13 November, 2013 16:10

The November 19, 2014 members meeting of the GVRS will feature a slide presentation by Bill Blok of the Spring Rose Show exhibitions. At this meeting we also elect the new officers and so please everyone come and support the candidates.

Our December meeting will take place on December 21st at the Grandville Restaurant in Grandville at 1:00 pm. We will have a choice of broasted chicken, prime rib, or a 6 oz. sirloin. You may also order from the regular menu. Dessert will be provided. Please let Joan Stoffer (joanstoffer or 616 453-0102), know if you are attending as we need a head count for the restaurant.

Advertisement

November 2012

November, Winterizing Time
When we joined the rose society in 1983, Herm Kladder was one of the most respected rosarians of our rose society.  He had a large beautiful rose garden on Burton S.W. that was often the address for rose garden tours, and the subject of seasonal rose articles in local newspapers.
In one of those early rose society meetings, Herm Kladder explained his winterizing methods.  Herm winterized his roses with soil mounds enclosed by cardboard collars.  These were similar to the plastic collars currently used by John Kelbel, except that they were of cardboard, and were filled with soil instead of mulch materials.
Herm would place the collars around his plants, and then he would wait until the surface of his garden soil was hardened  by frost before filling them with soil.  He believed that the dormancy  of rose canes was benefited by exposure to frost.  It all sounded good and logical at the meeting, but not so inviting when I tried to apply the rose cones and soil mounds in late November, with freezing fingers and toes.
I was interested to notice that later, when he was in his late 70’s or early 80’s,  Herm would apply his winter cover earlier in November while the weather was more favorable.  When I asked about this deviation from his former “later covering practice“, he admitted that the earlier mounding was easier on the rosarian.
When I was still teaching school, I used my Thanksgiving break to winterize our roses.  This was convenient since, except for Saturdays, their were few daylight hours to do the outdoor work.  Sometimes it was cold and frosty, but usually it worked out well.  Now that I  am retired, I do more of the winterizing earlier in November, when the weather is more favorable.  Rosarians who go south for the winter need to winterize earlier. Early winterizing may not be the best practice, but it is much better than no winterizing.
Some people want to cut down their roses as early as late September, but I don’t favor that practice.  Roses need October sun to store food for the winter.  Cutting down roses early, while we can still experience good growing temperatures, may cause the rose bush to produce new shoots that will never survive the winter. This wasts good buds and plant energy that could better be saved until next spring.
We use both combined mulch and soil mounds and Styrofoam cones for winter cover.  I don’t favor one over the other.  The main thing is to cover the crown or bud-union from desiccation (death by freeze-drying).  If you use cones, the tops should be well ventilated with extra holes near the top of the cone.  Old Styrofoam cones become brittle. You can extend the life of many cones if you keep a calking gun with silicone adhesive handy to repair broken cones.     Cones also need to be stabilized by placing bricks or rocks on the top of the cone.  We use one brick and one name stake, inserted through the “ear” of the cone.  Milk jug covers are useful for protecting smaller miniature bushes or newer cutting.   Most of our miniatures receive no protection.
Suckers, Or No Suckers
Those of us who grow grafted roses, often from California, are familiar with suckers.  New shoots on roses that originate from below the graft, are called suckers.  When you see lanky growth, usually with finer textured leaves, and no bloom buds in its first year, you are probably looking at a sucker.  Suckers are destructive to the original grafted plant because it originates from below the graft, and thus gets the first chance at the water and stored food from the roots.
If the sucker originates from the root at a point just below the surface, you may be able to remove it by notching out the cutting where it begins at the root.  Unfortunately, the sucker may originate much lower on the root than the surface, and it may be impractical to try cut it out.  I usually dig down 4 to 6 inches, and get a pair of sturdy gloves, and work the sucker back and forth while pulling upward on the sucker.  Eventually the back and forth action will weaken the attachment of the base of the sucker, and it will pull out.
At a recent meeting John Kelbel noted that he has purchased quite a few roses from the Wisconsin Roses nursery, and he had never seen a sucker on those roses.  Wisconsin Roses grafts on multi-flora  root stock, and that is probably the reason.  When you graft on multi-flora seedlings, you do not graft on the multiform stem, but on the upper portion of the root, just below the crown of the plant.  Grafting is done in late summer, and bud growth usually begins in the spring.  When the bud breaks, the propagator cuts off the entire top of the multiflora plant, just below the crown, and above the growing bud.  There is little opportunity for suckers to develop if the entire top of the rootstock is cut off,  Buds grow on stems, and when there is no more rootstock stem, there are no suckers.
