Gardening for wildlife

Gardening for wildlife Roses and how to grow them -Promila Chaturvedi The rose, known for its beauty: shape colour and fragrance, is not very difficult to grow. Only one has to plant it in the correct environment and prune it in time and take proper care of it; Protect it against diseases and pests that attack the rose bush. It is advisable to buy the plants from a reputed nursery. Which rose to buy All that depends on your requirement, that is, what effect you want ; whether you like to have lots of flowers and do not care for the shape and size, in that case you may have clustered flowerFloribunda roses. In case shape and size of flowers matters much more than the number of blooms you should haveHybrid Tea roses. Colour and fragrance are also a personal choices. In case you have a big garden you can have a combination of both Hybrid Tea and Floribunda roses. When to plant Roses can be planted either in the rainy season or October onward through out winter till February. Buy healthy plants with three or more shoots from the graft. The plant should be free of pests and should have a well developed root system. Preparation of rose bed Mark the bed size and shape on ground. If the ground is too dry water it before digging. First dig one foot deep and keep the soil aside. Dig another foot deep and keep separately. Now dig one foot more and discard it. Spray bottom and all four side of bed with insecticide thoroughly. Now the second heap of soil should be mixed with soil conditioners and fill it in the bottom. Water it. Fill the top soil in the bed and again water it. When ground is in working condition dress it and mark the position of plant and scoop out slightly more soil in depth and width than the root ball or if you intend planting bare root plant than slightly larger pit hole be made and do the planting. Soil conditioners It is better to use organic manure. Gypsom 2kg, Neem Oil cake 2kg, Bone Meal 2kg and one third of total quantity of soil should be Farm Yard Manure. It should be mixed with the bottom layer of soil. Pruning Pruning should be done in the beginning of October when weather starts cooling. In first year almost no pruning is needed, if any pruning has to be done it should be very light. Medium pruning and heavy pruning should be done with old plants. (Photo: Iceberg floribunda-Susan Sharma)

Roses and how to grow them

-Promila Chaturvedi

The rose, known for its beauty: shape colour and fragrance, is not very difficult to grow. Only one has to plant it in the correct environment and prune it in time and take proper care of it; Protect it against diseases and pests that attack the rose bush. It is advisable to buy the plants from a reputed nursery.

Which rose to buy

All that depends on your requirement, that is, what effect you want ; whether you like to have lots of flowers and do not care for the shape and size, in that case you may have clustered flowerFloribunda roses. In case shape and size of flowers matters much more than the number of blooms you should haveHybrid Tea roses.

Colour and fragrance are also a personal choices.

In case you have a big garden you can have a combination of both Hybrid Tea and Floribunda roses.

When to plant

Roses can be planted either in the rainy season or October onward through out winter till February. Buy healthy plants with three or more shoots from the graft. The plant should be free of pests and should have a well developed root system.

Preparation of rose bed

Mark the bed size and shape on ground. If the ground is too dry water it before digging. First dig one foot deep and keep the soil aside. Dig another foot deep and keep separately. Now dig one foot more and discard it. Spray bottom and all four side of bed with insecticide thoroughly. Now the second heap of soil should be mixed with soil conditioners and fill it in the bottom. Water it. Fill the top soil in the bed and again water it. When ground is in working condition dress it and mark the position of plant and scoop out slightly more soil in depth and width than the root ball or if you intend planting bare root plant than slightly larger pit hole be made and do the planting.

Soil conditioners

It is better to use organic manure. Gypsom 2kg, Neem Oil cake 2kg, Bone Meal 2kg and one third of total quantity of soil should be Farm Yard Manure. It should be mixed with the bottom layer of soil.

Pruning

Pruning should be done in the beginning of October when weather starts cooling. In first year almost no pruning is needed, if any pruning has to be done it should be very light. Medium pruning and heavy pruning should be done with old plants.

(Photo: Iceberg floribunda-Susan Sharma)

Indian Wildlife Club Ezine (September, 2005)

Gardening for wildlife

Roses and how to grow them