Drip Irrigation From A Surface Well

This article appeared on The Charleston Rose, the monthly newsletter of the Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society, Jan-Feb. 2013 issue, Editor - Rosalinda Morgan, contributed by William Prioleau, M.D.

Now, that it is getting chilly, it is time to tune up irrigation systems so that it will not be necessary to go out to water roses in the heat of the summer.

A farmer friend asked me to send him an account of how we irrigated. Here is what I am sending him.

A drip irrigation system from surface well, evolved over the years in our yard, is dependable, economical, and requires little maintenance.

Equipment

A one quarter or one half horsepower pump is adequate for gardens with 100 roses. The following irrigation equipment is available at ACE hardware stores: garden hose, water timer, filter, Y hose connector, adapter from the filter to one-half inch tubing, a roll of one half-inch tubing, a punch, a roll of one-quarter inch tubing, and an end plug.

Irrigation emitters that operate in the presence of sediment permit passage of four gallons of water an hour, have a plug that can be twisted or removed, and have a locking mechanism that keeps the plug securely in place. Such emitters are available from Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply (GrowOrganic.com).

Assembly

A Y hose connector is attached to a pump. A garden hose is attached to each end of the Y. One hose goes to the filter and the roses. The other hose serves as a runoff for the pump. The flow in the runoff hose is adjusted so that the pump runs smoothly when the system is operating. Smooth running of the pump prevents wearing out of the check valve which occurs if a pump is allowed to turn on and off rapidly.

An emitter is placed in the irrigation line near the base of each plant. To each emitter is attached a length of one-fourth inch tubing the end of which is supported above the mulch so as to make flow of water visible.

A plug at the end of the irrigation line is left partially open so as avoid accumulation of sediment. If the plug is closed completely, small particles of sediment that pass through the filter will build up and close off the last two or three emitters in the line.

At 65 pounds per square inch a hose has enough pressure to eject small particles of sediment from twelve filters in a line. If one exceeds a ratio of one hose to twelve emitters, pressure may be insufficient to eject sediment from emitters when irrigation is initiated. With more than a dozen emitters, additional hoses with filters need to be added at points along the line to make a system dependable. If one adds too many emitters to a line, twisting of emitter plugs becomes necessary to initiate flow.

Maintenance

When a pump that has been running smoothly starts to go on and off, sediment has likely accumulated in the filters, and the filters need emptying. Batteries in present day timers need to be changed once a year. Other than that, little else is needed for a dependable watering system.

Preparing Winners in the Garden and at the Show!

This Article by Sandy Lundberg, a Past President of the Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society won an Award of Merit from the American Rose Society in the 2013 ARS Newsletter/Bulletin competition, announced recently in the American Rose Magazine, May/June 2014 issue.

 

     May 11, 2013-----Show time for the Charleston Rose Society.  This spring has been a challenge for growers.  Last year the roses came two weeks early and this year they are two weeks late!

 

For novice or inexperienced exhibitors, the question is "what do I need to do to win"?  Many new exhibitors will try to bring everything they can from the garden and hope that they will get lucky.  Experienced exhibitors will advise you that in order to win, only the best quality roses should be entered and then the time that would have been spent trying to enter a large volume of roses, can be used to work on further improving the best specimens that you have.

 

What can be done in the garden?

     Improvements to your roses can start in the garden.  Often a bloom will be bent because it stayed attached to one of the sepals.  Gently pull the sepal loose and attach a small dowel stick just under the small bud.  Wrap the stick tight to the stem with parafilm or plastic bread wrapper material cut in strips.  Crooked stems can be gradually straightened by the same method.  Pale foliage can be darkened by using Sequestrine or Sprint 330 at the rate of 1 tablespoon per big bush or 1 teaspoon per miniature rose bush.  Continue to cut side growth early in its development so that you leave only about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch.  Do remember to pop these out at the show!  Potential sprays that you forgot to remove the center bud from can sometimes be pulled together with some yarn while growing and storing so that the gap will fill in.  Mist with Orthene WP at the rate of 1 tablespoon per gallon every two or three nights to prevent thrip damage.  This must be started as soon as the sepals begin to part on the blooms and show color.   Many exhibitors like to fertilize with a bloom builder formulation a couple of weeks before the show.  Wal-Mart and K-Mart carry Green Light Super Bloom 12-55-6 or you can continue to use Miracle-Gro.  Some exhibitors will also use fish emulsion for enhancing the color.  Don't forget to keep up your regular spray program and watch for spider mites.  They usually are present in our Lowcountry gardens by the third or fourth week of April.

