Rose Report
What needs to be done in the rose garden in June Photos by Glenn Hodges.
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he peak bloom for roses in the Kansas City area is the end of May or early June. So now is the time to start deadheading or removing spent blooms. Deadheading encourages new growth and more flowers. Usually it is recommended to cut the cane back to about one-quarter inch above an outer facing bud when deadheading. Most roses in the Kansas City area should be fertilized three times a season, mid-April, mid-June, and mid-August. If the roses are being grown for exhibition, monthly fertilization is usually done. Be sure to water the roses well after each fertilization. Continue spraying for blackspot control every 7-14 days if your roses are susceptible to blackspot. Be sure to follow the directions on the spray label. To minimize possible spray damage to the leaves, spray in the coolest part of the day, morning or evening. Container grown rose plants can still be planted in June if there is a need to replace an underperforming plant or to fill an empty spot in the garden. And, bargains may be found at the local garden centers. But, the plant will need a little extra care over the summer. Make sure it receives enough water in the heat of the season. Remember, as the weather heats up in June, supplemental watering will be needed to keep the roses in top condition. Watering is best done using a drip system or by hand with a water wand to keep the foliage dry and discourage blackspot. If overhead watering is required, water early in the day, so the foliage has time to dry before nightfall. Do you want one large bloom per stem for bouquets? To encourage one bloom per stem, the side buds next to or under the central, larger bud on a stem can be pinched off. This is called disbudding. The
Lots of beautiful entries were presented at the Kansas City Rose Society rose show in June 2018. resulting flower will be larger than if the side buds were not removed Further information about rose care can be found on the Kansas City Rose Society website at www. kansascityrosesociety.org/growingroses. Specific questions can be sent to kcrosehelp@gmail.com. And, information about any of the roses grown in the Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden at Loose Park in Kansas City, MO can be accessed at www.kcroselibrary. com. COME TO THE ROSE SHOW! In America we have a tradition to celebrate agricultural and horticultural harvests and production with fairs and festivals. To continue this tradition, the American Rose Society encourages local rose societies and regional districts to hold annual rose shows, and it sponsors several annual national shows. The Kansas City Rose Society rose show in the Garden Center
GLENN HODGES Consulting Rosarian 14
June 2022 | kcgmag.com
Gold Medal Award winning photograph of ‘Perl d’Or’ from the Kansas City Rose Society rose show in June 2021. at Loose Park in Kansas City, Missouri, will be open to the public on Sunday, June 5, 2022 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Last year there were over 300 roses and over 100 rose photographs entered in the show. Come see the diversity of roses grown in the Kansas City area, and celebrate the beauty of our national floral emblem. Also, there will be festivities in the Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden. If you grow roses, you are eligible to enter the rose show. You do not need to be a member of the Kansas City Rose Society to enter. Entries will be accepted for judging on Saturday, June 4, 2022, from
8:00 a.m. to noon at the Garden Center. For exhibitors whose roses may not be at their peak for the show, photographs of roses may be entered. The photographs need not be of roses grown by the photographer. But, the name of any rose entered as a specimen or photograph needs to be known. The schedule and rules for the show are posted at www.kansadcitysosesociety.org. Not enough time to prepare a specimen or photograph this year? Plan on entering next year. Entries will be received and judged on June 3, 2023. Hope to see you in the Rose Garden.
Glenn R. Hodges is an Extension Master Gardener in Johnson County, Kansas, an American Rose Society (ARS) Master Rosarian, and an ARS Accredited Horticulture Judge. He has been growing roses in Lenexa, KS since 1974 and successfully exhibiting roses since 1998. He is a past-President of the Kansas City Rose Society.
