Just a brief update this month. My roses and I have had a bit of a rest in the hottest month of the year. Some of the roses have bloomed on regardless, although the blooms have been smaller than their best (which happens in spring and autumn). At this time of the year in Sydney, the heat tends to open up the buds prematurely.
Sunburn has also been a bigger issue than normal. Despite a tendency to deny the existence of the hole in the ozone layer, I can't deny the crisped brown edges to the red and dark pink roses in my garden. Picking the blooms is about the only solution to this.
This January has been ideal dry weather for spider mites too. Here's a photo of some badly affected leaves on The Squire:
I've taken up the spray arms to keep a lid on the critters. This is my preferred miticide. Morning watering, using a soft spray to the underside of the leaves, also seems to deter the tiny creatures, but the miticide is a good deal more effective.
On the brighter side, fungal problems (black spot and mildew) have all but disappeared. Following their usual season, I don't expect to see them again until late February at least.
For the rose gardener who only occasionally feeds their roses, now is a good time to apply some granular rose food. This will prepare the bushes for their autumn flush. Organic food like manure works well too. Regular rose feeders might want to add some trace elements - I've just experimented with 4vital, a liquid mix of boron, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium. The fluid is almost as thick as mud, but it dissolves well. I'll be interested to see if it makes a difference.
This month's photos concentrate on my bushes that have performed best in the summer heat. This voluptuous bloom is from White Lightnin', still my favourite white - very fragrant too:
And this beauty is Voodoo, whose blooms remain huge even in midsummer:
Double Delight has also enjoyed the sun, with the heat adding extra red to the petal edges of the buds:
And this absolute treasure is Valencia, a mystery rose positively identified by members of the Australian Garden Forum. It was mislabelled as Blue Moon when I bought it. Had I known how good Valencia was, I'd have bought this one intentionally! A wonderful coppery apricot colour, excellent fragrance and a very healthy, thick-stemmed bush bred by Kordes of Germany in 1989. Even in a pot, Valencia is producing some of the fattest buds I have ever seen - right in the middle of summer! I can't wait to see it in autumn.
Until next month,
Daniel.