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| Plant Pro |
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Cutting Roses From Your Garden
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| In our second segment at the Roger Williams Victorian Rose Garden we again met with Mike Chute co-founder and past president of the Rhode Island Rose Society. Mike shared tips on how to cut roses from your garden; he also showed us some of his favorite roses and told us the stories behind them.. |
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Cutting roses from your garden
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| Cutting roses is in itself an important cultural operation. Improper cutting can injure the plant and decrease its vigor. Always use sharp tools - breaking or twisting off flowers injures the remaining wood. Use a good pair of pruners or sharp knife for a clean cut. |
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The best time to cut roses just as the two outer petals unfold - they will remain in good condition longer than if you cut them when they are fully open. To keep roses fresh longer, cut them in late afternoon and place them immediately in water. |
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After cutting blossoms, remove any lower leaves that will be in water and recut the stems under water, removing about 1 inch. This removes the air bubble that formed then the stem was cut in air. Then place the stem in warm water (100 degrees F) to which you've added a floral preservative. Floral preservatives add carbohydrates and reduce water pH to an acid condition which retards bacterial growth.
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| You can use a commercial floral preservative, or you can use Mike's own recipe to make your own: 1 gallon of water, add 1 teaspoon of bleach / vinegar and 1/8th cup of granulated sugar. |
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| The 'McCartney' rose |
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| Huge, rosy pink buds unfold into enormous blooms, set against a back drop of large, lustrous leaves. This rose was named in honor of the famous singer / songwriter Paul McCartney's family. (Originally the rose was to be named "Paul McCartney", but when they asked Paul he said no, but they could name it after his family). The 'McCartney' rose is a hybrid tea rose that will add a lot of beauty to any garden. |
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| The 'Playboy' rose |
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Once you get over the name of this rose, you can really enjoy the vigor and striking color combination of this flamboyant Floribunda. The blooms are almost single, bright orange, with a yellow eye opening to reveal attractive golden stamens. The blooms last for days and the color intensifies to scarlet as the flower ages. |
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| 'Playboy' has glossy dark green foliage, which produces a healthy looking bush of ever blooming clusters of large semi-double blossoms. The foliage sets off the outstanding color of the blooms. 'Playboy' grows approximately 4 feet tall in our climate and has a neat, rounded bushy appearance. It thrives in sun but can tolerate a little shade. It grows well in a pot or in the ground. |
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| For more information on The Rhode Island Rose Society, check out their website. |
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| Click here for a interactive map of the Roger Williams Victorian Rose Garden. |
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| Written by James Proctor |
