Brad Jalbert, owner of Select Roses in Langley, experienced his second biggest loss of roses since the killer-cold of the 2008-2009 winter. Record flash cold in November hit plants when they were still in full growth. In previous years, the roses were able to withstand the cold because it came later in winter when the plants were already in their dormant state.
Rose Plant Booster Mix Recipe:
- 3 L (12 cups) of alfalfa pellets
- 1.5 L (6 cups) cottonseed meal
- 500 mL (2 cups) epsom salts
- 250 mL (1 cup) liquid kelp
Mix together in a garbage can and top with water. In two weeks, stir and use roughly a quart or litre per rose, beginning in the spring. Keep this booster up through the season, either at the rose’s base or as a foliar feed. (Note: Quality Farms has a similar recipe that uses alfalfa and Epsom salts.)
Save your banana peels and egg shells. Chop them up and put in the freezer. When you have a few cups, dig a hole beside the rose bush in question and dump the frozen mess into the hole. Cover with dirt.
When replanting a rose in the same spot dig out the old soil and plant the rose with fresh garden soil all around its new young roots. The new rose will grow far better if has fresh soil beneath and around it.