Rose Pruning: When, Where and How

Pruning roses can be quite a controversial topic. Everyone seems to have a different opinion. Some even feel it is not necessary to prune rose plants at all-just let nature takes care of things. While this may work, pruning your roses in a more controlled manner will give you much nicer roses.

Become familiar with your variety of roses and what works best for them, get the right equipment and prepare to get your rose plants in top condition for good health and
beauty.

When is the Best Time?

Many people opt to prune their rose plants in the winter. Others just do enough to fit the protective coverings over them and then wait until the spring to do the heavy pruning. Either way, it is best to prune your rose plants while they are dormant.

The key to pruning roses is to remove the dead canes. Sometimes it is hard to determine if a brown cane is dead or not. Start by cutting at the tips, a few inches at a time. Keep cutting until the center of the cane looks white instead of brown. The white indicates life. After removing the dead canes, try to work o­n the shape by cutting all canes back to about 18 inches. You also want to remove any twiggy, dense growth as well as canes that cross and rub against each other. Your goal in pruning should be to regain a compact shape in the plant and also to open up the center to allow sunlight and air circulation to reach themiddle of the plant.

Where o­n the Cane do I Cut?

In addition to knowing what to prune off, you need to know where to prune. If you are cutting a cane back partway, cut it back to an outward-facing dormant bud. Look at your
plant. Notice that a number of leaflets make up each leaf. It is always an odd number. If you cut the stem just above one of the leaves, a bud will soon appear where that leaf joins the main stem. Look for outward facing leaves. If you cut there, the bud and the new branch that will develop will also be outward facing. When cutting roses to take indoors, also cut back to a leaf with five leaflets facing outward.

How Do I Make the Cut?

Now that you know what to cut and where to cut, you need to
know how to cut. Always make your cuts o­n a slant. This
will encourage the water to drain off the cut. You will
need to coat large cuts with a commercial plant wound
sealer. Shellac or nail polish can also work to coat a
large cut.

Is Deadheading Worth It?

Deadheading your rose plants is well worth the effort. This
task can extend your blooming season. To deadhead your
plant, cut back a branch to an outward-facing bud that is
above five leaflets. You can also enhance the looks of your
rose plants by removing faded blooms. Remove them even if
there are other buds in a cluster still producing flowers.

Tool’s for the Job

When pruning your rose plants, use quality tools with sharp
blades. Depending o­n the size of your rose plant, you will
need a hand pruner, such as the Heavy Duty Rose Pruner
(catalog no. HP-120DX) and/or a long-handled lopper, such
as the 17-inch Lopping Shears with 1.3-inch cutting
capacity (catalog no. LP-LP10). Always wear gloves to
protect your hands from the sharp thorns.

Always choose professional-quality ARS products from
Orchard’s EDGE for all of your pruning projects. Orchard’s
EDGE will give you a sharp blade to avoid ragged or torn
bark. ARS tools are well known in the horticulture
industry. No manufacturer can match the ARS Marquench-
hardened steel blades that are hard chrome-plated for extra
toughness and rust resistance. Making cutting tools in
Japan since 1876, ARS is the leader in ultimate cutting
performance.

More Resources from Orchard’s Edge:

For more information o­n pruning roses, check out our other
articles o­n this topic: “Pruning Roses,” and “Ten
Principles of Rose Pruning.”

To get your rose plants in the best condition to produce
beautiful flowers, determine when the plant is dormant.
Always make slanted cuts above a five-leaflet outward
facing leaf. Deadhead the plants to extend their blooming
season. Arm yourself with the proper, quality tools, and
you’re o­n your way to a great rose season!

Kay DiVerde is a freelance writer, horticultural researcher
and consultant for Orchard’s Edge. DiVerde also writes for
a variety of newsletters and publications in the Midwest.

by Kay DiVerde
http://www.orchardsedge.com/
This article courtesy of http://www.premroses.com.
You may freely reprint this article o­n your website or in
your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author
name and URL remain intact.