 

     Watering should be done every day the week before the show.  It is the moisture in the petals that enables the rose to form starch in those petals.  Without this moisture to create substance in the petals, the rose will not last and will become limp.  Cutting the stem again at the show before putting it in the vase will also allow the rose to take up water to the petals enabling it to last longer.

 

 What is the ideal winning entry? 

     The ideal entry will be on a long, straight stem, free of insect and/or disease damage, both in the flower and foliage.   Since "form" is the most important factor in judging a rose, only roses with good form should be entered.  If a rose displays more than one point in the center (split centers) or "bull noses" (where a portion of the inner petal has folded over making a curved center), these are not worth entering.  The rose should exhibit exhibition form, which means that the center of the bloom should spiral to a high point and the rows of petals are evenly spaced out from the center.  Size, although given only 10 points on the judging scale, usually becomes very important in selecting the Queen.  With other factors being equal, generally the larger bloom will win Queen of Show.  Of course, old garden roses exhibit characteristics different from hybrid teas, floribundas and minis.   The foliage should be evenly spaced, undamaged, and not twisted. 

 

How and when should the roses be cut?

     The ideal time for cutting blooms is early morning or early evening when the rose has a lot of moisture, but roses do not always reach their ideal cutting stage at these times.  If a bloom is ready in the middle of the day, go ahead and cut it.  Just bring it into the cool house right away.  As you cut, place the blooms in a bucket of warm water.  Do not cram too many in the bucket at one time as you may tear some of the foliage.  Cut enough stem length to allow for a re-cut for conditioning and one at the show, but try not to rob the plant of more leaves than necessary.  If you have access to refrigeration, blooms can be cut mid-week, although some varieties will hold even longer in refrigeration.  You should experiment with your roses to see how many days various varieties will last.

 

How should the roses be conditioned and stored?

     After washing the foliage with warm, soapy water to remove any spray residue, place the bloom in a bucket of warm water, preferably up to the neck for a period of 1 1/2 to 2 hours to "harden off" for large roses.  "Harden off" minis and minifloras for 30 minutes and I like to “harden off” big roses for about an hour before refrigeration.  Then place in conditioned water for refrigeration.  Crysal RVB or Flora-Life are good for this.  In order to save time on the morning of the show, it is a good idea to polish the leaves and trim any damaged foliage right before refrigerating the rose. Trim any oversized sepals and check under the leaves for insect eggs.    Do not trim any petals on the bloom until the morning of the show, otherwise they will bruise.

 

What other things can be done before the show?

     The more you can do ahead of time, the more time you will have in the prep room to work on enhancing your roses.  Study the show schedule and try to decide in general terms those categories you want to enter based on what you believe will be available from your garden.  Remember the rule of thumb: If a bud isn't showing color between the sepals on Sunday, it will not be ready for the show the following Saturday.  Fill out entry tags for all the varieties you plan to enter.  If you plan a large number of entries, it would be wise to place them in alphabetical order in a file box.  Fill in all the information except for section and class and exhibitor's number unless you can get the number in advance.  Make a list of the varieties you plan to take and look up the correct spelling in the 2013 Handbook for Selecting Roses or The Combined Rose List.  The name printed in boldfaced type is the exhibition name that must be used.  If you are afraid you will forget the name of your roses, attach some kind of tag with the name on it to the rose.  But, remember to remove those identification tags before entering the rose. 

 

How do you prepare roses for entry to the best advantage?

     If you have had to transport your roses to the show in a cooler, you need to get them set into vases and allow at least 30 minutes for them to warm up before attempting to do necessary grooming such as opening up ones that are too tight with Q-tips.  During this time, you can be selecting and putting miniatures and floribundas, etc. into vases and putting entry tags on them.  Check each hybrid tea for the short stubs you left when you cut off the emerging side growth.  They should pop out easily.  If not, use a sharp knife to cut them being careful to not cut the foliage beneath.  Work the opening of hybrid teas gradually row by row.  Once you have the Queen, Miniflora Queen and Mini Queen contenders well under way, then you can look at the rest of the roses for possibilities for other classes such as collections, English boxes, floating bloom in a bowl, etc.  For collections, try to match the bloom size as closely as possible.  For full open entries make sure the stamens show and are fresh and that the bloom presents a circular outline.  Sprays should form a curved appearance with no blooms sticking above the plane and no large gaps in the spray.  Old garden roses should be fresh and exhibit the characteristics of that particular variety. 

 

     Exhibiting can be challenging and a great deal of fun.  If you have preplanned it will keep you from feeling rushed and making mistakes.  So, bring your best roses to the show and plan to win!

 

Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society April 2014 Meeting

Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society will hold their next meeting on Sunday, April 6 at 3 PM at Berkeley Electric Cooperative Office, 3351 Maybank Highway, Johns Island, SC 29455.

On Sunday April 6, 2014, there will be a Power Point presentation on how to Identify and control the common diseases and pests of roses in the Lowcountry given by Claude Thomas, Ph.D. Questions are welcome after the lecture.

Dr. Claude Thomas is a past Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society President and an American Rose Society Consulting Rosarian. He received his A.B. in Biology from Wofford College and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Plant Pathology from Clemson University.  He was employed by the USDA, Agricultural Research Service, first as a Research Plant Pathologist, Subtropical Agriculture Research Laboratory, Weslaco, TX; then as Research Plant Pathologist and Research Leader/Laboratory Director at the U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, SC. Dr. Thomas authored or co-authored some 200 scientific research publications on foliar fungal diseases of cucurbit and crucifer crops. He and his wife, June, enjoy growing and showing their roses and have won numerous awards at the local and district rose shows and the Coastal Carolina Fair.

 

Membership in the Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society is open to anyone with interest in roses. Dues are $15 for single membership and $20 for family membership annually, January - December and includes information-packed newsletter, The Charleston Rose and participation in all society activities.

 

For more info, email Rosalinda Morgan at RosalindaRM@comcast.net. To join, send dues to Matthew Morgan, Membership Chair, 3056 Sugarberry Ln., Johns Island, SC 29455.

 

Visit our website – www.charlestonrose.com.

Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society March 2014 Meeting

The Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society will hold their next meeting on Sunday, March 2 at 3 PM at Berkeley Electric Cooperative Office, 3351 Maybank Highway, Johns Island, SC 29455.

The program will be on Planting and Fertilizing your Roses given by Dr. Fletcher Derrick Jr.

Dr. Fletcher Derrick has been growing roses for over 35 years and is an American Rose Society Master Rosarian and an Accredited Horticultural Judge. He was featured in Post and Courier few months ago. He also appeared on South Carolina ETV program "Making It Grow" discussing roses with Rowland Alston. Dr. Derrick is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons with an active private practice in Charleston. In his spare time, he grows and takes care of his roses in his home garden. Aside from growing roses, he also paints roses in his spare time.

Membership in the Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society is open to anyone with interest in roses. Dues are $15 for single membership and $20 for family membership annually, January - December and includes information-packed newsletter, The Charleston Rose and participation in all society activities.

For more info, email Rosalinda Morgan at RosalindaRM@comcast.net. To join, send dues to Matthew Morgan, Membership Chair, 3056 Sugarberry Ln., Johns Island, SC 29455.

Visit our website – www.charlestonrose.com.

PRUNING YOUR ROSES

Pruning roses is a rite of spring for lovers of roses.  In Spring when that yellow-flowered shrub called Forsythia starts to bloom, it is time to start pruning. If you have plenty of roses, you can start early. You can always cut more later but you have a head start. We prune our roses for several reasons – to keep our roses healthy, to control its excessive growth and to shape your bush for a better display.  

Before we rush out there in the garden, make sure you have all the right tools. A good pair of bypass pruner preferably Felco. No 2 is recommended. Keep your pruner very sharp. A sharp pruner is less taxing to your hand and creates less bruising on your roses. For cutting larger canes, a lopper is a better choice. Their longer handles make it easier to cut through thicker canes. You should also have a pruning saw for those extra thick canes.  

Also, of utmost importance is to wear gloves. A good leather glove is a must to protect yourself from too many scratches.  Long sleeved shirts or jackets will protect your arms and wrists. Hat is also important to protect your face from the sun and to protect your head if you are balding. Make sure your tetanus booster shot is up to date.

Your first agenda is to cut the dead, diseased and damaged canes. Cut until you see the white or cream colored pith. If necessary, you can go down to almost near the bud union.  Roses will bloom on a dark colored pith but once the weather warms, the canes die back or become unproductive. Don’t go crazy looking for white pith on a “Peace” rose.  It does not have white pith. After getting rid of the dead and diseased canes, begin cutting the longer canes first and get them out of your way. Pay close attention to what you are doing. Work from the outside in. Remember that you are surrounded with thorns so be very careful.  

Cut above the leaf with five leaflets to about ¼ inch from the bud. If longer, the cane can die back and if shorter, new growth might break off in the wind. Cut to an outward facing bud so a new growth will face outward too. With few exception, like roses that tend to grow sideways, cut in the direction you want the branch to grow. Roses like The McCartney Rose, First Prize and Just Joey tend to sprawl so prune them to an inside facing bud. Always remember to aim at an open space in the bush.  Make the cut on a slant so water drain off.  Seal with Elmer’s glue to prevent the cane borer from burrowing into the newly cut canes.    

You also want to open the center of the bush for good air circulation to ward off diseases.  Cut long and straggly canes and canes that are crossing or touching each other leaving the stronger canes. Cut to about a foot high except for the shrub types which can go from 18 inches to 24 inches tall. Leave three or four good healthy canes. If only one cane is available, cut it lower to encourage new growth from the bud union.

On Hybrid Teas, Grandiflora, and some Floribundas, remove stems smaller than a pencil because they will not produce good blooms for cutting. For exhibitors, cutting back to 6 to 12 inches length will produce stronger canes and good quality blooms. Miniature roses are pruned the same way as Hybrid Teas. If you find this too tedious, you can go drastic and use a hedge pruner and prune to 8” high. Mother Nature is very forgiving and usually corrects our mistakes so don’t worry too much. Climbers and ramblers bloom from the 2-year old canes so cut the dead wood only and trim to desired shape. Old Garden Roses also bloom from the second year wood so cut only the dead wood in spring and prune drastically after flowering to promote growth and improve its shape.  

Remove all blind shoots. These are branches that taper down to almost nothing.  Remove spurs. These are short growths only a few inches long that have hardened off and taper down to a point. They will not flower.  

Prune to desired height you want for your rose. Some rosarians want their roses tall. Other rosarians want their roses short and compact looking. After you are done pruning, remove every leaf. These old leaves are the reservoir for black spot and mildew. You might also want to start your spraying program with dormant oil to take care of the overwintering insects. Also, spread a cupful of Epsom salt around each bush for better growth. Then you can relax a little bit while waiting for the new growth to arrive.

To learn more about roses, join the Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society. For more info, visit our website - www.charlestonrose.com.

 

 

CHARLESTON LOWCOUNTRY ROSE SOCIETY FEBRUARY 2014 MEETING

The Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society will hold their next meeting on Sunday, February 2 at 3 PM at Berkeley Electric Cooperative Office, 3351 Maybank Highway, Johns Island, SC 29455.

The program will be on Pruning given by Bob Lundberg.  Bob is an American Rose Society Master Rosarian, the Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society Consulting Rosarian Chair and the Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society Program chair. The program will start with a discussion of the tools required to accomplish the pruning task, followed by some comments on why we prune and the different approaches to pruning as we go through the growing season.  There will be a discussion on the approach to pruning different classes of roses.   At the conclusion of the discussion period, there will be a demonstration of spring pruning on Hybrid Tea and miniature rose plants.

Membership in the Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society is open to anyone with interest in roses. Dues are $15 for single membership and $20 for family membership annually, January - December and includes information-packed newsletter, The Charleston Rose and participation in all society activities.

For more info, email Rosalinda Morgan at RosalindaRM@comcast.net. To join, send dues to Matthew Morgan, Membership Chair, 3056 Sugarberry Ln., Johns Island, SC 29455.

Visit our website – www.charlestonrose.com.