Roses in tropics

[Meera]

Hi

I am from south India and I want to know if u can help me in taking care of my roses in the hot climate here........

[grandpasrose]

Hi Meera!! Welcome to the Forum!

Most of the time I am helping people find ways to have their roses survive winter, so this is a nice change!

If you have already purchased your roses, than this is a mute point, but could be remembered for future purchases. Consider using the lighter-colored roses. Red, orange and lavender roses are effected by heat stress a lot more than white, light-pink and pale yellow roses.

Plant more heat-susceptible roses where they will receive some protection from the hot, afternoon sun. When doing this, remember that they still need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. That sun should be "morning" or “eveningâ€

[The Helpful Gardener]

If it's outside your regular experience some it does not show. Excellent advice...

Scott

[grandpasrose]

Thanks Scott, that means alot!

Val

[arkansasrose]

"You could try applying antitranspirants". Great advice for a southern climate, Val. This is something we started doing about 5 years ago and I can definitely see a difference in the summer months..my roses never stall on their blooming and heat stress is barely noticeable. We use Wilt-Pruf but there are several antitranspirants out there. The Japanese maples are sprayed at the same time to reduce the leaf scorch we get here in the south.

[grandpasrose]

Good to know Arkansasrose. Thanks! I have never had to use them, so can't speak from experience, so I'm glad to hear that they seem to work.

Val

[The Helpful Gardener]

Funny, we always use it for cold weather here...

Scott

[Meera]

my roses seem to be doing well..however I am partially in favour of organic farming and that makes me hate antitranspirants ..not for me!

but a few still refuses to bloom, they seem to have a lot of leaves and are all healthy, yet no buds or blooms. what could be wrong

summer is becoming harsher everyday but today we expect some rains ....

thanks guys.. will come back later for more questions..and answers

and oh
I don't know if u ppl know it, but boiled tea leaves are good for roses..

can you enlighten me on how to develop young healthy plants from stem cuttings? on whats good for them to take root (other than rooting hormone ofcourse )



with love from India

[The Helpful Gardener]

Roses from cuttings are very difficult; that is why they are so often grafted here...

Steady foliage growth with no flower makes me think you are fertilizing a great deal, perhaps too much. Could this be the case?

And the tea leaves thing has been noted in our organic section; seems most everything with a higher tannin count seems to be good fertilizer (looking for a common thread).

Happy to have you here Meera...

Scott

[grandpasrose]

Hi Meera! Your roses are probably so leafy and not blooming because they are getting too much nitrogen and not enough potassium or phosphorus. Try adding a bit of bone meal or fish emulsion to counteract the nitrogen a bit.

There is an antitranspirant that is made only of Pine Oil available on line through the Dirt Doctor if you wanted to try one that is organic.

An organic method of giving rose cuttings a headstart without using rooting hormone is leaving the cuttings overnight in water that has had willow twigs steeping in it to make a tea. Willow contains a natural rooting hormone.

Hope this helps with some of your questions. Feel free to stop in again anytime!

Val