Question
My roses
Hi Lynette
I stay in South Africa in a area where the salt content is very high, the wind can get very bad (south eastern winds), although we at the same time this time of the year have very very hot weather. Firstly the sand that we have is very dead, so obviously we have to work in quite alot of compost to give it the nutrients that it needs. At this pointing stage I have made myself a little rose garden in a corner where the wind can't really affect my roses as i have spun net @ the top and in the front of my roses. When i first moved hear in 2009 April everyone told me my roses would not grow here because of the salt content and the wind, but as you would know i proved them wrong and my roses are growing very strong as i have worked in quite a lot of compost beforehand, my only problem is that i cannot get rid of rose lice, it seems to be trippelling and i cannot understand why my rose leaves doesn't have much of a shine in it, is it normal or is there something it needs to make it shine.. Then if i have pruned my roses recently, do i have to prune it again before winter sets in and if i dont will my roses die? PLEASE WILL YOU GET BACK TO ME ON THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS, BELOW IS PHOTOS ATTACHED OF MY ROSES..
AnswerWhen roses are growing well and blooming, then the gardener is doing everything right for them. Rose leaves come in all shades of green pus texture and shine. Some have very shiny leaves which is natural for them while others have a dull look to the leaves. It is possible that there are some spider mites under the leaves but their webs can be seen especially if you wet the leaves. If you see tiny webs then that is the reason the leaves are dull. Daily washing with water will get rid of them as they hate water. Dull leaves are also caused by too much salt which in your case may still be in the soil but will also be in too generous amounts of chemical fertilizers. There are products which are sold to make leaves shine even household mixtures, but rose bushes need clean leaves to help them take in water and make Chlorophyll. Also if your soil does have a little salt in it, keep in mind that roses do not need sun all day. 6 hours of full sun will do. Some gardeners use Epson Salts (magnesium sulphate) to make their leaves greener. I would only use 1 tablespoon of Epson Salts in two quarts of water on your roses and see what happens.
In regards to the aphids. Aphids only go for new growth especially because it is extra soft. If you have a bad infestation of aphids which seem to stay around even though you treat them with a soap spray or even just wash them off with water, it is an indication that you are giving the rose too much fertilizer. Aphids live in the tips of the roses and when they get washed off they are weak and are unable to crawl back up again. After aphids have eaten they excrete a sticky substance called honeydew and this will make the leaves appear to be dull sometimes.
Roses only need to be pruned once a year and should not be cut back drastically to 12 to 18 inches like some books tell you to do. Cut your roses back only about a third, less if one is not doing all that well. In your situation the roses will do better is allowed to grow at their own pace not be activated into making a lot of new growth buy harsh pruning. Also a mulch is a good idea if you get really hot summers. I garden where I get gale force winds and all that does to roses is keep them shorter than they would normally grow. Any plant will naturally grow shorter to protect itself from being blown about in strong winds.
