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Miniature Rose Care
By Jackie Carroll
Don't let the delicate appearance fool you. These little gems are hardy
enough to grow outdoors in zones 6-10 without winter protection, and
with a good cover of mulch they will survive winters as far north as
zone 4. Miniature roses are surprisingly easy to grow, and they look
great as edgings for your beds or borders, accent plants for rock
gardens, and as houseplants.
Miniature roses range in size from the micro-minis which grow to about
five inches, up to a height four feet or more. The flowers are from 1/2
inch to two inches in diameter, and the range of colors is similar to
that of full-sized roses. Most types will bloom from spring until frost.
Unfortunately, miniature roses have little or no fragrance.
When grown indoors as pot plants, miniature roses need a little special
care. Even when grown in the sunniest window, they will usually need
supplemental light. You will know your rose isn't getting enough light
when the stems seem to stretch out leaving wide spaces between the
leaves.
Miniature roses also need lots of humidity if kept indoors. Set your pot
in a tray of pebbles and water. The pebbles will support the pot above
the water level so the soil doesn't become waterlogged. As it
evaporates, the water will provide the plant with extra humidity. If you
house is very dry, run a cool-mist vaporizer now and then.
Spider mites and whiteflies are drawn to indoor miniature roses. To
reduce the chances of these pests attacking your plants, give them a
weekly shower. Take care to thoroughly rinse both the tops and the
undersides of the leaves. To treat whiteflies, use an insecticidal soap
at five day intervals or spray with a solution of four parts water to
three parts rubbing alcohol -- add a squirt of dish soap for good
measure -- and keep the plant out of the light until the alcohol dries
completely.
Soap spray and alcohol spray also work for spider mites, and you might
also try buttermilk spray: mix 1/2 cup buttermilk with 4 cups wheat
flour to 5 gallons of water. Quarantine infested plants until you are
sure that the insects are irradiated. In extreme cases, you can strip
the leaves off the plant and cut it back by half. Don't worry, you won't
kill it, and you'll soon see signs of new growth.
For the best blooms, use a fertilizer that is high in potassium. The
last number in the N-P-K ratio indicates the amount of potassium, and an
N-P-K ratio of 5-5-10 is a good choice. Mix the fertilizer to about 1/4
strength and use it once a week.
After your roses spend a season indoors, it's best to plant them
outdoors and get new, disease and pest-free plants to use indoors. They
can be planted directly in the garden or kept in containers, but
remember that outdoor plants in small containers can dry out quickly.
Harden them off before placing them outdoors permanently.
About the author:
Jackie Carroll an avid gardener and the editor of GardenGuides.com, and
e-zine for gardeners. You can subscribe to her newsletters here:
http://www.gardenguides.com/news.htm
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling Memorial Day signals the start of barbecue season. Everyone wants to light that fire and charcoal that first meal. A few tips might pre- vent your entree from becoming a "Burnt Offering."
Read these tips for plenty of grilling ideas, make this year's barbecue perfect!
Growing and Using Garlic Chives Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a hardy perennial (Zones 3-9) that will grow to about 12 inches high. The stems are skinnier and flat, instead of hollow as are regular chives, with greenish white blooms that are about an inch wide and not as rounded. They bloom in the summer rather than spring. The bloom stalks grow much taller than the leaves, sometimes up to 30 inches.
The stems and blooms are both edible and have a mild garlic onion taste. I've noticed many writers will list this as primarily as an Asian herb, as they are also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, ku chai (China) or Nira (Japan), but it has many other uses as well!
The Perfect Porch Swing Perhaps it is the soothing rhythm or the reassuring creak of the porch swing that attracts us. Perhaps it is the companionable silence or quiet conversation. Or maybe swings simply remind us of more genteel times.
Although porch swings can be purchased in a wide range of materials, the most common are wicker and wood. You can also make your own porch swing from one of the myriad of woodworking patterns available at garden centers, hardware stores, or on the Internet.
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling
Growing and Using Garlic Chives
The Perfect Porch Swing