Written by Bobbie on January 16th, 2006 with 1 comment.
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Soft Sculpture Calla Lilies

These beautiful blooms can be yours all year long with our easy fabric sculpture. Calla lilies are one of the most elegant, colorful flowers in the garden. They come in flame red, bright yellow, vivid purple, pale cream or delicate pink. Please read all directions thoroughly before beginning this project.

SUPPLIES FOR THIS PROJECT:
Scraps of flat fleece for blooms
Scraps of fabric for blooms
Various green fabrics for stems and leaves
Matching thread for flowers.
Florist wire for stems and leaves
Fabric glue that dries clear
Short jar
Marbles or shiny stones
FABRICS THAT WORK WELL FOR YOUR BOUQUET:

Velvet, taffeta, satin or even polished cottons.
Once you have made a few of these, you will come up with your own beautiful combinations.

CUTTING FLOWERS:

There are two sizes of flowers in this project. The larger o­ne is a shape 5″ high and 4″ wide approx. The smaller o­ne is a shape 4″ high and 3″ wide approx. The shape is rather oval with a tapered top. There is no hard, fast rules or measurements for this. Mother Nature doesn’t make two exactly alike.

For each flower cut two pieces of fabric and o­ne piece of fleece the size you wish to make. Our illustration shows o­ne large and two smaller flowers.

CUTTING LEAVES:

Leaves are cut from various dark and light solid co or fabrics. Large leaves are 10″ long and 3″ wide at the bottom. Small leaves are about 7″ long and 2″ wide at the bottom. See picture for shape.

SEWING FLOWERS:
Sew one large fleece shape to wrong side of o­ne large flower fabric shape.
With right sides together, sew to another large fabric shape, leaving bottom edge open to turn.
Trim seal allowances to 1/4″ and turn right side out.
Turn seam allowance in along opening and finger press.
Do NOT stitch bottom closed.
Repeat these steps for all flowers.

STEMS:
Stems can be any length from 8″ to 4″. The choice is yours.
Cut two pieces of florist wire for each stem and twist together.
Wrap 1″ strip of green fabric very tightly around wires for each stem.
Secure each end of stems with fabric glue and let dry.
LEAVES:
With right sides together stitch leaf pieces.
Trim seam allowances and turn right side out.
Do NOT stitch bottom edge closed.
Repeat these steps for all leaves.
Cut floral wire twice the length of each leaf.
Fold in half, twist together and insert into each leaf.
Cut off excess wire if need be.
Do NOT stitch bottom edge closed.
Set aside

Insert wrapped stems into flowers thru open edge.
Pinch flower around stem and stitch together using tiny stitches and matching thread.
Repeat this with each flower.
FINISHING TOUCHES:
Find a short vase or jar to arrange your soft sculpture bouquet.
Mine was o­nly about 4″ tall.
Fill bottom half with shiny stones or marbles.
Arrange your bouquet to suit your taste.
You can glue the blooms and leaves to the bottom of the jar if you prefer.

Mary Wilkins
sewwhatsnew@hfx.eastlink.ca

Sew Whats New
http://sew-whats-new.com

Written by Bobbie on January 16th, 2006 with comments disabled.
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Tuberous Begonias

If you appreciate plants that have no hesitation in boldly stating their presence with huge, almost artificially perfect flowers, then tuberous begonias are for you. While some may find them rather too overstated, downright brazen even, if you like colour, and plenty of it, with subtlety an option rather than compulsory, then look no further.

Flowering from late spring, as the days exceed 13 hours long, until well into autumn when the foliage dies back, these tuberous-rooted perennials have been extensively hybridised and refined to the point where the larger-flowered forms are nothing short of spectacular. For those with greenhouses or a very mild winter climate there are even types that flower well into winter, if not right through the cooler months.

