, 1961-02-09
Virgin Islonds Agricultural Progrum News
GROWING ROSES IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

The growing of roses under tropical conditions at low elevations,
in these islands, is not the same as growing them in cooler areas.
The great majority of rose varieties that one sees advertised in nur-
sery catalogs have been bred for relatively cold climates, and most
Of them fail to prosper down here. On the other hand, there are
roses that are well adapted to our climate. They can be seen grow
ing in numerous flower gardens and their propagation is usually a
simple matter of starting cuttings or slips" as we say here.
The types of roses that do well in these parts are. for the most
part, the China and Tea roses and some of their hybrids. The China
and Tea roses were brought to Europe about 1900 from the India
China-Burma area. They differ from the Winter-hardy European rose
in being evergreens and in not wuhstandng cold weather. The China
and Tea roses are also practically ever-booming, while the pure
European rose blooms only in the spring.
When a winter-hardy rose (Which needs a dormant or rest period
every season. is planted in a warm climate, the plant sheds its leaves
on schedule with the coming of the cooler months, but it promptly
puts out new leaves and tries to bloom again. This causes lit to. use
up its food reserves faster than it can replace them, and the plant
eventually dies. The leaves of a plant manufacture all the food for
the entire plant; but the leaves OF a W1nter-hardy rose plant and
those of an evergreen rose from a warm climate are quite different
in one important respect. Richard Thomson in THE BERMUDA GAR
DEN on page rs writes as follows: Whereas wnter-hardy rose
foliage contains no reserve of plant food inherent in the leaves, the
leaves Of the Tea and China rose contain stored food for the plant.
Foliage Of the true Tea type, for example, will grow larger and
thicker as it grows older, and will, if allowed to remain. ultimately
reach a size many times larger than the leaves of hard roses, This
gives such a leaf a particular resistance to fungi of the black spot
type, since it never reaches the oldeage' stage of the hardy rose leaf
The rose varieties adapted to the cold north however, will gen
orally bloom well here for one year, and, II treated with great care
may even last a little longer; but if you want your roses to bloom
for you year after year, you must have varieties adapted to our eli
mate. You should use varieties known to do well here: the pure Tea
and China types, and hybrids that retain the evergreen characters
tics of the Teas and Chinas. There are publications of moderate cost,
dealing with tropical horticulture, that include lists OF rose varieties
adapted to warm climates, and these should be consulted
Roses here are perhaps most conveniently raised in five gallon Or
larger containers. In this fashion nearly all of the proper growing
conditions required for roses such as good drainage, heavy loamy
soil with high content Of organic matter. shelter from strong winds
and avoidance of competition with tree roots may pc readlIy pro-
yided. In addition, water used on ported plants 60 much farther than
if the plants were growing directly in the soil Pests and diseases are
not difficult to control on roses in the tropics if the required pesti-
cides are used and the plants kept in q strong healthy condition