Highlights from our First Bloom Celebration

First Bloom Celebration 2013!!

May is an exciting time here at Witherspoon Rose Culture.  Color explodes forth from a sea of green leaves and fills our garden with a myriad of brilliant roses.

We celebrate this first bloom of the season every year with a day filled with garden tours, food, and of course roses!

People gathered at the bottom of our Anniversary Garden to begin our guided Garden Tour.  They were able to take a stroll through the 2,000 rose bushes in our garden while stopping along the way for rose care demonstrations!

Our rose care demonstrations were taught by our Rose Service Technicians.  These guys care for nearly 2,600 rose gardens across the state of North Carolina and into both South Carolina and Virginia!  When it comes to rose care, they know their stuff!!

The first stop on the tour was learning how to plant a premium rose garden!

Troy was an excellent teacher!  He gave us step by step instructions as he planted!

Brandon was happy to answer any questions tossed at him after his demonstration on irrigation and weed prevention.

Doug taught our class on cutting roses to enjoy in your home! 



Each stop on the Garden Tour was filled with all the information one needs to care for roses in their own backyard!  Not to mention, the backdrop of 2,000 rose bushes in full bloom! 

Just in case everyone's questions were not answered during the Garden Tour, we had a Q&A session where everyone had a chance to "Stump the Rose Guy!"  Still no success in completely stumping any of the rose guys!  Maybe next year...

There was also a chance to win Witherspoon Gift cards and fantastic sales on over 180 varieties of roses!

All in all it was a great day filled with fun and only a little rain!  Thank goodness none of us melted in the rain!!

We hope to see you next year for our First Bloom Celebration!!  Bring the family and enjoy the explosion of color!

Oh...and did I mention there were cookies!

The Heat is On!

 

A Note From Our Service Department

Now that our rose gardens have exploded in their first bloom cycles we look ahead to the hotter summer months to continue to enjoy our prized beauties.  At Witherspoon, our Service department is gearing up for what’s to come when the heat is on.  We experience a myriad of challenges from watering to insects to smaller bloom size.  What’s a rose gardener to do when faced with such encounters? 

Last year we began a new venture in rose garden care by releasing beneficial predatory mites in our customers’ gardens to help combat the destructive spider mites we often see when it’s hot and dry.   We have celebrated this new initiative with great success.  By backing off on the insecticide use while releasing the beneficials we allow them to do their job of eating the bad guys in the garden.  Three cheers for the beneficials!

Adequate water is a single necessary requirement for rose bushes.  We are often asked “how much and how often?”  The answer is depends on some weather conditions, i.e. rain.  If we receive an inch of rain per week, then that is suitable for the roses.  When we do not, then we must supplement the bushes with an equivalent.  This amounts to 5 gallons per rose; we recommend dividing your watering in to 2 separate applications during the week.  Watering a couple of times per week to achieve 5 gallons is better than watering every day at only a gallon at a time.  The reason is you ensure deep watering to the roots when watering with more water less times per week. 



 

If you have irrigation you’ll need to figure out how to calibrate your particular system to accommodate the 5 gallons per week rule of thumb.  Since irrigation systems vary, we would be unable to tell you specifically what you need to do to effectively get the job done.  The main thing to keep in mind is a higher volume of water a couple times per week rather than watering every day. 

 

One of the many reasons we see smaller bloom size in the hotter months is due to, in most cases, lack of water.  But, it is not limited to only the effects of water supply; heat and humidity play roles as well.  And let’s be honest, all 3 really are working against you at the same time!  When it’s hot, it’s drier, and when there’s no rain, plants get stressed. 

Along with smaller blooms we are often asked about fading color.  While it’s true that most flower color is best when it’s cool, there are a small handful of roses that will color better when it’s hot.  Both Tropicana and We Salute You™ will hold their color.  Some just simply continue to deliver great performance all the way around in the heat, such as Chrysler Imperial and Mother of Pearl™. 

Remember, it is always best to continue to remove the spent flowers as they fade away.  Keep them well watered during times of lack of rain, and most certainly remember to share them with your friends! 

Sincerely,

Sandie

Can You Grow Roses in Containers?? Yes YOU Can!

Can you grow roses in containers? 

The answer is YES!

There are a few things to keep in mind to grow roses successfully.

 

1.                   Choose the right pot.  Roses need room to grow so choose a pot that is larger than the nursery pot they come in at the garden center.   Pots are measured by inside diameter and depth or height so take a tape measure with you or ask the sales associate to help you with the dimensions.  There are a variety of finishes and colors to choose from such as Terra Cotta Clay, Glazed Ceramic, Fiberglass and Polyethylene.   Have fun and find something that will complement your garden or patio.  Recommended sizes are listed below.

2.                   Potting soil is important.  There are a lot of different potting soils and the choices can be confusing.   Don’t try to save money by purchasing a poor quality soil; your roses will be growing in the pot for a long time so this is an investment that will pay off.  Bags of compost or composted cow manure alone are too heavy and do not drain well enough in containers.  Choose a soil that is light and preferably contains a wetting agent or moisture saving crystals.   You can amend your potting soil by adding some composted cow manure; we recommend a ratio of 3 parts potting soil to 1 part composted cow manure.

3.                   It is not necessary to add a layer of rocks to the bottom of the container.  Adding rocks decreases the growing space for your rose and isn’t necessary for good drainage.  Cover the drainage holes with a small piece of screen, a coffee filter or a broken piece of pottery to help prevent soil from washing out.  At this point you are ready to start filling the pot and planting your rose in its new home.

4.                   It is time to plant.  Fill the pot about halfway or more (depending on the depth of the container) with potting mix.  Set the rose in its nursery pot on the soil to check the depth, add more mix if it is sitting too low.  Be sure to plant the rose at least a couple of inches deeper than the rim of the container.  Remove the rose from the nursery pot either by pulling gently or cutting the pot away from the root ball.  Set it on the soil in the center of the container.  Fill in around the roots with the remaining potting mix keeping the graft above the soil line.   Water to settle the soil, adding more potting mix if needed.

5.                   The finishing touches make a difference.  To finish it off add a 1-2” layer of mulch, not only does this look good but it will help keep the soil from drying as quickly and diffuses water from the hose or watering can over the surface of the pot.

6.                   Fertilizing:  Some potting soils have a starter fertilizer but roses are heavy feeders so you will need to add fertilizer.  Time release fertilizers may be added for all season feeding or low numbered fertilizers like Rose Tone (4-3-2) may be applied about every 8 weeks up to the middle of August.  Use half the recommended amount.  Water soluble fertilizers also work, reapply every 2 weeks. 

7.                   Watering:  The larger the pot the more slowly it will dry out, but containers do dry out more quickly than a garden bed.  Water at least twice a week or more if it is hot and dry (no rain), and make sure the water drains to the bottom of the pot.

8.                   Winterizing:  In the Southeast when there is a threat of frost, cover the graft or center of the rose with 6-8 inches of mulch.  Ground contact causes more freeze/thaw damage so try to place the container on concrete or brick patios or stepping stones and avoid areas with cold, drying winter winds.  Colder zones can add mulch and protect by covering with burlap or specially designed wraps for shrubbery.

  

Minimum Recommended Container Sizes:

 

Miniature Roses                                                           14-16” diameter, 14-16” depth

Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora or Floribunda                         20-25” diameter, 18-20” depth

Shrubs or Knock Outs                                                 20-25” diameter, 18-20” depth

Climbers                                                                      20-25” diameter, 18-20” depth

Trees                                                                            20-25” diameter, 18-20” depth