Just Sprayed My Roses

[Vagus]

I used to wonder why people bothered having roses in their garden but over the last few years have changed my mind. For very little attention (I used to think they needed a LOT of attention and that’s what put me off) they produce so many colourful blooms for months.
We already had four in a border in the front garden and now have seven more in a new border we created recently. We also have two either side of steps leading to the sunken garden in the back, and a climbing one at the side of the pergola.
I have some granular rose food for them, and even bought a large spray thing to spray for greenfly, etc., which is what I’ve just done.
Am I now old?? Does anyone else love roses????

[Prudie]

I do but although I'm green fingered I'm never good with roses. Where I live they get covered in blackspot and the the leaves turn manky from the word go even though I spray them. That's my worst issue with roses.

[Hopkirk]

My Dad used to grow a lot of roses.
He used to take a special pleasure in cutting a small vaseful on Christmas Day.

[MissTerious2]

I like roses, but our soil doesnt. I like the climbers and ramblerst grow through trees, up walls etc. So we have quite a few. We have a large wild garden with no flower beds as such, but lots of trees and shrubs, bulbs and wild flowers We do have tubs with flowers in the back bit around the patio. I really dont like roses in vases.

[bhg481]

We like roses and, living on a corner plot, have a lot of them. I noticed when we went out yesterday that they're getting greenfly so next windless morning I'll be out there spraying. I've already fed them.

[Vagus]

A couple of mine have white areas on the leaves, Prudie, so far no black spot though.
That’s a lovely way of keeping the very last roses going a bit longer Hopkirk, I only cut an occasional bloom when it’s at the very end of the season and looks like it won’t survive outside.
I gave up on tubs years ago MissT, they became a huge nuisance to water when we started travelling a fair bit, same with house plants, I don’t have any.
The only bedding plants I shove in are hardy geraniums which give a lovely show and don’t need much water once they’re established.

[rockyracoon]

What do you spray on them and does it work.
I have a lovely rose bush that produces and abundance of flowers all the way through summer and gives me no problems at all, a leggy pink one which is the same. Then, I have 3 miniature ones that give me grief with green fly and black spot. I think I need to give up on them.

[Vagus]

bhg, it’s windless here at the moment, and the instructions for spraying said to do it early morning before the bees are out and about. This new sprayer thingy is great, less than a tenner from Wicks, saves a lot of effort, wish I’d got one ages ago. I also fed mine recently.

[bhg481]

I spray with Roseclear and it works very well; it needs doing every few weeks in the season. Some varieties of rose are more disease-resistant than others.

[MissTerious2]

Vagus. I agree tubs can be a nuisance, but i dont get out very often in our wilderness these days and i can sit in the conservstory and look out on them. Mr T plants them up. Not his thing really!! Hed rather be out there with a chainsaw and his woodpile!

[bhg481]

Vagus - that's why I specified next windless morning. It's not too bad here today but we had our Covid boosters booked for this morning so didn't want to get involved with the roses today.

[Vagus]

Yep, I use roseclear too. This new sprayer is 2 and a half litres capacity so a couple of caps full and fill it to 2 litres with water and it’s done all the roses with some left over.
I’m looking forward to these new roses flowering, particularly one of them which is supposed to be blue, I think it’ll be more like a blueish purple though.
Pots do look lovely, I used to do loads of them but life changes.
Hope your jab goes well bhg, with no after effects.

[MissTerious2]

I've postponed our jabs until May. I really didn't want to take the chance of having one two days before my birthday. I'm a bit reluctant now. I'm still not that well and worried about side effects on top of everything else. Weve actually b
Got a nice day planned for my birthday with a meal out and then down to the coast. Fingers crossed for that!

[bhg481]

I have a 5 litre sprayer and fill it right up to the safety valve ie about 6 litres, and then it just does ours.
The Covid jab was interesting; we expected the surgery car park to be full so parked nearby and walked the 300 yards only to find the car park all but empty. Jab was painless, as usual, and so far no side-effects.

[Vagus]

I wish I could have another jab but I’m not old enough to qualify, and not on steroids at the moment either.
Good idea to postpone yours for a week or two, MissT, to be ok for your planned birthday treat.
Fingers crossed you don’t have any side effects, bhg :)

[bhg481]

We noticed we didn't get a card with the vaccine batch on it with this booster; for the initial jab and the previous boosters we got a card that we keep with us. Perhaps now that there is only one booster just knowing you've had it is sufficient ie, if there are side effects they don't need to know which manufacturer caused it.

[Old_Geezer]

Had a lot of roses when I was a child. Bought from Woolworth mainly. Coincidentally now have a place with lots of roses, and I've near doubled the quantity since I've been there. Well; there were gaps to fill. They can take attention, clearing surrounds, treating blackspot, pruning where it needs it, spraying aphids, etc.. But one can just let them get on with it if desired.

[Barmaid]

I LOVE roses. I think we have about 70 in our garden (we didnt plant them, former occupants did). We have some very old ones, but we have added to them. Some will keep flowering if you dead head them, others are less prolific.

I have always treated roses brutally and cut them back hard in late Feb/early March. For greenfly, I use a water and washing up liquid spray. At present Ive seen no sign of pests, but seen lots of ladybirds which makes me think it could be a good display this year.