`    Western roses usually are grafted onto Dr. Huey rootstock, an old garden climber. .  The Dr. Huey canes are harvested in the fall, refrigerated during the winter, rooted, and transplanted into the field.  In early summer buds are harvested from bud stock roses and grafted on the short pieces of rooted Dr. Huey canes.  In the process of preparing the canes for grafting, the propagators disbud the canes of their Dr. Huey rootstocks, at least they try to.  Unfortunately, some buds are missed, and they produce the suckers.
In the past, the western rose industry was plagued by infections of mosaic virus, a disease that discolors and disfigures rose leaves.  A small but significant number of western grown roses suffered from that disease.  The disease was passed to the grafted plant by either diseased buds, or from diseased rootstock.  The disease does not pass from diseased parent plants to their seed.  Seedling multiflora are virus free.  That may be one of the reasons that multiflora seedlings became so popular as a rootstock.
Rose Propagation
Gardeners can increase the number of rose plants in their garden by grafting, or by rooting cuttings.  Usually mid to late September pretty much ends the grafting season, especially if
it is bud grafting. When the plants begin to prepare for winter by reducing the moisture in their stems, slip-budding comes to a halt. .Propagation from cuttings works very well in the fall, almost until winter sets in.
Both leaves and roots grow from the stem nodes, so ideally a cutting should have at least 2 nodes, the bottom node for roots, and the top nodes for leaves.  The bottom nodes, usually without leaves, are inserted into the garden soil.  Actually, it is possible to start a plant from a cutting with only one node..    In that case, insert the node with leaves still attached, into the garden soil.  The leaves at the node should extend above the soil surface. Water in the cutting well, and cover the cutting with a milk jug cover, or a glass jar.  I use a gallon milk jug with the bottom cut out, and anchor it in place with a wooden stick.  Some  people start cuttings in a vacant spot in their rose garden, but I usually start them in flower pots.  That way I can move them around and can plant them in the garden later, after they have grown. some.   Some people use a rooting compound to start cuttings, but I usually do not.    B.B.
Reclaiming Donated Trophies
Last month I wrote an article about our trophy disposal plans, and invited people who had donated trophies, or whose families had donated trophies, to request that the trophies be returned to them, if that is what they want .  So far I have not had any requests for trophy returns.  I don’t believe the Board will meet before early next year to vote on the final disposal of trophies, but when it happens they may be disposed of without much delay.
John Ball Winterizing
When I arrived at the John Ball Rose Garden, at about 9 AM on the 27 of October, I was greeted by Horticulturist Tim Rausch and 3 members of his work crew.  They had a truck load of fine mulch ready to apply.  Since Gord and Alice Otter had come on Friday and had pruned a sizeable portion of the garden, the crew began the application of of the wood mulch almost immediately.  Since there was still quite a bit of pruning to do, I worked most of the next 2 hours completing the pruning.  At about 10:30 Tim and 2 members of his crew, went off to other park chores, while one man stayed with me to complete the pruning, and to apply the last of the mulch.  Tim provided the usual coffee, cider and donuts.  When I wanted to leave at about 11 AM, I had to wait about 15 minutes, while my precious antique shovel was retrieved.  The crew had mistaken it for a John Ball shovel.
Annual Election
At our October membership meeting, the following were nominated.  Joan Stoffer, President, Bill Blok, Vice President, John Kelbel, Treasurer, Janice Powell, Secretary, and Judy Stoffer, Board Member.  The November meeting is the time designated for the election.  Since all are unopposed, it will be by acclamation.   Gord Otter and Rose Enders will continue to serve their 3-year terms.
Sunshine Committee
If you know of a member who is sick or bereaved, please call Irma Blok at 538-6880.
The November-December Issue
As is our custom, the last issue of our Rosarian Newsletter is a combined Nov.- Dec. issue.   Our December meeting is a luncheon scheduled for 1 PM on December 15, at the Grandvilla Restaurant.  Last year was our first Year End Luncheon there in quite a few years.  Everyone seemed to be satisfied with the food and service there last year.  We hope to see most of you there.  Bill & Irma.
Newsletter Address
The Grand Valley Rosarian Newsletter, Bill & Irma Blok, Editors,

THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER
By Joan Stoffer
The date for our Christmas luncheon has been rescheduled since the last Newsletter.  The new date is DECEMBER 15, at 1:00pm – Grand Villa Inn.  If anyone needs directions, please call me at 453-0102.  We will have a choice of 4 entrees and dessert will be provided.  Cost is according to which entrée you order and prices are very reasonable.  You do not need reservations, but I do need a body count for the setup so let me know if you are attending.

Alice Otter will be presiding over a discussion panel at our next meeting, November 20th.  She always does a nice job in her presentations, so you won’t want to miss this one.

Our society, along with the Kalamazoo society, has been offered a free booth at the March Home Show in Grand Rapids.  Tom Conklin and Joyce Latta have been working on this, and they have also been asked to present their program, “Yes, You Can Grow Roses.”  Because the Home Show runs for 4 days, we would be obliged to man the booth for the duration of that time.  I think we could certainly use the exposure to gain new members.  We will be talking about this at the November meeting, so please be thinking about how much time each of you could offer, should we decide to involve our Society.  We may be a small group, but we are powerful!!!!

Pruning is finished in my rose beds, whereupon I discovered that borers had destroyed some of my best canes. Next year, in the Spring, I will need to seal canes.  Jon Wier says he doesn’t have a problem with borers, so I guess all of his borers found their way to my house (and I would like to send them back!) If anyone has a solution other than sealing canes, let me know.

