Smart Gardening Tips

Gardening and caring for the different rose types

WATERING

Roses are deep rooted and once they are well established are more capable than most plants of surviving mild drought spells. The first spring and summer directly after planting your rose is very important. During this period if the soil around your rose seems to be drying out give your roses a good soaking. Each rose could get about 2 gallons of water. In following years you will only need to water them if drought seems iminent.

FEEDING YOUR ROSES

As with all plants that provide us with beautiful blooms they need plenty of the correct nutrients. Give roses a good helping of blood, bone and fishmeal in early April, about two handfuls to each rose. In June a handful of specially prepared rose fertilizer will give your roses a huge lift. The magnesium and potash gives the rose a great kick. Just work the fertilizer in gently around the soil at the base of the plant.

MULCHING YOUR ROSES.

Mulching is a very simple task with great benefits. Mulching retains moisture, smothers weeds and generally boosts the health of your roses. Well rotted manure is best but garden compost or bark mulch can also be used.

DEADHEADING YOUR ROSES.

Deadheading spent blooms not only tidys up the rose but actually saves the plants energy and thereby encourages more bloom flushes. A light pruning of hybrid teas will encourage a second flush.

WATCH OUT FOR ROSE SUCKERS.

Shoots that emerge from rootstocks are known as suckers. These will be different in coloring and often by the amount of leaves, than what grows from the stems over ground. Gently scrape away the soil until you can see where the sucker is growing from the rootstock, tear the sucker away cleanly.

CONTROL OF WEEDS.

Mulching is the most effective method of controlling weeds and also the less back breaking.

Hoeing is not as effective and you must take care not to damage the stems.

Sowing other plants underneath the rose is also an option. The least favored option is the application of a rose-bed weedkiller. This will eventually damage the soil and thus your rose.

ROSE DISEASES AND PESTS.

This is an area that turns people off growing roses and really it shouldn’t. Roses have diseases and pests particular to them and as such regular treatment is very effective. The main problems are greenfly, mildew and blackspot.

There are plenty of products that treat these main three problems in one treatment. Performing a regular maintenance schedule starting in April will leave you with very few problems. Do make sure to follow exactly the manufacturers recommendations.

Your roses will respond brilliantly to a little regular maintenance and once you have started your routine there will be very little work attached. Issues will only arise once you neglect your routine and this is what often deters people from growing roses.



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Contrary to popular opinion, rose gardens are relatively simple to start and maintain. Rose plants are hardy perennials, many of them surviving with little or no human intervention, growing wild. Getting your garden off to a good start may be the best way to stave off the dangers that could damage your plants in the long run.

First, select healthy plants that are suited for your climate and soil. Your local garden center will be stocked with appropriate plants for your growing season. You should inspect the rose plant as you would any plant you are interested in purchasing. Any rot along the roots or dead canes would be an indication that the plant is unhealthy or has been mishandled and will not survive planting.

The next step in ensuring that your roses survive will be preparing the soil. Most experts agree that careful conditioning of soil is vital to your garden’s healthy success. Simply put, the extra work you complete before planting will pay off in the long run in the way of healthier plants. Begin by digging down into the ground about a foot. Save this soil for later use. Next, add compost, peat moss or even cultured manure to this layer, followed by a second dig meant to mix the soil with the additive. Now, you can replace the first foot of soil and begin your planting. Poor soil quality is an enemy of your rose plants.

During the cold winter months, the dangerous cycle of freezing and thawing can cause plants to shift underground, damaging their root systems. This can kill your rose plants. Mulch is a great way to protect these plants during the damaging winter months.

It works in the summer too, keeping weeds away and helping to keep the moisture level of your plants consistent. For this benefit, add mulch to your regular care shortly before the first bloom appears. By reinforcing the plant with several inches of soil and covering that soil with mulch, you will protect the plant’s root system from the harsh conditions of winter and you will see a healthy plant emerge in the spring

Fungal diseases, such as black spot and powdery mildew thrive on wet plants and messy flowerbeds. Keeping fallen leaves and other garden debris away from the roots of the plants will enable you to water the plants directly at the roots as well as keep fungus and other problems at bay. Watering should always be done at the base of the plant, avoiding the leaves, stems and flowers to keep away mold and rust, both of which endanger the health of your roses.

