WINTER

June

Roses going dormant & dropping leaves. Start planting new roses using compost & slow release fertiliser only. Move established roses to new locations if they are in the wrong place or too close together. Prune well before moving & water in well with Seamungus Liquid.

July

Start pruning roses. Remove all leaves from bushes & rake up all around the rose beds. Do not compost leaves. Use Kocide & White Oil mixed together to spray on bare roses & lightly on ground around bushes to kill all black spot spores. Alternative spray is Lime Sulphur. Repeat in 2 weeks time. For roses growing permanently in large pots, - repot every 2-3 years into fresh, best quality potting mix with slow release fertiliser granules. Root prune by a quarter as well as pruning top hard. Water in well with Seamungus Liquid.

August

Prune now in cold areas so as to avoid frost damage. At end of month feed all roses with a specialist rose fertiliser - except newly planted bare-root roses which should not be fed until late November or early December but at half the recommended amount. We recommend Sudden Impact For Roses from Neutrog Fertilisers. Water in well. Some rosarians also swear by Strike Back for Orchids.

SPRING

September

Full Spring growth. Watch for aphids on new growth. Use Pyrethrum, Folimat or Confidor. When buds start appearing, commence spraying fortnightly with a foliar feed i.e. Sudden Impact for Roses etc. Spray with fungicide (Triforine, Mancozeb) for Black Spot or use Eco Rose & Eco Oil if necessary.

October

Mulch with lucerne hay or pea straw. Apply Epsom Salts and Sulphate of Potash. Continue foliar feeding. Main flush of Spring blooms start later this month. STAKE ANY NEW WATER SHOOTS with bamboo stakes to prevent wind damage. Continue spraying with Triforine, Mancozeb or Eco Rose & Eco Oil if necessary.

November

Spring flush continues. Deadhead (remove spent blooms) & enjoy your roses. Take photos. Visit nurseries, Spring Rose Show (Mount Waverley) & rose gardens to get ideas on which varieties to plant next winter. Visit Victoria State Rose Garden at Werribee Park, Mornington Botanical Rose Garden, Morwell Centenary Rose Garden and Alister Clark Rose Garden at Bulla.

SUMMER

December

Feed with organic fertiliser, top up mulch & deadhead. Water well, especially pots, which should be watered daily, while plants in the ground benefit by less frequent but much more generous deep watering. Prune all once flowering ramblers such as 'Albertine', 'Banksia' roses & heritage shrubs i.e. Albas, Gallicas, Damasks. Watch for spider mites in dry, hot weather. Try wetting underneath foliage in the early mornings to discourage them. Continue spraying with Triforine, Mancozeb or Eco Rose & Eco Oil if necessary.

January

Top up mulch well. Continue deadheading. Ensure adequate water by deep watering.

CONTINUE TO STAKE ALL NEW WATER SHOOTS WHEN THEY APPEAR.

February

Summer trim all roses if timing flowering for a show or special event. (Roses generally repeat flower within approx. 56 days). Feed with organic fertiliser & water in well. Top up mulch & water deeply regularly. Continue spraying with Triforine, Mancozeb or
Eco Rose & Eco Oil if necessary.

AUTUMN

March

Foliar feed as in Spring. Prune winter flowering roses such as 'Lorraine Lee' & 'Nancy Hayward'. Watch for aphids. Continue spraying with Triforine, Mancozeb or Eco Rose & Eco Oil if necessary.

April

Autumn flush of roses. Deadhead & enjoy. Prepare soil for new rose beds. Dig deeply, apply manure & compost. Turn over regularly. Continue spraying with Triforine, Mancozeb or Eco Rose & Eco Oil if necessary.

May

Some good blooms still on bushes. Send away for rose catalogues from specialist rose nurseries & order new roses for winter planting. Continue spraying with Triforine, Mancozeb or Eco Rose & Eco Oil if necessary.