Roses made easy
The flower of lovers no longer thorny to grow
By Susan Nienow CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Knock Outâ122 rose is one of the easiest varieties to grow because it's droughtresistant and doesn't usually require spraying or pruning.

With names like Sexy Rexy, Betty Boop, Hot Tamale and Play Girl, it is easy to see the love connection people have with roses. But buying long-stemmed roses and growing them are two different things. Local gardeners have mixed feelings about growing these plants that require so much attention.

The problem with roses is Chesterfield's humid summers - which leads to the formation of black spots on rose leaves. Black spot fungus, the most common disease affecting roses, causes the leaves to yellow and drop. This requires weekly spraying with a fungicide or a mixed formula that also contains an insecticide.

Roses are also susceptible to powdery mildew and rust, both diseases exacerbated by wet foliage and failure to clean up diseased leaves in the fall. Then, there are the Japanese beetles that can defoliate a rosebush in a short time. The best remedy is to hold a bowl of soapy water underneath the blooms or the leaves, give them a light tap and the beetles drop into the bowl. This is best done early in the morning when they are not as active.

Pruning is part of growing roses. Doing it correctly encourages healthy growth. Climbing roses don't attach to a trellis like many vines but put out long canes that need to be tied to supports. Roses are known as "heavy feeders," requiring regular fertilizing or application of slow release fertilizer.

Annette Critelli, a Midlothian resident who lives in the same house she was born in, is very active in the Richmond Rose Society. She has over 250 roses in her yard and has refined her care routine. She sprays Liquid Fence every three weeks to repel the deer, but recommends wearing a painter's mask.

She starts on a regular program of feeding and treating for insects and disease early in the season. If you wait until the bush is already diseased, it is very difficult to get control.

Critelli recommends adding a half cup of Epsom salts to each bush three times a year: spring, summer and fall, because Chesterfield soil lacks magnesium. Rose Society members are glad to consult at no charge. If you have any questions about roses, call Critelli at 794- 5706.

Easy-to-grow roses

Gardeners who want a rose that blooms a long time and doesn't require much care should start with a shrub rose. "For roses, the first choice is a Knock Outâ122 rose for anyone who has never tried roses," said Candy Lindenzweig, nursery manager at The Great Big Greenhouse. It requires full sun, will grow to three feet by three feet, is drought-resistant, and doesn't need spraying or pruning.

A similar shrub rose is the Home Run, as easy to grow but from a different grower.

Mark McAuliffe, vice-president of operations for Cross Creek Nursery and Landscaping, agreed, "We are selling [Knock Outâ122 roses] almost exclusively. It is the easiest of all to grow - bred to be disease resistant. We have a smaller selection of [other] roses now."

Claudia C. Swanson, owner of Dirty Hands Garden Center, said, "The single best rose to come out in the past seven years or so is the Knock Outâ122. The original one was a reddish color, but now they have a double, a blush, a pink."

Swanson points out that any shrub rose is easier to maintain than the hybrid teas. The low-growing ground cover roses are also lower care. Her favorite is "the Rosa Tequila, an awesome compact shrub rose with the colors of a sunset." She doesn't believe in spraying until there is a problem and uses the organic azadirachtin as an insecticide, miticide and fungicide.

The Richmond Rose Society's web site, www.richmondrosesociety.com, includes recommendations for bullet proof roses that don't need spraying or special care such as the Knock Outâ122, Livin' Easy, a floribunda, and Baby Loveâ122, a miniature rose.

The organization's Web site also includes instructions for rose care in Richmond. Roses require full sun, a minimum of six hours a day.

Care in planting will give the rose the best chance to perform for years to come. Dig a hole at least two feet by two feet and 18 inches deep. Add organic matter to break up the clay. Water regularly until your new rose has put out roots.