Description and classification and groups
Begonias are among those convenient plants where the proper name is also the common name. The genus is found in the tropics and subtropics, particularly in the Americas, and is made up of around 900 species with 130-odd in cultivation, from which many cultivars and hybrids have been developed. These garden forms have been divided into 8 main categories. They are:
1. Cane-like, which have narrow, upright stems with conspicuous leaf nodes and evergreen foliage.

2. Shrub-like, which are bushy plants with branching stems.

3. Thick-stemmed, which resemble the cane-like but with much heavier stems that sometimes form a trunk.

4. Semperflorens, which are the fibrous rooted types usually treated as summer-flowering bedding annuals.

5. Rhizomatous, which may be evergreen or deciduous and which are often grown as much for their foliage as for their flowers.

6. Rex-cultorum, which are the fancy-leaved Rex begonias that are usually grown as house plants.

7. Tuberous, which have thickened tuberous roots and which usually die back over winter or, in the case of the winter-flowering types, which may be dried off at some other time.

8. Trailing Scandent, which are pendulous, ever-blooming plants often with long internodes and which should not be confused with the trailing tuberous begonias.

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Written by Bobbie on January 16th, 2006 with comments disabled.
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Orchids

There is a general misunderstanding about orchids that they grow with much difficulty. Some even hold that they bloom o­nly in near greenhouse conditions. But this is not a fact as many types of orchids can flourish even in an ordinary environment, provided the essentials are religiously followed.

So it is not condition that is crucial but the extent of care that needs to be higher. With suitable standards of care orchids may grow as indoor window plants.

The Orchidaceae family is a large family that has nearly 750 genera, about 2000 species. More over there are some thousand species that are artificially made hybrids. These are divided in two types, terrestrial and epiphytic, the former grow o­n the ground while the later cling to rocks, trees or shrubs. Most of them are terrestrial.

Like most terrestrial plants the terrestrial orchids also have thick and fleshy roots with fine fibrous roots connected to them. They provide nutrient food to the plant. As against this epiphytic orchids also have aerial roots along with the base root. These aerial roots help them climb and creep along a reasonably damp surface. These roots are cylindrical and thick.

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Written by Bobbie on January 13th, 2006 with comments disabled.
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Daphnes for Scent and Colour

Anyone with even a passing knowledge of plants knows that daphnes have wonderfully fragrant flowers. And because some of them - usually the most scented - flower in winter, they’re the sort of must-have plants that are usually among the first planted in any new garden.

There are around 50 species of Daphne, many of which are choice garden specimens. They are widespread lot, ranging from Europe and North Africa to temperate and subtropical Asia. Most of them are evergreen or nearly so, but a few are deciduous, often flowering before the foliage expands.

The plant everyone calls daphne is Daphne odora, particularly the cultivar ‘Leucantha’ , which is often misspelt ‘Leucanthe’ . This shrub, a native of China and Japan, sells in vast numbers, mainly o­n the strength of its perfume, but also because it’s a reasonably hardy evergreen bush. It grows to around 1.5m tall with leathery, deep green leaves up to 80mm long. From mid-winter o­n into spring it produces clusters of small, starry, pale pink flowers. Several flower and foliage forms are available and the variety with yellow-edged leaves, ‘Variegata’ (sometimes called ‘Aureomarginata’ ), is often hardier and easier to grow than the species.

Daphne odora can be quite particular about soil conditions and is slightly frost tender in cold winter areas. It does best in cool, moist, humus enriched, well-drained, acid soil in sun or light shade. Work in plenty of compost or similar organic matter - it’s impossible to use too much - and feed regularly with liquid fertilisers and an occasional side dressing of acid fertiliser. Kept healthy, D. odora develops quickly and is attractive even without flowers, but it isn’t a long-lived bush. You can expect to have to replace it at least every 8-10 years.

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Written by Bobbie on January 13th, 2006 with comments disabled.
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