The reasons for requiring to transplant roses are numerous. It could be because you favor to allow it greater sunlight or it could be that you are simply switching things around a bit in your garden. But, whatever the cause, there are various matters that you will need to recognise before you begin plucking your plant out of the ground.

First things first; organize the ground where you are preparing to set your roses. The last thing you want to do is to let the root ball to be exposed to the hot sunshine or release any of its moisture. If your plant must travel by vehicle to get to its new location, make sure that you cover the roots with a moist piece of burlap.

A great tip to remember is to water your plant well the day before you plan to move it. Water is the secret of a victorious transplant. The chances of transplanting a dry, wilting plant successfully are low.

When purchasing roses you have an option of buying a potted rose or a bareroot rose. So which one is right for you? Here we will discuss bareroot roses and why this may be the best choice for your garden.

When you go shopping for a bareroot rose you will likely find it to be less impressive to look at. It typically comes bagged or boxed and when you look at it, it will appear pretty plain. You will likely see some roots and stems and some sort of moisture retaining material around the roots to keep them moist.

This appearance is nothing to be concerned about. The bareroot rose is a dormant plant so it is not likely to resemble the beautiful roses you may have been envisioning.

Buying a dormant rose has it’s advantages. The roots typically have not been tightly clustered together so they are likely to be in better condition than the roots of a potted rose. This means they will likely be ready to go directly into the ground.

Dog days are here the days when the heat closes in, when dogs and gardeners are supposed to be especially likely to go mad.

And reasons aplenty! Conditions are as near perfect as at any time during the year for the spreading of fungus diseases. Black spot, mildew, rust, brown patch, dollar spot and the various and sundry wilts all propagate and spread like a prairie fire unless the gardener is alert to their presence and acts quickly to combat them. Fortunately this danger period is relatively short. Many fungicides are readily available, easy and economical to use, Captan is favored by many gardeners Certain sucking insects, prey on shrubs at this time, namely spider mites (red spiders) and lace wing bugs. Both of these can be controlled by spraying with malathion.

Annuals and Perennials

Every gardener knows that keeping old faded blooms removed will stimulate more bloom. With petunias, alyssum, verbenas and snapdragons a severe pinching back will result in a very rewarding, new crop of flowers for the late garden. Short day annuals like zinnias, tithonias and marigolds can be planted from seed now to give satisfactory returns as late summer flowers.

Planting Process

In preparing the soil for the flats to grow carnations, use two parts fresh garden soil to each one part of coarse sand and one part humus or compost. Carnations are one of the few plants which should not be potted firmly. The soil should be shaken down, but not pressed. A good method of scattering the small seeds is to use a salt shaker; then after the seeds are in place, a kitchen sifter may be used to shake just enough soil to hide the seeds. This soil should be pressed lightly. Then the pots or flats may be placed in a container of warm water for several minutes, just enough to soak the soil well, but not to run over the edge of the flat.

Plastic bags make good coverings for the flats. This provides warmth as well as proper humidity for the seedlings. If the bags do not contain holes for ventilation, punch several openings before covering the flats.

Do you remember the slogan of a popular soft drink… “The pause that refreshes.” Well, here it is – May – the season between the seasons. Weve got the first early rush of planting work done, now trying to catch our breath, and get started on the next round. Maybe some of you feel that you are entitled to a little pause between rounds.

I planned for my rest several years ago. Our cultivated strips of ground are about 20 feet wide and 100 feet long, with grass paths between. When we first moved here, it looked awfully bleak around the end of the rows, and I visualized how hot it would be when one reached the north end of the garden.

My solution was to plant a pin oak. It is now large enough to furnish shade. With a comfortable yard chair it is ideal to sit in the tree’s shade and muse over the gardening problems. Maybe I should have planted two such trees far enough apart to swing a hammock between them.