Ludwig’s
rose corner
SummerrainfallWaterdeeplytwicea week
to encouragelongstems andgood flowers.
Mulchthesoiltokeepthesoilmoistand
cool. Fertilise withVigorosa inmid-
September.Spray weekly withLudwig’s Insect
Spraytopreventaphidsandthripsordrench
eachbushwithKoinor. Finger-prunehybrid
tearosestowardsthemiddleofthemonth
for alonger floweringseasonandgood
qualityblooms.
WinterrainfallThechallengenowis to
protectnewgrowthfromdownymildew,
blackspotandinsectdamage. Spray weekly
withacocktail ofChronos, Ludwig’s InsectSprayandPicantaoralternatewithRose
Protector.Fertilise withVigorosa to support
new growth.
LowveldandKwaZulu-Natalcoast
Finger-pruneroses towards themiddleofthe
month(seequestion above).Water deeply
two to three timesaweek, dependingonthe
temperature,andmulchtokeeptheroots
cool andreduce evaporation.Pest control is
veryimportant,especiallytoprotectblooms
andnew growth from thrips andaphids.
Spray withLudwig’s InsectSpray every two
weeks ordrench withKoinor, along-lasting
pesticide,at thebeginningofSeptember.RegionalrosetasksforSeptember
Ask
JJ
Listen to JJ’s gardeningtips andtricks on
Derrich Gardner’s show Brekfis met Derrich
at 07:40 every Saturday on RSG.Pot conundrums
Albert du Plooy of Pretoria
North writes What type of plant
can I grow in a pot on top of this
tree stump? It is in full sun.
And what is the name of the
potted lily (below)? I bought it
more than 10 years ago and this
is the first time it has flowered!
Why did it take so long to bloom?
How do I care for this plant? The pot
stands in a corner that gets sun in
the afternoon and it is underneath a
fibreglass roof. Should the plant be
repotted annually? Here at the foot of the
Magaliesbergwegetnofrostin winter.JJ repliesGoodoptionsforthat
sunnyspotonthetreestumpare
succulents– tryCrassulas,Echeveriasand
smallaloes.Linda van Schalkwyk of Benoni writes A friend told me that
she finger-prunes her ‘Garden Queen’ roses. I have not heard
thattermbefore.Whatis thebenefitof it?
Ludwig replies Finger-pruning is when we use our fingers
to snap or pinch off a third of the buds on a hybrid tea rose. If we
didn’t do that, all the buds would open and flower at the same
time. By pinching off some buds, flowering is staggered and lasts
for longer. The pinched stem develops new buds which come
into flower about three weeks later. It also encourages the rose to
produce more green leaves which strengthens the roots, resulting
in a healthierrose.Finger-pruning is done during the first half of September, depending
onthestageof growth.Waituntilthenewshootshave five leaves or more.‘Garden Queen’‘Iceberg’94 home September 2019
[SPRINGROSEDEMOS]
JoinLudwigfor afree springrose care andfinger-pruningdemo.
30 August(14:00)and1 September(10:30):Ludwig’s Star Roses, Assagay, KZN(0783305823)
7 September(10:30):Ludwig’s RosesEgoli,97LachlanRoad (0817155110)
8 September(10:30):Ludwig’s Rose Farm, Wallmansthal,Pretoria(0125440144)
8 September(14:00):Ludwig’s RosesPretoriaEast,LynnwoodRoad (0129419251)
14 September(10:00):Ludwig’s RosesWinelands,Klipheuwel/Stellenbosch(0218844552)
14 September(14:00):Ludwig’s RosesCapeTown,KlaasensRoad, Wynberg Park (071640 9565)
14 September (14:00): Big Red Barn, between Irene and Clayville (081410 0096)
Jeremy Cahill of Cape Town writes
My standard ‘Iceberg’ roses seem to die
after three years. They are underplanted with
groundcovers;couldthatbethecause?
Ludwig replies The dense roots of the
groundcovers are sucking up water before it
gets to the roots of the roses. Roses usually
need about 15L of water per square metre,
but you need to increase the amount of water
you are giving this bed because of the
groundcovers. Also clear a space around the
stems of the standard roses so that the water
can go straight to the roses’ roots.Your lily is a belladonna lily (Amaryllis
belladonna). It can be grown in pots, but it
must have a porous soil mix. The bulbs
can handle fairly dry conditions.
Feed them every two weeks with a small
amount of bulb fertiliser or a slow-release
pot plant fertiliser. Divide and replant
crowded bulbs in spring. At the end of
summer, you must water less frequently so
that the plant can go into dormancy; the
leaves will then turn yellow and die. >>CONTACT ludwigsroses.co.za