Tips for April

Remember, these tips and tricks are current for zone 5 and need to be adjusted one week earlier for each 100 miles south of the southern tip of Lake Michigan that you live, and one week later for each 100 miles north.

    When the forthysia bloom. That's Mom Nature's signal.

    Hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras and miniature roses produce flowers on new wood. To get that new wood, you must severely prune your bushes. Prune down to about 3/8 inch above an outward facing bud (the little tip at the base of the leaf where it attaches to the cane). If your canes are only 4 to 8 inches high when you are finished, don't worry, by the middle of June you'll have flowers.

    Remove all twiggy and dead canes and any that are crossing others. You should only have 3 to 6 canes left when you finish. This allows your rosebush to put all it's energy into the healthy canes that are left.

    A little "no run" carpenters glue on the end of each cane will prevent insects from digging holes in the canes. Any canes cut completely off should be cut flush with the bud union (swollen knob where all the canes grow from).

    Miniature roses can be trimmed with a pair of hedge trimmers. Cut them down to 3 inches or so and remove any dead canes. On climbers, just remove the dead ends. Any hard trimming on them should not be done until after they bloom. (More on this later).

    Shrubs and Old garden Roses should be treated like climbers. Many only bloom on 2nd year wood so trimming before they bloom will remove the flowers.

    At this time, if you use a completely organic fertilizer, you can put two cups around each bush. If you use a chemical fertilizer, apply it about the 3rd week of May.

Have questions on things I haven't covered? E-mail me at rosenut@rosenut.com Be talking to you on May 1st.

-Rosenut

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