September 2012

Show Results
Grand Valley Fall Rose Show
Sept. 8-9, 2012
Horticultural:
Class 1: Master Challenge, Hybrid Teas:
Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 5: Three Of A Kind, Hybrid Tea:
Pearl Essence: Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 7: Broersma Challenge, hybrid teas:
Moonstone, Cajun Moon, Gemini
Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 8: Three OGR/Shrub Collection:
Marilyn Whittaker.
Class 9: Hi-Lo Challenge:
Mavrik/ Magic Show:
Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 10: English Box, Large. Exhibition            Stage: Gordon & Alice Otter.
Class 12: English Box: OGR or Shrub, all         the same variety. Joan Stoffer.
Class 13: Rose in a Frame: Richard Anthony.
Class 15: OGR/Shrub Artist Palette:
Marilyn Whittaker.
Class 16: Bouquet Bowl:
Joan Stoffer.
Class 20: Mini Master Challenge:
Richard Anthony.
Class 23: Mini/Miniflora American Heritage:
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 24: Mini Cycle of Bloom:
John & Rosemary Kelbel.
Class 25: The Konrad Veit Challenge:
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 26: Mini English Box:
Gordon & Alice Otter.
Class 27: Mini English Box, all the same.              Richard Anthony.
Class 29A: Artest Palette, Open:
Richard Anthony.
Class 29B. Artist Palette, Exh. Blm:
John & Rosemary Kelbel.
Class 30  Mini Rose in a Frame:
Abby’s Angel: R. Anthony.
Class 35: H. Tea/ Grandiflora: 1-Blm.
Queen: Moonstone:   B. & I. Blok
Class 35 (Continued):
King:     Gemini:  B. & I. Blok.
Princess: Marlon’s Day: B. & I. Blok
Court: Veteran’s Honor, Bride’s             Dream,  & St. Patrick;:              B. & I. Blok
Touch of Class:  The Otters.
Class 36:  Single Hybrid Teas:
Dainty Bess:   M. Whittaker.
Class 37: Hybrid Tea Sprays:
Irma Jean
Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 38:  Grandiflora Sprays:
Wild Blue Yonder:
Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 39:  Fully Open H. T.
Hi Neighbor:
Joan Stoffer
Class 40:  One Bloom Floribunda:
Glad Tidings.  M. Whittaker.
Class 41: Floribunday Sprays:                     Lady of the Dawn:
Marilyn Whittaker.
Class 42:  Polyantha Sprays:  Snowbell:
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 43:  Climbing Roses:  Aunt Ruth:
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 44: Dowager Queen:
Marchesa Boccella
Richard Anthony.
Class 45: Victorian Queen:
Frou Karl Druschi:
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 46: Modern Shrubs:
Louise Clements:
Joan Stoffer.
Class 48: Classic Shrubs
R. Rugosa Alba
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 49: 1-Bloom Exh. Minis.
Queen:       Joy    Anthony
King          Irresistible  The Wiers.
Princess     Fairhope     The Wiers
Court        Bee’s Knees      Blok
Magic Show      Blok
Heather Sproel   Kelbel
Class 39 (Continued)
Court: Soroptimist Int.  The Bloks.
Class 50:  1-Bloom Miniflora, Exhib.
Queen: Patron:            Anthony.
King:   Show Stopper:  Anthony.
Princess: Whirlaway     Otter.
Court:   First Choice    Anthony
Liberty Bell     Anthony
Cachet            Blok
Butter Cream   Blok
Class 53:  Best Miniature Spray:
Soroptimist Int.   The Bloks.
Class 55:  Miniature Open Blooms
Love Torch:   The Wiers.
Class 67: Open Bowl:
Gordon & Alice Otter.
Class 68: Open Bowl, Full Blown
Joan Wiley.
Class 69: Brandy Snifter:
Joan Wiley.
Class 70:  Marine Bowl:
Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 71: Mini Rose Bowl:
Joan Wiley.
Class 72: Mini Rose Bowl, Full Blown.
Joan Stoffer.
Class 73: Miniflora Rose Bowl:
Joan Wiley.
Class 75: Mini/Miniflora Brandy Snifter.
Joan Wiley.
Class 76: Boutonniere
Gord and Alice Otter.
Class 78: Mini End of Trail:
Richard Anthony.
Class 85: Best Judges Challenge:
Playgirl:  Ron Loch.
Best Red Rose: Veteran‘s Honor
Bill & Irma Blok.
Best of Show: Irma Jean Spray:
Bill & Irma Blok
Hort Sweepstakes:  The Bloks
Mini Hort. Sweepstakes:  R. Anthony.
Arrangement Honors:
Joan Wiley:
ARS Silver, and ARS Mini Royalty.

