Wednesday, March 4, 2009

A Checklist For Starting A New Rose Garden

Soil preparation is the key to your success with your garden. The best soil you can give your plants is one that will hold moisture while letting extra water run off. To get that kind of soil, some work must be done first, clear out the bedding area and fortify the soil. The effort you do now will be worth it when you see your plants thriving.

Prepare now for the success of the plants. Roses need direct sunlight and well drained soil. Make sure that it is not a pocket that hold water and not under a tree to where they are in the shade most of the day.

1. Condition the soil for 100 square feet of intended garden area, spreading on top of the soil 50 pounds of gypsum, 35 pounds of lime, and 25 pounds of dried manure ( cow or sheep). If it is a smaller space use the formula with the smaller amount.
2. On top of the soil conditioning (above), pile decaying leaves, grass, saw dust, and fire place ashes in layers.
3. As soon as this is dry enough to spade or plow, turn it over, try to get it deep as you can. Let it set for 3 days. Rotary till the soil as fine as possible. You will know when it is ready to plant when you firmly squeeze a handful of the soil and it will crumble in your hand.
4. The soil conditioning will help with the ph balance of the soil so that it is not to acidic or alkaline.
5. Once the soil is prepared to the right texture and the soil is ready, it is now time to purchase your roses. This step is crucial, with no compromise on the quality of the plants. Buy the best ones that you can find. You can choose plants grown in pots or bare root plants that are dormant. A healthy plants that are dormant gives a better bloom than those with long new shoots.
6.Early spring is considered to be the best planting season for the roses. You can check with your local nursery for the best time in the area that you live in.
7. The preparation that you did on the soil will pay off now as you are planting your plants. Start by soaking the roots for a few minutes and the broken root-ends need to be pruned. The roots should not be exposed to the air to long or they will dry out the root fibers.
8. The hole should be approximately one inch in width and depth larger than the root ball, so that the roots can spread out. You should refill the hole until it is three-quarters and water the plant thoroughly. Let it soak in.
9. Finish filling the hole and the soil is made firm around the roots. The planting procedure is the same for potted plants where the pot has to be removed.
10. Now enjoy the beauty of your plants with regular watering and feeding. You will be the envy of the block for the beautiful roses that you have.

We would like to hear about your beautiful new curb appeal that you just added with your roses and other flowers.

copyright Dan and Deanna Finlinson "Marketing Unscrambled"

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