吸收利用. 這種肥料棒一包10根. 氮-磷-鉀的比例為:9-12-9
4.修剪.我通常一年大修剪2次. 1次在盛開後,1次在霜降/下雪前.
5.加支架支撐花的重量. 2010的花量達1250+你可以看到花量多重量太重了枝條都撐不住低頭了…2012的花量破2000! 加了3D井字型支架幫忙支撐.
6.害蟲防治. 我是買螳螂泡巢,掛在玫瑰枝條上,溫暖了它們就會自動孵化,清光可獵食的小昆蟲. 若蟲害發生的早,可以把泡巢帶進靠窗處孵會早點孵化. 不過要天天檢查,一旦孵化了要趕快帶到花園裡去野放.
My Food And Flowers 