Thread: Roses
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Old 08-08-2008, 12:05 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Miami, FL
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JD JD is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 223
15 yr Member
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I love to grow roses!

They don't like "dirty" feet...meaning keep the area around their trunks clean of mulch and dead leaves and all that.

I use ground pepper to keep pests off them. Dust often.

Dead head them often. That means if you don't prune them at the very least pinch off the dead flower. Plants live to bloom and if you remove the bloom they produce more, and more, and more.

Don't let them become leggy. That means don't allow the stems/ branches to grow long and lean with only flowers and leaves near the tips. If you prune each non-budding stem/branch back to just above the first sprouting/leaf above the last branch off, you should be able to maintain them with plenty of bushy leaves and blooms. If you prune a branch all the way back to where it has no leaf, you're likely to produce a dead branching.

If you want to cut the roses for using inside in a vase, cut them slightly longer than you ultimately want the stem. Then, once inside, put water in a pan or sink, and cut the stem again WHILE IT'S UNDER WATER. Otherwise, you will cause an air pocket and they won't be able to draw up water, causing them to not last very long. Cut the stem at a slight angle.

I hope you can enjoy roses in your yard soon!
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ewizabeth (09-05-2008), tovaxin_lab_rat (08-08-2008)