Rose Report
Water, Water, Water!
T
he main task in the July rose garden is to water. And then, water some more! Roses need at least an inch of water every week during the growing season, and up to two inches a week during the hot months of July and August. Rose bush growth and flower production slows down in the heat. They are just trying to live through it, like all of us! The trick is to provide adequate water while minimizing the amount of time that the rose leaves are damp to help prevent leaf fungus disease. Here are some watering tips for hot summer months. These tips can also be applied to all summer landscape watering practices. Water in the morning, not in the evening. Your goal is to finish watering when the sun is rising so the leaves will dry out as quickly as possible. Watering in the heat of day is not recommended because most of the water will evaporate into the air instead of soaking into the ground. This wastes precious water and prevents adequate hydration of the plants. Water deeply and infrequently. Instead of a light watering several times a week, apply the whole inch of water at one time. This encourages the plant’s roots to search deeply for water instead of depending on shallow surface water. If your soil drains poorly or your garden is on a slope, cycle your watering through several areas of your garden, putting a half or third of the needed water on cycle so that the soil will have time to absorb it. If possible, water at the base of the plants instead of overhead. A watering wand or drip irrigation system is ideal. If you have an automatic sprinkler system or must use overhead water, be very strict about tip number one—water in the morning—so that the leaves can dry out as quickly as possible.
Roses need at least an inch of water every week during the growing season, and up to two inches a week during the hot months of July and August. How much water is an inch per bush? If you don’t have an automatic sprinkler system that puts out a known volume of water, try these tricks. For an overhead sprinkler, place several small cans (like cat food or tuna cans) or plastic containers with straight sides at various distances from your sprinkler then turn it on at its normal volume. Wait 30 minutes, then use a ruler to measure the depth of the water in each container. If they contain an average of a half inch of water, you know that this sprinkler needs to run for an hour to dispense an inch of water. Adjust your watering time accordingly. To gauge the output of a watering wand, hold it over a 5-gallon bucket and time how long it takes to fill. One full 5-gallon bucket will provide the equivalent of an inch of water when poured in
LAURA DICKINSON Consulting Rosarian 10
July 2022 | kcgmag.com
a 2-foot circle around a bush. Adjust the amount of water for small plants or big bushes. Japanese Beetles have arrived
July and August bring the annual invasion of the dreaded Japanese beetle, and they love roses! Methods for managing (although not eliminating!) this pest are found on the Kansas City Rose Society website https://www.kansasci-
tyrosesociety.org/rose-insect-pests. html#japanesebeetle. The good news is that they are temporary and rarely cause permanent damage to the rose bushes. My personal beetle treatment program is to go out to my rose garden every evening carrying a bucket with a few inches of soapy water in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. I place the bucket under a bloom covered in beetles and shake them off into the water. I tell them to have a nice swim and enjoy a sip of wine to celebrate the moment…Ah, the joys of rose gardening! If you have rose questions, please contact our Ask a Rosarian hotline at kcrosehelp@gmail.com. Fact sheets on all areas of rose care can be found under the Rose Info tab on our website www.kansascityrosesociety.org.
Laura Dickinson is an American Rose Society Consulting Rosarian and is Vice-President of the Kansas City Rose Society. Laura is retired from a career in science education and program management. She can be reached at the Ask a Rosarian hotline, kcrosehelp@gmail.com.