Irma Blok:
ARS Gold, Large Court of Etiquette, ARS Mini Gold, & Mini Duchess,

Irma & Irma Jean
Another Good Show
Rosarians are seldom concerned about finding roses for their June shows, because that is usually the biggest bloom of the year.  More often we wonder whether we will find good roses for our fall show.  That was especially so because of our unusual weather this year, and especially so because of our hot, dry weather this summer.  It is true that floribundas were more scarce than usual, but when all was said and done, the judges were pretty satisfied with the quality and quantity of roses at our show.  The Blok’s brought quite a few hybrid teas to our show this spring, but although we may have had more this spring, the quality was definitely better at our September show.
Thanks to all of you who helped with putting on the rose show.  It was good to see our new member Brian Smith, come out to learn the exhibition rose business by watching our exhibitors at work, and he volunteered as a Judges Clerk to observe the judges work close up.  It was also good to see Ohio exhibitor Richard Anthony exhibiting at our show again.  Though he was delayed in his arrival by bad weather in Ohio that morning, he did add quite a few miniatures, and especially mini-floras, to our show.  Irma would also like to thank Rosemary Kelbel for taking over as hostess for the Judges Coffee.
Although I did bring a dozen or more dry-wrapped roses to our show, only a few were good enough to edge out other more freshly cut roses.   One exception was a bloom of Gemini that I wrapped on Saturday (a week before our show).  It looked good enough to edge out a couple of other Gemini that I dry-wrapped the following Monday .and other more freshly cut roses.  It was entered in the Queen competition, and it became “King of Show”.
Irma Jean
The big thrill for Irma and I at our Fall show was seeing our large spray of “Irma Jean” honored as the “Best of Show”.  It has been at least two growing seasons since we had it officially registered with ARS, but we have found that it produced few blooms with good exhibition form.  After growing the seedling for about 3 years, it surprised us by producing a few blooms with excellent form.   This delighted me so much that I went right out and had it registered with ARS.
Besides the original seedling, we have 2 grafted plants in our garden.  Now after 2 or 3 years in the garden we see some good blooms.  We had one blue ribbon winner this spring, and now we had 2 more, a 1-bloom, and the spray.  We are hoping that the production of more good blooms is a sign that we will have more as the plants matures..
Irma Jean is a hybrid of Crystalline x Lynn Anderson.    Obviously, it has some good qualities from both parents. I don’t have extra developed plants of this rose, but I did graft a few plants this fall.
Awkward Roses
:    Roses with long necks (peduncles), I call awkward roses.  Most good exhibition roses have broad shoulders, that is their stems display their leaves symmetrically around their stem, with 5 and 3 part leaves clothing the stem nearly up to the peduncle.  Awkward roses often have 3 and 1-part leaves towards the top of its stem, producing a distinct taper of leaves up to the base of the long peduncle.  Examples of such roses in our garden are Alabama, Sheer Joy, Leana, and Pearl Essence.

Pearl Essence – The Komar
Awkward roses may have good bloom form, and substance, and may be floriferous, but judges don’t prefer them over their more balanced neighbors, and with their stem form, they don’t blend as well with them in collections.
There is one place in the show schedule where they shine however.  It is in the “3-of- a-kind” collection.  In our schedule it is called the “Komar”.  In collections we look for uniformity in shape, size, and form.  It seems that when these factors repeat themselves three times in such a collection, the long necks become a factor that strengthens the uniformity of the collection, and become a  positive factor in the collection.
It also helps if the rose is definitely floriferous.  Two very similar blooms won’t help much in building a 3 of a kind collection.  We have two plants of Pearl Essence  in our garden.  One plant bloomed a week too early, but the second plant produced 4 blooms during show week.  The largest competed (unsuccessfully) for Queen, and the other 3 picked a day later, made an excellent Komar Collection.

Rose Show Trophies
At its September meeting, the Board voted to begin the process of the orderly disposal of most of our show trophies.  Rather than dealing with possibly near 150 trophies brought to one place,  and the storage involved in that, we wish to invite those member or individuals who have donated particular trophies to our rose society, or whose relatives have donated trophies, and wish to have them returned, to place their request for such  trophies with Bill Blok.  Be as specific as possible with the trophy requested, and your reasons. (Original donor, family of donor, etc.).  If in doubt, the Board will decide.  Some trophies are in storage at Meijer Gardens, and others are stored (hopefully)  by the members who were awarded them in 2011, the last year they were awarded.  When I get a list of approved requests, I will issue an “All Points bulletin”, and hopefully the members holding them will make them available to the requesting member, or former member.
One suggestion that has come up, is to convert a couple of the better looking trophies from their current assignment, to be “Best of Show” trophies for our Spring and Fall shows.

THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER-By Joan Stoffer
Waking up this a.m. to a chilly 50 degrees, reminded me that winterizing of the roses will soon begin. I choose to cut back in the fall, and many of you leave that chore to the spring. Whenever you elect to start that struggle, I have a few tips which may help you to success.
1.  Those of you growing hybrid teas, minis and minifloras, should locate your sharpeners and go to     work on those Felco pruners.
2.  Rosarians such as myself, who grow shrubs (especially those arching Austins) and climbers, may     want to add a sharpened machete along with those Felcos.
3.  Just a word about outerware for pruning the jungle: Whatever you wear for this task, do not wear  your “Sunday best.” Carhartt makes great coveralls or you may find a good deal on leather jackets at your local Goodwill or army surplus store. Add leather or goatskin gloves. Boots are optional but tennis shoes can freeze up quickly in November. Please note: Jeans do not win in a fight against thorns.
4 .Now that you are outfitted, let’s begin our journey. Start at the outside and work INTO the rose garden. Starting in the middle will already have shredded your Carhartts or left your leather with shrapnel wounds.
5. I have heard a rumor that running your lawn mower over the minis can shorten your workload immensely – nothing was said about what it does to the mower. Weed-whackers are a possibility but I am not recommending either method.
6. Get tough on those babies – show no mercy – you are the boss – wrestle them right down to within inches of the ground!!!
7. To cover or not to cover – that is the question. So, I cover everything and still lose a couple every winter. My choice of cover is Styrofoam cones and bush jackets, a type of blanket that breathes. If you must use buckets, take a drill to them first and make lots of holes – failing to do this will result in sticks with thorns where roses should be in the Spring.
8.  Now stand back and be proud of the job you have finished; the garden now resembles a war zone with no survivors, BUT be assured it will be beautiful next Spring, (or not.).
9.  Last on my list of absolutely silly tips is perhaps a useful one: Voles do not hibernate for the winter, therefore, either you can buy a case of mousetraps and several jars of peanut butter, or purchase a granular vole repellant. I recommend the latter.
10. SMILE as you work – it doesn’t make it any less back-breaking, but your neighbors will be impressed with how easy it is to grow roses!!! Happy winterizing to all my friends and may your roses grow as big as your hearts.

August 2012

Hot & Dry
Boy, has it been hot and dry!  New records for July.  On July 19 we received our first measurable rain since about the first 10 days of June.  In total it was about 0.7 inches.  Some of you got more.  In the last Thursday and Friday of July we receive a total of about another 0.7 inches.  The rose experts tell us the roses need about a minimum of 1 inch per week during the growing season.  That leaves us in deficit of about 6 or 7 inches of rain.  I hope August will be more generous with rain.  We have been watering with “Wyoming water”, but I hate to think about the eventual water bill.
Apparently the hot days have reduced somewhat the powdery mildew infestation, but black spot and especially spider mites have been bad.  When the leaves turn yellow, and begin to drop off easily, most common cause is spider mites.  Spider mites like it hot and dry.  I am virtually out of Floramite, a newer miticide, but I am using some old mitecide called Vendex.  I hope it will be beneficial.
In the last couple of weeks of July, I have started cutting back our large roses, in the hope of getting them to repeat bloom in time for our September 8 Fall Show.  This has been a nastier job than usual, since rose growth stared so early this year, and many of our June roses were essentially 2nd cycle roses, following our damaging late April frosts.  If you could see my arms today, you would see that the scratches on them are more normal for November cut down time, than for July.
Dispite the fact that we try to water potted plants regularly in this hot weather, there is obvious stress for plants in pots.  Our pink Mandevilla died last week, despite repeated watering.  A couple of slow but started grafted maidens also died in their pots.  90 to 100 degree heat is brutal.
We were thankful for the first soaking rain of 1.25 inches on July 30, but that was followed by another 10 or 12 days of heat and drought until now, August 10; when we have received more than 2 inches of wonderful rain.
Japanese Beetle Report
In late July, the Japanese beetles were as bad as ever.  With the cut-down and the heat,, there were not many blooms left out there, but what there was, was often covered with a mass of beetles, eating the bloom down to its stump.  Not only that, but now rose leaves are becoming a staple in the beetle’s diet.  They especially like Olynpiad leaves.  Since our beetle surge this year started early, about 10 days before the usual July 4 target date, we hope they will soon be coming to the end of their cycle.  So far it is a vain hope.
Working In The Garden
The 90 + degree afternoons and evenings are not conducive to doing gardening activities, but we try to get our work done dispite the heat.  On the last week of July I applied my 3rd and final application of fertilizer to our rose beds.  Earlier I had applied lawn insecticide for beetle grubs.  Apparently I didn’t apply enough, judging by what was left over, so this week I applied more in a mix of insecticide and lawn fertilizer.  We hope it will do some good, but with a golf course a little more than 200 feet away, I doubt I will see an effect on the beetle population.
Beware of Deer
Although I haven’t seen deer in our yard this summer, we do see signs that they come here.  We see the results of their random pruning of the rose plants, and occasional deer droppings.  We used deer repellant in our rose spray this spring, until a week or two before our show.  During and immediately following our June shows, we saw little rose damage in our garden, but during this summer, I see random damage to new shoots and an occasional spray.  Today, the last Saturday of July, I put down some deer repellant in our rose spray.  I think I will need to keep doing that in the coming month, to teach the deer to avoid our roses.

