Roses are extremely light-requiring, therefore it is recommended to grow them in a sunny and open flower bed. However, it so happens that there is no choice: there is free space only in the shade or partial shade. Let's figure out how to be a florist in this case.
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Landing
First, choose a place where the roots of the roses will have no competitors. If there is no way to provide roses with full daylight hours, then at least make sure that there are no trees or other shrubs nearby. When there is a lack of light, roses need a lot of nutrients to develop.
In the shade, the requirements for soil quality increase. Roses love fertile, but slightly acidic soil (so it's okay that for the winter they are covered with a mound of sawdust, which then cannot be completely removed: acidification due to decomposing residues of wood lignin is even benefit). Before planting, check the pH of the soil - it should be in the range of 5.5-6.5. If the acidity is too low, or the soil is generally alkaline, use lime or dolomite flour in order to acidify the rose garden to the desired level.
In addition, when planting roses in a shaded area, increase the distance between them so that the bushes do not take away the remaining light from each other. So plant the bushes at a distance of 10-15 cm more than is recommended for this variety. But it is not worth planting too rarely: roses do not like drafts and should at least slightly protect each other from the wind.
Since the soil dries out with difficulty in the shade, take care of good drainage and prevention of fungus.
Caring for roses in the shade
Pruning
If there is not enough light, you need to provide active air circulation. So don't forget about sanitary and formative pruning - and make it more active. All the same, roses from lack of sun will stretch out and create an extra shadow.
Top dressing
The lack of sun can be partially compensated for with fertilizers. Use the following formulations actively in the spring:
- one and a half tablespoons of superphosphate for two glasses of ash - and mix it all with one and a half kilograms of humus or vermicompost;
- infusion of bird droppings 1:10 (insist five days, dilute two-thirds with clean water) or mullein (1:10, but insist for seven days, and dilute with water in half);
- complex mineral fertilizers.
Weed infusions show themselves well. Infusions of nitrogen-rich nettle are especially good.
In the second half of the summer, you need to work with potassium-phosphorus mineral compositions, using superphosphate, potassium sulfate and an extract from wood ash. As much ash as possible should be added in August - there will be no overdose.
Watering
Shaded roses are watered in the morning or in the evening with settled water every 4 days. The soil should be 15-25 cm damp. If the soil has not dried out from the last watering, a new one is not carried out.
Diseases and pests of shaded roses
Diseases
The shade is a place where fungal and infectious diseases are rampant. Pay attention to the following ones:
- Powdery mildew. External signs are characteristic white bloom, leaf deformation. Means of struggle - fungicides (from copper sulfate to "Topaz") and biological products.
IMPORTANT: Biologicals and fungicides containing copper must not be used together! Vitriol does not care, it will kill both the fungus and beneficial soil bacteria.
- Rust. It manifests itself in the form of yellow-orange blotches of plaque on the leaves, stems and ovary of buds. Control methods - sanitary pruning and Bordeaux liquid. Other fungicides are also good.
- Spotting. It appears in the form of spots of uncharacteristic color - brown, gray, black. Leaves turn yellow, dry, fall off, young shoots die. Control measures - more fungicides, cut and burn the affected areas.
Pests
Roses in the shade are primarily threatened by:
- aphid;
- ticks;
- thrips;
- scabbards;
- pennies (slobberies);
- sawflies.
Control measures will be the same: hit with insecticides, cut and burn the most infected parts of plants. It should be borne in mind that thrips and ticks quickly adapt to chemicals, so you need to alternate preparations. And it makes no sense to destroy aphids if black garden ants live in the garden: these insects have symbiosis, they will drag them in place of those killed new aphids on roses (ants feed on sweet secretions of aphids) - therefore, you should first get rid of the anthills on the territory plot.
In addition, ladybugs are good against aphids - so never touch these insects in your garden, because they feed on aphids.
Do you know how to grow roses in the shade?
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