Evening star., 1939-07-29
More About Rose Care
Watering Important Due to Plant
Absorbing Food in Liquid Form

1t has been said that to have fine
roses in June requires little effort
on the part of the gardener, but to
have roses in the fall fine enough
for the exhibition table proves his
skill. There may be some truth in
the statement, though many will
disagree. Certainly in the Wash
ington area the fall roses as a rule
are superior to the June flowers in
color and size, the quantity only
being less, but just as surely as you
can have roses in the spring with
out much ado, so you can have roses
in the fall without much bother. But
here Is where the rub comes in, II you
expect to win prizes at the show it
does not do to let things slide.
Watering Is important. Because
plants absorb their food in liquid
form, sufficient moisture in the
ground is of vital Importance to
healthy, uninterrupted growth;
therefore, if precipitation is scant
at any time, artificial watering must
be resorted to. Such watering to
be of value should be done thorough
ly and not oftener than once a
week. The soil about the roses
should be soaked to a depth of 6
inches at least. If the ground Is
so hard that the water does not
seep down quickly it should be
loosened before watering with a
fork or a cultivator as deeply as
possible without disturbing the roots.
Sprinkling roses is not generally
recommended, because fungus
spores, if present, are spread by this
method, but if sprinkler is used it
should be left in place at least one
hour to insure thorough soaking.
Such sprinkling should be done dur
ing the day, stopping early enough
IN the afternoon to allow the foliage
to dry before night. The best way,
however, is to allow the water to run
slowly from the hose directly onto
the bed surface, moving the hose
just fast enough to prevent any
runoff.
Liberal fertilizing pays. 1t is pos
sible to apply fertilizers once a year,
generally in spring, so that ordinary
needs are covered for the whole sea-
son; but the man or woman who
aspires to take the honors at the fall
show will not be satisfied with aver
age results.
Fertilizers used during the sum-
mer up to the middle of August
should be we'll balanced in the three
main elements-nitrogen, phosphorus
and potash. 1t is not advisable to
feed later than August, though an
application of potash or fertilizer
with a high potash content might
assist the roses in proper ripening,
thus giving them a better chance to
withstand the vagaries of winter.
Two applications of fertilizer
4-8-4 or similar analyses (equal
value), should be sufficient to carry
the plants through. to fall in fine
shape. Weigh or measure q quart
is about equal to pounds) 4 pounds
OF whichever material you elect to
use and spread it as evenly as pos
slble over each 100 square feet of
bed surface, or use about one table,
spoonful to each plant. Mix the fer
tilizer with the soil by raking, hoeing
or cultivating lightly and follow up
with thorough watering unless q
heavy rain is in prospect. At least
four weeks should elapse between
the two applications. If it is not
possible to water, it is safer to fer
tilize after rain rather than before.
1t should never be done during a
rain.
1t should hardly be necessary to
mention that frequent cultivation is
of value, not only to control weeds,
but to keep a loose surface which
readily allows water to soak into the
ground, whether it comes as heavy
shower, a gentle rain or directly
from the hose. In addition, culti-
vation is a valuable aid in aeration
Of the soil. However, cultivation or
hoeing, if distasteful to the gar
dener, can largely be avoided by
using a mulch. Mulches are of
various kinds and are used for vari-