Removing Hips
Rose plants bloom to produce seed, thus propagating their own kind.  When a flower is successfully pollinated, the rose plant devotes most of its available energy to mature the seeds growing inside or on the hip.  Most rose growers are more interested in seeing more blooms than in producing seed.  In that case it is advisable to remove the hips, and force the rose plant to produce more stems and blooms.  Should hips always be removed?  Not if the rose variety produces only one bloom cycle a year, as in some OGR’s.  In that case you may wish to see the decorative effects of the variously colored hips maturing in the garden.
It is also advisable to stop removing the hips of spent blooms in September.  Instead, we should remove the petals from spent blooms and leave the hip on the bloom stem.  In Michigan rose seed from September blooms in the garden, will never mature to produce viable seed.  The time before winter is too short. Removing the petals reduces the likelihood of having to see petals rotting on the stem during the moist cool morning of autumn.   Leaving the hips on however, discourages the plant from producing new flower shoots that will never survive winter.  That saves the plant’s energy and buds for producing new growth in the spring.
Cutting back spent flower canes, and sprays (dead heading), prior to the fall bloom, will encourage the production of fewer but larger flower shoots and flowers in the fall bloom. .
Timing Roses
When we simply remove the hips on spent blooms, if anything we hasten the production of more flowers.  New shoots that are in process of growing when the hips are removed, are allowed to produce their flowers in their own time.   If we want to force the roses to produce a new crop  of  blooms at show time, we need to have some idea of the length of the bloom cycle for a certain rose cycle and cut back the roses accordingly.  I do try to time my roses to some degree, but with me it is a bit of experience and guesswork . I am not sure if we would do better to just remove hips and let nature take its course.


St. Patrick
Our Fall Show
After our Rose Society Picnic on Thursday, August 23, it will not be long before our September 8 & 9 rose show at Meijer Gardens.  In recent years, we most commonly had our Fall Rose Show on the weekend of Labor Day, but this year it is one week later.  Being a little later is  probably a good thing, since it may take the roses a little longer to recover following our unusually hot and dry summer.
We are hoping that some of our exhibitors from eastern and southern Michigan will bring their roses to Grand Rapids for our show.  Rose shows will be scarce this fall in Michigan, because no Great Lakes District Show is scheduled for this fall.  We hope that will bring a few out of town exhibitors here.
Roses usually are more scarce in the fall than in the spring.  Not all roses re-bloom in the fall..  In the spring the growing season starts with the March-April warmup which gets all roses off and growing at about the same time, and though roses begin to bloom at different times, almost all bloom in June. In the course of the summer, with different recycle times for the different varities, the blooms are more scattered by the time we get to September.  By having our show a week after Labor Day, we also have a little more time for the Japanese beetles to cycle out before we need to cut our roses for the show.
Help Wanted!
Besides needing exhibitors, we also need the usual help we need to put on the show.
On Friday, September 7, we will need help to set up the exhibition tables, move supplies, and fill vases.  Supplies are usually moved beginning at 11 AM, and people usually arrive between 12 noon and 1 PM to do the rest of the set-up.  More hands mean lighter work for all.
On Saturday, Sept. 8, our prep room opens as early as 6 AM, and entry deadlines are 10 AM for Arrangements, and 10:30 for Horticulture exhibits.  We will need clerks, runners, and watering teams.  See Alice Otter if you are willing to be a judge’s clerk, and Joan Stoffer for other show help.  Five O’clock PM on Sunday, Sept. 9;  is “take down time”.  Join us as we complete the last of a busy show weekend.
The Judges’ Coffee
Please remember to bring some treats for the Judges Coffee on the morning of Sept. 8, at Meijer Gardens..

