Roses, David Austin and other

[@peterhaymaker7562]

Enjoyed the walk around your lovely garden Ken; can't tire of it. When you've finished your deadheading I know where there's some more that need doing. Rightly or wrongly, I get rid of Crab Spiders when I see them as I know they'll take bees. P.

[@nikkonch]

That's strange, Peter, I was going to invite you to come and help with my deadheading!

[@peterhaymaker7562]

@@nikkonch I guess we'll have to toss a coin to see who goes where. I've still got plent to do, my Rural England in particular.

[@jamespatterson9890]

You have a fab Rose colection! The loosestrife looks like it works well with roses. Could you do a video on how you propagate your cuttings please! Ps love the colours on Meteor. Rose of the year.

[@nikkonch]

Thanks for your comment. I've copied and pasted an answer I wrote for someone else a few weeks ago. I may get around to making a video one day, but really there are so many people on KZbin who have produced very professional results that I could not improve on - just try searching propagating roses videos. I just do the normal thing - I cut a straight pencil-thick stem about 6-8 inches long, ideally from an outer stem which has just flowered, cutting below a node at the bottom and above a node at the top, remove all leaves (I used to leave a couple of leaves on at the top but now think this is not useful) . Soak the bottom for 10 minutes. With a sharp blade I cut up into the bottom of the stem twice, maybe a quarter of an inch cuts, making an X shape, spread the 4 quarters apart a little to allow powder/granules to get inside the stem, scrape the green off the bottom half-inch of the stem, wet the bottom of the cutting if necessary so that powder or granules will stick to it, and put it into mycorrhizal granules until the bottom has the granules stuck to it. It's best to have a cigar-sized hole ready in the compost (I always use fresh compost) to avoid dislodging the granules as you lower the cutting into the hole (leaving maybe an inch above the level of the compost), and then firm the compost around it. Then it's a matter of keeping the cuttings in moist but not wet compost - so nowhere too sunny which will dry them out. My best results were when I took autumn hardwood (wood which does not bend much) cuttings 2 years ago, but this last winter I lost nearly all my cuttings, I think they were taken too late and would have done better if left outdoors longer - so I'm aiming for October this year. However, spring cuttings are supposed to be much easier to grow - this summer I tried my technique on softwood (slightly pliable) stems which had recently finished flowering, and certainly so far the cuttings are looking very good much quicker than hardwood autumn cuttings. I also casually stuck a couple of cuttings into small pots a month or two ago, with no real care, and I see they are putting out new buds/leaves. It seems to me that cuttings "take" much more easily if planted in the warmer seasons (but out of the drying sun). So when you are pruning your roses and find a nice 6-8 inch stem, just cut at the nodes and stick it in the earth in a shady and damp spot - you may be surprised. Some roses seem to root easily, others not. I always expect to lose a number of my cuttings - many blacken either from the top or the bottom and die - real experts will probably have a much higher success rate, but I do it for fun - last year I ended up giving away about 10 flowering rose bushes (grown from cuttings) which I didn't need (I am ashamed to admit I enjoyed their displays of summer flowers first!) and only kept 2. I will perhaps try and show my cutting technique in a video. But really there is no magic to my technique (as my many failures prove). There are several KZbin videos other people have uploaded about taking rose cuttings - have a look. It's almost as basic as sticking a piece of stem into the ground and keeping it damp, warm and giving it some light - the tricky bit is judging how much of each of those 3 things to give the cutting! Reply

[@jamespatterson9890]

@@nikkonch Thank you. I’m sure a video would be very popular as your propagated Roses look like they’re thriving!

[@bigtomatoplantslover6205]

Wow Lovely Flowers ^^ Like 21 My friend, thank you for good sharing Have a good relationship

[@victorsmall7]

crab spider waiting for a victim inside the rose flower: wild bees, honey bees, etc

[@nikkonch]

Thank you - there's always someone on KZbin who can identify unusual things for the rest of us!

[@wendybartlett6717]

Hi Nik, I've never seen a spider like that before and have just read in the comments that it's a crab spider. It's well camouflaged in your rose. I never tire of seeing your lovely roses.

[@nikkonch]

Yes Wendy, I was quite surprised to see that unusual spider - it was lucky that I didn't just casually pull that rose off since the petals were all beginning to drop - also lucky that I was wearing my glasses! There always seems to be something new to discover in the garden.

[@rosegardengems]

Thanks for the tour Nik. You still have plenty of flowers. I’m envious of your Eustacia Vye cutting, very nice, mine still close buds and I don’t have any idea which roses are growing, I want it as a surprise. Is Meteor a German rose?🌹🌹🌹

[@nikkonch]

Thank you. I half regret giving away my 4 or so other Eustacia cuttings last year! Meteor is a Kordes rose, so yes, German, named Korzeigar - Rose of the Yar 2024.

[@gavinparry5426]

Another great walk around Nik. Any new ones on your list? I was VERY impressed by Scarborough Fair (DA) at Bodnant Gardens last week Nik. Will defo get it BR in Nov etc

[@nikkonch]

You seem to be planning to buy a lot of roses Gav! Scarborough Fair was not a DA I had ever looked at - it reminds me of Blush Noisette, but on a much larger scale. It's not a rose that jumps out on the screen - but we all know that seeing a rose in real life is a totally different kettle of fish. Glad I don't seem to have bored you all ... yet. Or, if I have, you're all too polite to say so! I've just done some major deadheading and pruning today, so the garden is looking a bit different.

[@gavinparry5426]

@@nikkonch yes Nik I agree. Emily Bronte was not on my list 2 years ago until I saw that one at Bodnant Gardens. So glad I bought it. Some 70 buds/flowers this year. SF stood out to me in real life last week.

[@Jay_Jay]

Videos coming on leaps and bounds nik. But there really is no need to go around and meticulously wipe all your rose leaves with baby oil’d cotton buds :) looking very healthy mate :)

[@nikkonch]

I thought you were going to say videos coming in thick and fast. - maybe too thick and fast. I started off making the video because of the spider and then got carried away. But at least there were a few new developments to show you all. I have just spent the afternoon deadheading and pruning and actually noticed bits of rust and blackspot appearing, so that needs to be tackled. The potted QoSweden was wilting and turning brown at the top - I am hoping that this was just due to inadequate watering (and lots of sun and wind) and not disease. Potted roses with lots of foliage do need a huge quantity of water.