Insects such as aphids, thrips, beetles and caterpillars may also target your roses. For insects, prevention may be found with early season spraying of dormant season oil just before the growth of spring begins. If pests still make their way into your rose garden, there are several options for ridding your plants of them. These can be maintained with a combination of removal by hand and treatment with insecticidal soap.

Your roses, with a little care and vigilance, will be well protected from dangerous weather conditions, diseases and pests.



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Bell peppers need nutrient rich soil. They do best in well drained soil, and lots of sun. Raised beds are great for bell peppers, with good topsoil, compost, and rotted manure mixed in.

Your bell peppers grow into small bushes, and need lots of air circulation. Give them enough room by spacing them between 12 and 18 inches apart, and in rows at least 24 to 36 inches apart.

Bell peppers need lots of water during germination. You’ll need to keep them moist but not soggy. If they don’t get enough water, they’ll have a bitter taste. You can use mulches to help keep the soil moist.

You’ll know that your bell peppers are ready to harvest when they turn their final color. They can be red, orange, yellow, green, or purple depending on the variety. The more you harvest, the more will grow, so pick them regularly.

Watermelons

Plant your watermelon after the soil is warm and there’s no danger of frost. Watermelons grow best on a sandy soil, and it’s important to plant them on raised mounds.

Watermelon vines need lots of space. Plant seeds one inch deep in hills spaced 6 feet apart. Make your rows 7 to 10 feet apart. After the seedlings start sprouting, it’s a good idea to thin them to about three plants per hill.

Watermelons have deep roots, so you seldom need to water them. In cooler areas, you can get floating row covers, drip irrigation and black plastic mulch to help produce a great crop in a short season.

Watermelons can be hard to tell when they’re ripe. Here’s a list of things to look for:

# Light green, curly tendrils on the stem

# Surface color of the fruit turns dull

# the skin is tough and resist the thumbnail

# The bottom turns a yellowish color.

Pumpkins

Pumpkins are sensitive to grow. The seeds need warm soil, and frost can really injure the seedlings. If you want pumpkins for Halloween, plant the seeds from late May in northern locations to early July in southern places.

Pumpkins need a minimum of 50 to 100 square feet per hill. Plant seeds one inch deep, and four or five seeds per hill. Allow 5 to 6 feet between hills, spaced in rows 10 to 15 feet apart. Once they have sprouted, thin each hill to the best two or three plants.

Pumpkin plants need to be kept weed-free by hoeing and shallow cultivation. They do okay with short periods of hot, dry weather.

You’ll know when your pumpkins are ready to be harvested when they are a deep, solid orange, and the rind is hard. This will usually be in late September or early October, before heavy frosts. Cut the pumpkins carefully, using pruning shears or a sharp knife, and leave 3 to 4 inches of stem attached.

Summer Squash

Summer squash needs warm, fertile, and aerated soil. They do well with soil that has compost or well-rotted manure added to it.

One way to grow summer squash is to plant them in a corner of the garden and train the vines to grow outside of the garden. Plant them about 2 feet apart and in rows that are 2 feet apart.

Summer squash need lots of water throughout the growing season. Water them deeply during dry spells. Only water the roots; not the foliage. Watering them early morning helps prevent mildew.

Summer squash are ready to harvest when they turn their mature color (usually green or yellow). Straightneck, crookneck, and zucchini summer squash are ready when they reach 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter, while scallop summer squash are ideal at 3 to 4 inches in diameter.

Strawberries

Plant your strawberries in the spring. If you’re planting young plants, be sure that they’re certified and disease frees. Select plants with large crowns with healthy, light-colored roots. Prepare your soil with 1-2 inches of organic matter (like compost, or well rotted manure).

To plant your strawberry plants, make a hole big enough to spread the roots. Make the center of the hole into a hill, and place the crown at soil level. Spread the roots downward, and bury the strawberry plant so that the soil goes half way up the crown.

Your strawberries will need 1 to 2 inches of water per week. This is especially important during the formation of the strawberry, from early bloom until it’s time to pick them.

Pick your strawberries when they’re fully ripened. This means leaving the berries on the plant for a day or two after they are fully colored. To pick them, snap the stem directly above the berry, rather than pulling on the berry itself.



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