The President’s Corner – by Joan Stoffer
It is that fun time of the year again when GVRS members gather for a picnic at Joan and Larry’s home.  The date is Thursday August 23rd and start time is 6:00 pm, RAIN OR SHINE!!  If the weather doesn’t favor us outside, then we’ll all find floor space in the kitchen and living room.  You don’t need reservations, but I would like to know what dish you are bringing – Jon Wier’s task is to bring the chicken, (note to Treasurer: bring the checkbook to reimburse Jon.)  Somehow we always seem to have enough and more than enough different dishes to please everybody.  I will provide the coffee, tea, sodas, and dessert, plates and utensils.  Since Judy and Rae’s move to our house, continued construction has made little time for gardening, so the landscape is not a thing of beauty right now so just look past that (and a garage full of yet-to-be unpacked boxes.)
Our September meeting will take place on the 11th – the SECOND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH.  This is due to FMG needing our usual space for something they have planned on the 3rd Tuesday of Sept.  Judy suggested a round table discussion (yes, I know our tables are rectangular!)  It has been such an unusual spring and summer, that I am sure you all have stories to tell about problems in the garden, and solutions you have tried etc. etc.  So bring your tales of woe to the table and we’ll all cry with you.
Show time is right around the corner too and if everyone does as good a job as they did in June, setup will be a cinch.  Just a little reminder – if you have books or magazines that you have finished reading please bring them to offer to the public.
Last, but not least, I want to tell you that we have gained a new member, Brian Smith.  Hopefully his work will allow him to attend our picnic so you can all meet him.  Brian is interested is rose growing, and hopefully, exhibiting, so let’s all help him feel welcome to our group.

Ely Manor in Allegan loves GVRS Roses!

Ruth at Ely Manor selected this group for her bedside table!

Prepping Roses for the Nursing Home

What happens to our roses after the show? I take them home and put them in unbreakable plastic soda bottle vases for people in nursing homes. Here is my dining room table in the middle of the post show nursing home bouquet prep.

From The Editors Desk: 1997 (Excerpts)
Well another rose show has come and gone.  Thanks especially to those who helped with the Transport Committee, the rose show set-up, the clerking and show related activities.  Thanks to those who brought goodies for the Judges Coffee.  They were good as usual.  We also thank Betty Martin, Mary Bray, Lillian Harper, and former member Jean Larson, and others who helped with the Miniature Rose Sale.  We grossed about $600 dollars in rose sales, at and immediately following the rose show.  Jon Wier sold the last 24 roses at his place of work on the Monday.  Thanks Jon!
I was disappointed that not many non-exhibitors showed up to enter the show for the first time.   I suppose that many potential exhibitors fail to exhibit because their roses at show time were not the best they have ever grown, or it was a bad week for them.  Experienced exhibitors know that the weather is always bad on show week.  The weather is too cool, or too hot, too dry, or too wet.  An exhibitor must do the best he can with what his gardening skill and the weather give him.  One must also be willing to suffer rejection.  I am still smarting from the 2 judges that put a red ribbon on my beautiful First Prize rose.  It was one of the best in the show, even if a bit tight, but the red ribbon prevented any chance that other, more sympathetic judges, would consider her more favorably when the Queen and her court were chosen.   So you see, I don’t take rejection well.
Some how, not much has changed but the names and numbers.    Bill Blok

Tag Cloud

%d bloggers like this: